Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1877-06-15
The 62d Va. at New Market.

The following letter from Col. G Fl.
Smith who commanded the ed Va. at the
battle of New Market to Capt. Chas. A.
Holt of this city and one in reference to
it from Gen. Echols, will be read with in
tereSt.
Los ANGELos, May 80, 1871
Dear HoH:-I received the copy ofthe Staun-
ton VINDlcAroR with The account OF the night
at New Market and Gen Echols' address The
writer see does not mention the old end as
participating on that occasion, and Gen.
Echols, Il am sure without intontion,) does
the regiment great injustice in his mention of
it.
He says:-Referring TO the final struggle
(Which took place in advance OF house which
think was called Bushong's.) al he Con-
feierates quickened to trot and the enemy
threw GU. a column of attack in front of the
centre of our line. The END faltered under
the deadly fire. Ship fell but was up in
moment and Mt the head Ct his boys; the 63d
caught up and went on. The familiar yell OF
victory was heard and the enemy broke, &C."
ven Echols shonld have stated that, at thf
| moment he first speaks of. the ed was from 70
to 100 yards nearer to the enemy thar any 9th
| or troops on the field that the FIRE of the ene>
| .ny's line canister and mcsketry) had been in
| >. large degree concentrated upon it; and that
| il had in u short moments space lost probably
| over a thi 1 of it's men-its whole loss (mOst of
| it occurring hire. out OF 500 being about 240
or 245 including nearly every commander OF
| q company and being rather more think than
that Of ali the rest of the division. The left Of
| Wharton q Brigade had been thrown out of line
as have ALWAYS understood, by steep bluff
| on our left and the rest of it, excepting the
| 62nd was impeded by the fences around the
house have referred to, at all events, the
whole OF the Brigade, except the 62nd, stopped
ut the farthes. fen ce and. Echola brigade be-
ing probably 100 yards to the rear, the end
adv. need by itself, as have said, full Is CT
| 100 yards nearer to the enemy than any other
| troops on the field. Under such circumstances
if it had taAeredi. would not have been sur
| prisinR but it certainly would not be right for
its fello W soldiers to omit the circumstances
| under which it faltered in speaking of the
event. 1t is not true, however, that it faltered
at all, at the moment referred to, its gallant
| survivors were 40 ready to advance as ever, and
| would have continued to do so had not ORDER
| ed them back Sc as to align themselves with
| Echols Brigade, and as as it so aligned it
| self it continued to advance with EchoIs' Br-
| gade, and the enemy. if l recollect rightly,
broke before the line reached the point to which
| the en-: had already advanced.
| II was the fortune of the ed to do its duty
we'll on every field of battle and to receive the
| acknowledgment of the fact fact from its COM
| handing officers. 1t is one of the most CRATE
full recolectons of my life, that Gen. Breckin-
ridge said to me on one occasion, either On ac-
count Of the part taken by the regiment at New
| Market or on other affairs in which we served
with him, that 'of all the troops be had ever
| served with. he had the highest admiration for
the 62nd regiment" l have never undertaken
to publish this except to the regiment itself and
| told them at the time it was stated but in
defence of the regiment when it's spotless repu.
taton is assailed, Il believe unintentionslly,
it is proper that should mention it. The rep
utation of the old Brigade is dear to mo as are
the men that composed it; l am prouder of
| having commanded it than | would be of hav-
ing commanded many division that know of,
and hope that you members OF it at nome will
see that justice is done to it and to every par,
| Of it
| should not omit to state that q company Of
issourians (of Prices old amy about 60
strong, and about the same number OF perhaps
more dismount ted cavalry from other regiments
of imboden's brigade served with US in she
| fight and won their full share of the honor and
| perhaps incurred more than their share of the
| losses.
GEO. H. SMITH