Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1877-09-27

CiLiLCHo WIZ OuCTcu tDCIl t0c1F
hats, others came out of their
stores with supplies Of hats
and shoes as voluntary contri-
buttons. They were glad to
see Johnson's Brigade, for they
were to be assigned to very i'm
portant duty on the South Side
railroad, where the enemy were
reported. After the review,
Gen. Bragg's lady friends asked
him what he had invited them
to come TO see this Brigade for?I
They acre ecithout any great at
traction. Gen. Bragg's reply
was, that the men they had The
honor to see were veterans of
his sold army of Tennessee"
"Ladies, / am glad to meet them,
they are good soldiers; who
have acted as yigils whilst you
have slept securely in Jour Cap
ital. Look at them; they bear
the marks Of hard service, are
ragged and shoeless in very
many instances"
After resting and getting,
clothing and rations a new the
atrc of action was TO follow.
Gen. b. II. johnson having as
sumed the important command
of the defense of the South Side
railroad with his single Brigade
appeared as IN force, deployed
and maneuvered before the enc
my as taking up position "for
an army" now showing his en-
tire strength in the open field,
again deploying in skirmish
lines and smaller detachments,
which had the effect to check
the enemy's advance until our
reinforcements could come up.
Gen. Grace's Brigade of Ala
bamians were the first to reach
johnson, then portions Of for
ccs from North Carolina came
up, then followed a movement
on the enemy which resulted in
our capturing 4 heavy pieces Of
artillery, 20 pound parrot guns,
and would have resulted in the
capture of the ever-to-be-re-
membcred Gen. "Silver Spoon"
Ben. Butler, who was COM
manding the movements of the
enemy at Drury's Bluff. De-
tails Of this campaign win be
given in the history Of the Reg
iment. These incidents are in
tended to giyeonly partial views
of campaigns.
On rejoining the regiment in
May, 1864, the enemy were ac-
tive in our front; the Brigade on
duty for its Goth day, and which
had relief about the 69th day
after almost incessant combat
and vigilant duty. The enemy
evinced anger by their resolute
defense of the positions they
had taken, and by reason of their
lost opportunity of cutting the
railroad which they intended to
destroy. In the Drury Bluff
engagement, Lt-Col. McEwen
was MORALLY wounded and Maj.
McCawer Of the 25th Tennes-
see Regiment killed. Some of
our Regiment were detailed TO
man some artillery TO operate
against the enemy's gunboats,
one of which was engaged and
disabled and burnt to the waters
edge by shells by a detachment
under Lieut.. f. M. Kelso of
Fayetteville, assisted by Ser
geant Geo. w. Porter.
We were moved TO lines in !
rear of the Hewlett House,
which was on the bank of |
James River, where the enemy's
heavy turreted gunboats were
to be met and which were act
ing in connection with their
land forces. These boats opened
fire upon and destroyed our
poorly constructed earthworks
made Of logs, dirt and sand
bags at the Hewlett House. The
shells from these guns explod-
ing would scatter, wounding
men in the onter works, where
Lieut.. Dickens of Co G.. was
MORALLY wounded, and men on
the line Of defense, whilst SOL
diers In the rear were also
wounded by fragments of the
shells. On the 18th of JuEe
Col. j. S. Fulton, commanding
The Brigade, received orders 10
move Immediately TO the relief
IF Petersburg, by forced march,
where We arrived awaiting CT
lers before shutdown. Nevcrdid I,
nen march better to meet a foe,
and the sequel will show how
rue. We were put in position
~ Col. Fulton just before dawn