Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1877-05-18

you Them Our line was steadied, re-es-
tablished, and we charged down the hill,
the men in many places sinking up to their
knees in the soft wheat land and yelling
like maddened creatures as they ran, hats
off, their shoes left sticking in the mud,
many with useless guns in their hands,
still they pressed onward, striving to come
to cross bayonet with the foe. just then
A CHEERFUL FAMILIAR VOICE
near us: general the men are dong
nobly. "''Yes General we are driving them
but our ranks are terribly broken" 1t
was Generals Breckenridge and Echols ON
d ss;;s@ 51 s4s ssssss ssts3
ries on the hill.
Through the wheat field, over the hill,
we rushed forward. What Gaze we for
shot and shell. rain and mud Evefy mans
blood is up. Our leaders arc there, and
shall the men lag behind?
| A brave blue coat would not run, he
walked along at a quick step, bearing
charmed life, loading rapidly, facing about
and firing with deadly aim. At everyshot
gallant Confederate fell. A boy Of seven-
teen, wild with excitement, is running for
ward to get a shot, yelling at the top of his
voice. Cant you hit that fellow" II will
try, sir.'' A fash-he had missed. The
Federal turned, took deliberate aim at the
| boy, who had stopped and turned his side
| to the foe, hopingsto escape his deadly aim.
Another flash, and the poor boy falls shot
through both thighs-"Oh, [ am killed"
and we rushed over him, up the hills to
the guns. A big corporal of the color
guard, MidkiH was his name, yelled, we've
| got 'em-hurrah.'' With score of others
the big corporal went down.-a grape shot
had crashed through his open mouth.
But we had the guns, the enemy was
running, and the day was won. AS we
halted and reformed our broken and shat
tered. lines. among SO much that is ter
I rible there is as usual something OF the
ludicrous.
Many are bareheaded, their faces so
blackened with powder and covered with
mud as not to be recognized by their own
officers. Some without coats; others with
one shoe; others in their stocking feet, and
still others with neither shoes OF socks,
their feet bleeding with cuts from the
stones and trifling wounds which they had
Capt. Allen, then a private iii company 4,
OF the cadets, was one of the barefooted
men, nor did he get another pair Of shoe;
until, in passing through Staunton on our
return, he was called in to the spectator
office and presented by some kind friend
with a new pair. Among the cadets who
were wounded was our former City Attor
ney, S. Trayers Phillips.
THE BATTLE FIELD BY MOONLIGHT.
After the enemy had disappeared
III the smoke of the burning bridge
behind them, night coming on, the
clouds broke away and beautiful
moon looked out on = the field. 4
party CT officers set out to retrace thei
| str "a of the IOGl
up their dead and wounded men. A ghast
" sight and one never to be forgotten Lies
| there for miles over that torn and soddell
field, hundreds of corpses white and gnaStl,
lay staring at the moon :; our ragged sol
diers had stripped them, for the clothins
they needed to protect themselves that chill
ly night But while they regarded Thu
question: Bile pilferlng OF the dead as
necessity, they showed the proper human
ty for the living, not wounded man nae
lost an article of his clothing, while man,
had been moved out OF the pools of water
in which they had fallen and placed Ii
more comfortable postures.
Many of the dead had fallen upon then
faces in shallow pools left by the rain, ant
not being able to turn themselves had appar
emily suffocated in water not deep enough
| to drown chicken. Hundreds Of wound
ed who could move themselves had crow
ded up under the slight shelter OF trees ane
fences and lay plteously meaning and call
ing on every passer by for help, which was
slow in reaching them, as the ambulance
corps for 5000 men was necessarily ligh
force to look after the dead and wounded
when $4,000 had been engaged.
It was particularly noticeable how large
q proportion of the enemy's dead were boys
and young men apparently not over tWent.
years Of age, with complexion so very fair
causing their gaping wounds as the moon
beams lit up the naked bodies to appea
all the more CHASTITY.
One unfortunate man with ball In III
head and his brain oozing from the wount
| was crawling about On hands and knee
like dog, making bed in the grass, lying
in it d minute then crawling off q few
PAGES and making another. While Others
| wounded unto death and with the ago
ny Of death in their faces disdained to ut
Ter groan OF beg boon from their enc
mics. But the details Of all hard Tough
fields are sickening and your reporter will
let this suffice as a sample.
A CHANGED SCENE.
How changed the scene at New Market
on Tuesday last. when the long excursion
trains from Staunton and Winchester haC
unloaded their hundreds and all the roads
leading into the town had emptiea theil
thousands, which had been pouring in from
every direction since daylight, till at leas
five thousand people had gathered on tht
old battle-ground. It was a pretty an(
imposing sight as the long procession
moved through the town, the sidewalks be
ing densely packed with spectators.
A remnant of the 18th Va. Cavalry
:. Capt. Grandstaff, commanding, marched
in front, followed by the West Augusta
Guard, Capt. Bumgardner;a battalion OF
| New Market veterans; q remnant OF the
10th Va. Infantry, and the 9th Artillery;
the Stonewall Band from Staunton; car
! riages containing the orators, president OF
| the Association and some INVITED guests ;
New Market and Harrisonburg sands
Staunton Artillery, Capt. Fultz, with four
pieces Strausburg Band; Rices Battery
| and the Winchester Band.
| Gen. G. S. Meen, was chief Marshall
| and had for his assistants Col. O'Ferall
| and Capt. Rice. his aids were Messrs w.
| D. Peachy. Thos. J. Meenl, 6. NJ, Zirkle,
! G.. M. Williamson, P. NJ. S. Bird, Capt, II.
II. Riddlebarger, and Col. E. E. Stickley.
The troops with their gay uniforms,
| bright arms, and prancing steeds, the
bands playing inspiring music, the people
| with their holiday faces and the women
| waving their handkerchief and smiling On
the men, all made up d scene in striking
COilt1 eiSO Will Ol Ullo StSiilC
ground thirteen years before. Gen. Echols
of Stanton, who with distinguished gal
lantry commanded the right wing of
Breckinridge's army in the battle of New
Market and who had been selected for the
orator Of the day, having taken his seat on
tie stand, The Staunton Artillery fired q
salute OF thirteen guns in commemoration
of the day and year, and Judge Calvert
read an elegy written by Prof. Salyard, a
poem which does no less honor to it's
author than its dead heroes.
We give stanza OF two as a sample of
the whole
Ask uot for names. The name Of all was one,
One dear, regretted, brotherhood Of trust;
We had no Caesar, Nap oleon;