Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1877-05-22

talon OF artillery of 16 guns, small d
tachment of engineers, and some two
three hundred reserves. .R
Now look at the situation. Grant W,
pressing upon Gen. Lee at Spotsylv.
MIA. Crook on the extreme left W,
moving upon the Southwest, with tt
expectation that he would occupy tt
attention of Breckinridge in the defent
OF that important region where wei
located the salt-works and lead mines {
vital to the South, whilst Sigel was az
vancing upon Staunton, the centre {
the line, and the key to the Valley, an
which, besides being the immediate lie
flank OF Gen. Lees line, was a point {
the greatest Importance as the locatio
OF Immense hospitals for the army {
Northern Virginia and the depot {
quartermaster, commissary and ord
nance stores. He, too, desired at ono
to take possession of this beautiful an
fertile Valley and destroy its capacity q
the great granary, from which to dray
supplies for our armies. What shal
Breckinridge do? He had but 5000 in
tantry. Shall he await the advance @
Sigel and entrench himself to receiv
the advancing foe? 1t was not in hi
nature thus to decide. He determine,
that he would, with his small force
move forward and meet the Opposing
and invading force as far down the Val
ley as possible. On the 18th of May, h,
commenced his march and on the nigh
of the 18th he encamped at Lacy'.
Spring, ten miles above the point where
we now are. During the early part o
the night he received information tha
Sigel had occupied New Market, and al
midnight, in drenching rain, he again
moved his little army forward. Imboder
was before the enemy, who was all un.
conscious that behind the thin veil Of
1mboden's skirmish line there moved
the infantry and artillery of Breckin-
ridge ready to meet them in deadly ar
ray. As the morning wore on, Imboden
was wlthdrawn from the front, and oui
line OF battle was quickly formed, and
our artillery thrown upon the heights
somewhat in advance of the original
ground first occupied by the line of bat
tie. This was a mile and more from
where we now stand. The artillery on
both sides soon opened, and Breckin
ridge paused to give his enemy the op-
portunity Of advancing and assuming
the offensive, but finding that he was
not disposed to attack, he himself ad
vanced under a heavy fire from the ene-
my's artillery. AS our troops moved
across these open fields, steadily aud
fearlessly, under this artillery fire, the
enemy fell back, aud at last took up a
strong position. abandoning the offer,-
+sive and assuming the defensive, short
distance beyond this place, ,,p!acing their
guns in battery and Rreekinridge and
III l., Al
when every man must do his duty.
Let me describe that line of battle to
you as it moved forward, over the open
ground, under the destructive storm OF
shot and shell, with the steadiness and
precision of veterans, and with the firm
resolve of men who were to win or die.
The right was on the turnpike which
runs through your town. There was
the 22nd Virginia infantry, commanded
by the chivalrie and heroic Geo. Patton,
who few short weeks after fell upon the
field of Winchester; then came Derrick
with his thoroughly trained battalion OF
Virginians; then Edgar with his equal
ly priced and efficient battalion of men
from our mountains; on his left, COM
posing the centre OF the line, came that
band of noble boys-Virginia's jewels
her cadets, who moved steadily forward,
under the accomplished and gallant
Ship with the Joy of battle upon their
countenances, and with the clear, ring
ing cheer of triumph upon their lips
This earth has never witnessed a more
impressive scene than that presented by
these boys as they thus moved unflinch-
ingiy under fire. These commands com
posed the right wing.
The left wing was made up of the 62nd
Virginia Regiment, Col. Smith, true
gentleman and well-tried officer; 3Oth
Virginia battalion, Col. Clarke, of vet
eran troops from Virginia and Mary
land; and the 5ist Virginia Regiment,
Col. Fostburg, regiment and officer
who had distinguished themselves upon
many field. The artillery was under
the immediate command of McLaugh-
lin, who is now as distinguished upon
the bench as he was then for his con-
spieueus gallantry and the splendid eff
cheney with which he managed his COM
mand. The rain descended In torrents,
making the marching laborious and the
handling of our artillery difficult, be-
yond the reach of which Sigel had now
placed himself. Breckenridge, notwith.
standing the odds against him, deter.
mined at once to press to the attack
and, as seon as the proper cover o1
ground could be secured, the line was
somewhat re-adjusted with view te
this decisive assault The left wing was
thrown slightly forward, making the
leading echelon, and in this way The
final advance commenced and contin
ued, the enemy's artillery soon begin
ming to tell upon our ranks.
Every soldier in Breckinridge's little
army was under his eye, and he wa:
conspicuous from every part of the field
All knew that they were fighting under
his immediate personal direction, anC
all were elated and encouraged by th'
presence of such a leader, and animated
by his gallant bearing.
Seeing that his infantry would sool
be swept away by the concentrated fir
of all the enemy's artillery, unless i
was to some extent diverted, he moveC
at full speed ten pieces of his own artil
lery through the street of New Market
and seized position upon the right of tn
road and opened at once upon the enemy
directing the movement in person, ant
as his infantry line advanced, continu
ing to advance his guns and keeping vi
destructive fire upon Sigel's columns
The bOldness of the whole movemen
gave courage to our men and carried
alarm into the ranks OF the enemy
Our infantry line moved steadily for
ward, the right wing gradually CLOSING
up the space between it and the lef
wing, halting at short intervals to Loaf
with the steadiness of veterans, the pre-
cislon of the movements of the Cadet
enabling them, upon this field of blood
to serve as a guide by which the othe
troops could be properly aligned. |
was rare that such scene could be wit
messed, when distant spectator coul'
at q glance take in the whole field ant
see all of the combatants on either side
When the opposing lines were only sep
arated by distance of some three hun
dred yards, Sigel ordered a charge of hi
cavalry in squadron front, and tn
movement being about to commenc
was at once seen by Breckenridge, who
ordering his guns to be double-shotted
poured into the head of the advancin,
cavalry column sodestructive fire tina
it was broken and disorganized so tha
but few of them came within short mus
ket range and they were soon unherse'
or destroyed by the accurate fire of tn
22nd Virginia Regiment.
The forward movement at once wa
quickened and both sides knew that tn
supreme moment of the day had arrive
| The enemy threw forward a column @