The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-08-16
The Fifth Virginia Regiment In the Battle
Of Nsnnns.ua


written by one who participates Ia the battle.
Though coming 1T late CAV, it will repay
psrusal, not oniy on account Of its graphic
style CT COR position, bat from The introduc.
ton Of incidents hitherto undevaloped. It's.
moreover, gratifying to record TIE deeds of
ssllant regiment Of which little has vet bean
sal, while glowing ana merited sommsnda-
tiors have been bestowed upon others
Sunday. the 2lst Jay, 1851 Who, at Ma
ns~sas, viii ever forget the terrific scen.s that
ragged so fsartuliy and Gestructively there on
IL IL day IHugEage i nadsQ uate. The tongue
e2nnot fad ultsrduce tor words sUtt cientIy
descriptive; the iacs- l. US mind can invent no
fgsTe a0Shyac Brilliant tbs iinsginatios or
sp.sn3id the renaI stroke, that Will equal
thr tsrgrik.e Aerceaess OF the serried hosts that
day ms in estIs fray How t2rr ole a work
10 enra-e nuClaa hands viii not civil x9a
OhrIsters 3r1 require 1T the hands Of The de-
b&uchsa and dss 20 i Cove nment, who nave
inz il at+d md aIs r-yins on this uphOiy
var, CT Teyenl laGt tears for the wrongs
thay have committed this day agaiustAas ia
recent and gLcfsnEiLg OF earth ana the JUS
tiCe of n N HsaYeG = But Vengeance is
IL ne, satin lAe Lor.!." Be their cors1isncss
their aceNEer, Il let II slr 63eGs exhibit their
gait 20 the world
Early tuAday Te were eToused by the drun
hea ling the }Glg roll, and We i'm caedia:ele
fornpd in uae Of battle. Soon TIE snerny
CO.. raenCed e heavy csLnOr stiaZ on our right
which our acco pAishet Generals soon dis.
covered 10 be e. fsint Tnads Sv the enemy
to nttraet OaI atfenttCn in hat quarter
while their real attack would he nade oa
the extreme Istt. We were iInmeiiately
OF jersu TO take position several miles TO
the le;t We had rot been il position long,
before l. became evident We we've u r warm
neiglbo' hood. Ths eaarny's artillery, just in
cnr trent. but hid fTCu Ocr sight by SKIRT of
wCOis "a "n eIniCencs between as, thunder
- forth is deaaiv missiles and presently TOO
the shafp linsing crack Il the rifle w-s heard,
g VIA, tGst tb@ ed vance guard Of s.firTnish-
nTs bad MT Cavalry scouts couid be seen.
zEilo.Ing w tt,in tna iiles, when & tayribls
Ycli.tv Cf Tposkstry, ix sf ta,y IN our front
sssu'at u shat me BAL hsd eper ed, aad The
Hgnt bad cura memo 4 in right good earnest
Bet1-aaa Gpd 10 o'ClocT a M ., tha essmv
III tTelneaQous free, advanced his right
again sur i"f', wish ths Yiew OF turning our
lef- wi 2 and gstti.g position IN the rear OF
5Ha - GGEJUE." IAtJ Wszs m3t by several
S2U n - .Ot,ra regiments tirclujiug Hc.nu-
tors Lsetrn) aoc .ne AIS hsU2a 4th our regf-
Iae..t jiDt 5;3 = :i1J being bs = in reserve;
be- letu va W ~ Crter0I forward 20 support
tae4 AI2naGs. o. our way to t-ka ea.i.
