The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1877-11-09
THE FIGHT AT BRANDY STATION,

| LEE kAdht Al BRANDY STATION,
My first courier found General Stuart a.
incredulous concerning the presence of the
enemy In his rear as had been /; but stimuli
taneous with my second message came the
sound Of the cannonadipg, aud there. was nc
longer room for doubt. The nearest point
from which a regiment could be sent was
Jones position, not less than two miles dis
tant from Fleetwood Two Of his regi.
ments, the Twelfth Virginia, Colonel III ar.
man, and Whites Thirty.fifth Virginia Bat
tailion, were Immediately Withdrawn from
his line and ordered at gallop to meet this
new danger Bnt minutes expanded seem
lngiy into hours to those. anxious, watchers
the asesy afyor al, foip
| could not arrive in time But it dill come.
The emergency was so pressing that Colonel
Harnan had 10 time to form his regiment
in squadrons or even platoons. lie reached
the top of the hill as Lieutenant Carter was
retiring his gun after having fred his very
last cartridge. Not fifty yards below Sir
Percy Wyndham was advancing strong
regiment i'll magnificent order, in column of
squadrons, with flags and guidons flying,
directly upon the hill, and to meet this at
tack the Twelfth Virginia was compelled to
move forward instantly, though disordered
by hard gallop, and in column of fours
The result was recoil, which extended for
time to Whites battalion, which was fol-
lowing close after Stuart reached the hill
few moments later, and, satisfied that he
had here to encounter large force of the
enemy, he ordered both Jones and Hamp-
ton to withdraw with the artillery from the
Beverly's ford road and concentrate upon
Fleetwood hill. And now the first serious
contest was for the possession of this hill,
and so stubbornly was this fought on eithe.
side, and for so long time, that all Of
Jones regiments and all of Hamptons par
ticipated successfully in the charges and
counter, charges which swept across its face
AT one time Gregg would have possession,
at another Stuart but at no time did Gregg
retain possession sufficiently long to bring
up his guns to the crest. He did indeed
advance three guns to the foot of the hill !;
but there they were destined to remain
On the other hand, Stuart did gain position
little by little. How fierce this struggle
was, and with what determined gallantry
fought by both sides, mag, perhaps, best be
sho N by an extract from Major Beckh lm's
report. He says
"Thc pieces first placed OH Fleetwood hill
were under the command of Lieutenant
Carter, of Chew's battery, and had been re-
pcatedly charged by the enemy and retakcn
BY our cavalry; and at the time that the
two guns Of McGregor's were brought to-
wards the crest Of the hill it was very doubt
ful which party had possession Of it. The
two guns were, however, moved up rapidly,
and scarcely had they reached the top (and
before they could be put in position) when
a small party of the enemy charged them.
The charge was met by the cannoniers of
the pieces. Lieutenant Ford killed one of
the enemy with his pistol; Lieutenant Hex
ton killed one, and private Sully, of Nc
Gregor's battery, knocked one off his horse
with a sponge staff Several of the party
We're :tdken* prisoners by the men at the
guns"
Aid was close at hand for these gallant
cannoniers, and soon concerted charge by
both Jones and Hampton's brigades cleared
the hill OF the enemy, and placed it secure
ly in our possession. And now covetous
eyes were cast toward the foot of the hill,
where stood those three rife guns, and
around them the battle ragged ferccly-
Three times were they over.ridden by the
Confederate Horse, and three times were
they retaken by their friends But Colonel
Lonax with the Eleventh Virginia made
the last charge, and the guns remained with
us. One was disabled, the other two SER
viceable. These two points decided the
struggle in our favor, and Brandy Station
was soon cleared of its unwelcome visitors,
who were hurried -bask, along the road up
on which they had advanced. The pur-
suit was continued by Lomax and Hampton,
until che ecked by the. fire cfow own artillery,
for the dust and smoke of the conflict was
so great that from the position Of the artil.
lery friends could not be distinguished from
foes.-MAJ. MCCLELLAN IN Philadelphia
Times.
BE kind to your parents, Or grand parents;
care for them tendcrly lovingly, watchfully
Age has taken from them the vitality which
IN,,,,. 10, II