Doc. 84.-the charge at Burk's Station, Va.
A correspondent, writing from Fairfax Court-House, March eleventh, gives the following account of this affair:Two days of excitement and the monotony of camp-life on the Potomac is broken. Companies A and H, of the Lincoln cavalry, were on Saturday ordered to proceed to Burk's Station, (your readers all know where that is,) and guard a portion of the railroad and a bridge, then being repaired by a body of laborers. On Sunday morning, Gen. Kearney and his brigade pushed forward to the same point, feeling his way into the enemy's country. The enemy's scouts were hovering about in the vicinity, and it was evident that we were close upon his outposts. About eleven o'clock, Gen. Kearney ordered a detachment of fourteen men, of the Lincoln cavalry, under command of Lieut. Hidden, to advance to a certain point on the road, feel the enemy's position and report. Flankers were furnished, but they do not seem to have kept up with the cavalry, which soon came upon one of the enemy's supports, where about one hundred and fifty of his infantry were posted. Seeing the cavalry advancing, the enemy quickly formed, and commenced firing, the arms used being Kentucky rifles. The temptation for a dash, on the part [283] of the cavalry, now became irresistible. Quickly Lieut. Hidden told off his men, and placing himself at their head, dashed down upon the rebels at full speed, cheering and shouting to his men as he went. A majority of the rebels, astonished at the intrepidity of the charge, took to their heels, and scampered off in true Virginia style. The rest fought desperately. Lieut. Hidden fell from his horse dead. A rifle-ball entered his left shoulder, curved through his neck, and came out at the cheek, killing him almost instantly. Lieut. Hidden was a brother-in-law of William Webb, the celebrated ship-builder of New-York He was a young man of fine personal appearance, brave as a lion, and much beloved by both officers and men, who deeply regret his loss. To the former he was always the courteous gentleman; to the latter, he was a true friend. Corporal Eugene Lewis now took command, and the fight became even more desperate. Several of our men had their horses killed, and were forced to engage the enemy hand to hand. Corporal Lewis dismounted, cheered his men on, fighting himself like a tiger, killing two of the enemy and wounding a third. Some of these rebels had resolved to die rather than be taken prisoners, and on refusing to surrender, had to be brought to their senses by a pistol-shot. One fought until deprived of his rifle and bayonet, and then drew one of the strangest-looking bowie-knives, and continued to defend himself in the most desperate manner, until despatched by a ball from a revolver. His weapons are now trophies in the hands of the trooper who proved his victor. The whole thing was done quickly and well. We killed three, wounded five, and made prisoners of eleven, who were marched off before their fleeing comrades had time to recover themselves. Corporal Lewis, seeing one of the rebel lieutenants at a distance, heading south, mounted Lieut. Hidden's horse and went in pursuit. He soon overtook and bagged the game, who turned out to be about as sorry a looking specimen of the reduced chivalry as you ever saw — a real whisky-drinker and tobacco-grinder. The F. F. V. had serious objections to being taken prisoner, or rather, as he said, “surrendering to a corporal.” A few raps with the back of the corporal's sabre on the rebel's shoulders soon brought him to his senses, and lowered his dignity. He is now sharing the fate of his fellow-rebels in a comfortable prison in Washington. Gen. Kearney, who saw this charge from a distance, declares it the most brilliant dash and desperate bit of fighting he ever saw. He took each man by the hand on his return, and complimented him for his bravery.