LiCL - hili We ~vs1e mt ny :. poI ion OF
',o - ;.err}lat Z. Z! 12ut who had baen cOra-
yelled 70 Il heck ~ al over vac ming toTce,
M who .&tQrA 81 as that tn" 4th AIZhaRia
" e~i... literally Ut ta pir'ss Hare, also,
We Tnst cv.o pieC=a Ct tbs Washington TIA
Art!iiery retiring, wing sElenasa tnsr stceI
*t--.a i,iol IAi1 VS. b. 30 means eu-
uTtris hu Sye II. Tn rec-ssity for z ter
ex7rt'1G OA oar par, auG forward we rUshei
10 I>c q :5.lrce f our trends. Amid per
feet shower Of E.u ry and cannon aslls Gae
81 Rl4la nd II halls ana y down wts given, as
I vas e. n b'a far as 70 - urn the eIemys
fire, thay D5irg completely sheltered by the
= Il. + % beng abl@ to return the enemy's
ti.a, or ~ SO them, our men cried on. to ce
led fgr~'-ro or AIKEN bIcE % he foot of the
hit; o1f cur L-tii:nt Col Harper ass ured us
IL. -a taa no orders "a advance, but was
directed - O c1py this position uutil tie
enemy Should make their appearance, when
4 Hst- 49,.
Firai}v, tae order ~ -dyancs was given,
avd u"i~r perfect hover Of shell! and shot
- ~rl.N 1.oi sr@rt-a up tbs hi. 4 portion
81 cur rssil-cnt Ei-ucdsr r. taudiEg thB C-tsr,
It soon rallied, and cur gallant Mi =,
u II II B-Flor, taking the lead, we rush
8 f-F5-Srd A-l 1.!3rd .h3 position the
all bsni1u soma JlI hcuSes Before We gain
-! posi- -i2., hlrCysr, tbe F0ucth Al&bxms
Reg ju-es.t .-sd ben cJTlpeiled 20 retreat, AMI
We found ourselves iace - face with pow
erfni ioFre Q. sue s.e:ny, ard conspicuous
among tha-n = < the famous Ellsworth Z5u-
~ lust IL car fEI8J WAS tbs SesOnu New
YORK RssAueIt- On tLa left Of thsa the
ZsuAy~- we're s-ats0. 81, While ca OR right,
:. cO.-a I}ine Regiment We fred 4 telling
y.ll-y q muakr7ry ito the regiment IL cur
front, = hic.i DRIVE tatm rapidly 10 ths Te4r
This drew re nre Of tEOsa on ouT left upoa
Us -nG Whi3e eCgsgsd ith them, tn. Maine
reg mer. II cur night, (who vs. supposed ut
first 70 be fr1euC5,} advanced rapidly upcp
rs, aEd s3el:erIag themselves by yirz down
b hid iecCH, they poured 3 most GeztrUc-
j.Fe Ire in - our 121Es, - q here NE CT our
bssg and rravsst msn fell. Here me noble
ana brave &4'iy " oo5wcrd ex2laimed, Il
VII yer re-r@ : '2ive me liberty or give
me- death D." His lips d SC zrce given utter
Nnca 10 these here words, when q bail
pierced his tre yo he.rt. i soon bscaue syi-
,.e 1t tGat NJ 4 en- sirgls regimen: it was iia-
p .ssiole 10 main..ia the pc, ition, exposed as
were IL = centre .nd tn 0 fakiLg daGk
= isI = m 6 gf5r = hz~
We therefore 15il back TO skirt OF weeds
S1ns hundred yards in the rear, where we
we.' j1iaed Dr = portion of the AiabS,na III,
VINO .lfd fuaght s. galiantIY and suffered so
terribly 2t me house on the hill before We
came Up. a portion Of r South C5rolina
aiaO joined in with Us here and dur
~ he rest of the evening we fought side by
side.
Il aeyery par, Of The fsld the contest now
ragged, ani Ga perate sKsTts wsrs made by
e&ch party % z in some decided -dyaayage,
witho0ttl 3eranj snecess, thoogs thsy grsstIy
o2 III uiE esleo a. aed / looked on at the terri
BILE Sc a o3snerats strife vylthept b=lrs able IN
K : own mIaa ~ actaTmiae whica weald %
vict0rs
Greatly to the ~rcoGrs cement OF our bra "a
troops, wao were 50 hsrO;caliy struggling
against superior nu bsrs, several fresh bat
teries mAde IhsIr appearance, and took posi-
ten oa al can .nence 7st 10 cur left.
Tkess crensd upon the enemy, whose main
column WAs sheltered behind a gradually
sioping hill. thIokiy covered by small tim Der.
aEd prGtectea ny part Of the celebrated
b 1ttery. A tremendous eennonad-
ing ncw took place thar far surpassed any
thing l ever imagined II appeared to me as
4 Heaven and earth were being rent asupdsr,
SO terrible @a5 the cr@sh and roar Of tn mon
SLar i0strum< <ats CT death. Several times The
enemy atteEn pied 20 rally for 8 charge On our
D ,tteIt but whenever tneir lines caIne
within, the terrible discharges of round shot
aud clu Z rer from cur batteries swept them
like ch'-1f before tIe wiad, the long and
sp't2d'tiy-fo formed mas t&iriy melting away.
feC me tremendous force before us
se- ned not 10 diminish, and every Il eh OF
ground US contested with suilen aud deter
n ,Ded force, our brave troops fyhtirg with
renewed eTV-sy aHd ger. Beiag parched
TitA hirsr aQd Amos I exhausted, / ran down
In what appea-ed - be branch or mud hole,
al & drank cOpiOuSly Of he muddy water, and
W. j. - retnTAlug - my regiment when met
Gen. Johnston, who snG ed Of rue 10 what
T & melt l belonged. l ted IN. Hs than in
2air5d how GsL. J.cks0n's Brigade was gst-
Jilg alors, l told bin We were fighting
brovely and we'll, oQt against large osds. and
regimen aut ts than - hold heir position
~ ia 4 few moTuents l Will send reinforce
nelts = tneiT "a! l hurried b ok 20 nay regi.
Gnsnr ui,h lighter n7art than l left it
On reaching he top OF q hill, | could see ia
the di sctjon of VI M1nassas Janetion large
column of men rapidly prroaching, aad Alag
Isst them. with ths s"ittness Of the wind,
~ as er.r ~ ID o;dy Of Cav airy, Numbering
+'t'S7Dit slAHAsAAt EeAs cStIlr 2iIS Oh
ii.:e M4Shty torrent, with drawn sabIes
gigit2Ti Z ~ Lbe evenings bright seabeams,
mouAtsd CG GIee IS V he scansd 10 es Had
asns., - tha lo2taas cba Was being waged by
man 4x;4iEs. kls follow MIR. l soon recOg-
nlz d his g a. tn zrisndid body cf Cavalry
com a snded ny the gallant Dol. Stuart, Of
WIZ, IA the ex,eli-pt company from Augusta
(C5rt Patricss} forms part. In the Asxn
me, Gen. 2nI eg4rG hppe1rsd on the Asli
il person, ard approa hing oar regiment in
q Quir4@ Wh We were, and on being Inform sd.
n addressed Us ia ,h- following cheering Ian
guase "FlEh on, brave Virginia boys ; the
day IS ours every < rs ei.e, and il must De
sAra Also - He b IN commanded US 10 follow