St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1878-02-22

troops into line ana ialQ uOWH Oh thO
field in the rear and slept soundly. Two
of our regiments were sent out as skIr-
mishers. We held the ground of the
DAYS fight, and as it was beautiful
night, some of the staff wanted me to
90 over the field, but have no taste
for such sights. One sees enough see
ing the wounded who are brought in
and the men killed and wounded in the
lines to the rear. One of our staff found
General Barksdale on the field, and had
him brought in. He died the next
morning, at the little hospital in the
apple orchard.
The next morning, about 5 o'clock,
they commenced to shell us-that is,
our portion of the line-and kept it up
about two hours, not doing much dam
age. They made an attack on the right
about the same time. After this was
over we lay in the field, in front of the
apple orchard, between it and our lines.
Towards noon the sun became very
warm, and we moved back to the or
chard, and Captain Baird and laid
down under tree to sleep, the rest OF
the staff being near. We had left our
horses further front. About 1:30 l was
walked out of very pleasant sleep by
the most terrific cannOnading which has
ever been known. 1t seemed as if the
whole force of the enemy was concen-
trated upon that point. We went over
to get our horses amidst a shower of
shells. Capt. Halsted told me to move
over to the left to get out of the fire.
We moved over, but did not find it
much better. l stopped awhile behind
stone, which, however, was no pro-
lection, and turned cut to be one of the
hottest places in the field. AS soon as
1 saw the general was not coming, l
rode back across the field and several
of the staff did the same. Just after
left, one of our Orderlies and his horse
were killed, Lieutenant Jones' horse
was killed and Captain Candry was
shaved along the face. | went over to
the field beyond the apple orchard and
there found General ROwley with his
staff, but could learn nothing of General
Doubleday. laid down there little
while and some one said the general
was in the next field, behind some rails
which had been thrown up for breast
work. | went over to him and he was
surprised to see me, and said that he
had given directions that his staff should
find shelter, if possible, that we could
do nothing until the Smelling ceased,
and, unless we were attacked by in
fantry, we could stay under cover. |
couldn't see that one place was better
than another. We staid there few
minutes when the general proposed
moving over the field, but said his
horse had been shot. saw two horses
in front near a battery. tied to tree
and proposed to go and get him one of
them. l started. Capt. Baird's horse
and mine were standing together and
he was going on some other errand.
We each had foot in the stirrup, when
shell burst in front of us and shower
through his horse. He then went over
with me aud we took both horses. The
General mounted and we rode down to
the orchard. General Newton came up
while we were there. One of his staff
got a ball through his foot. While we
were standing there, or rather sitting
ON our horses, General Doubleday was
struck by piece of shell on the neck
and knocked off his horse. General
ROwley soon afterwards came up, and
he was struck on the arm and shortly
afterwards IA piece of shell went through
his horse. | was so close to him that
the blood spurted all over my horse and
my boot. This continued until about
4 o'clock, when they commenced an at
tack with infantry on the ground run
ming from our frORt to the cemetery,
and this is where the decisive fight of
the battle took place. Our Division
was formed i'll two lines. The Vermont
brigade and two regiments being in the
first, and the remainder in the second
line. Our right extended up to the left
of the Second Corps. The rebels first
tried our line but could not move the
Vermont boys. They then moved up
to the Second Corps line and drove it
some distance, and at this time General
Stannard, commanding the Vermont
brigade, executed most splendid move
ment. The rebels came up in close
column of Divisions to break our line.
When he saw that they were driving
the line to his right, he coolly waited
until they got well up, then moved his
column by the left flank and faced
about and drove them inside our lines.
They marched in as if on parade, de-
livered up their arms and colors, and
were marched to the rear, and in all
the brilliant account of the third DAVIS
fight, the Second Corps gets the credit
for taking these prisoners. The infantry
fight lasted more than an hour, and our
line was not moved an inch. We whip
ped them handsomely at every point.
During the day they had tried every
part of the line, and were driven back
each time with fearful slaughter. | had
good opportunity of seeing the ma
neuvres of the battle, and you cannot
imagine anything more handsomely
done. We were near the centre of the
field and could see nearly every point.
There were two lines all around the
field, but wherever an attack was made
there was always found five or six.
There were two corps held in reserve,
and whenever an attack was commence
ed they would move to that part of the
field. We slept that night on the field,
and on the morning of the 4th heard
the glad tidings that the enemy was re-
treating. We remained quiet all day,
while the skirmishers were out to learn
if the enemy had really gone in that
direction. On Sunday the troops began
to move away, and we were left until
Monday morning as rear guard, but
before we had travelled one day we
were again in front and kept it until We
got to South Mountain.
1 have endeavored to give you ap
answer to your question "what part of
the work was assigned to you 2" Of
course there are many little details
which | could not give, and L have Civ
en- more of the general features of the
battle than intended to AS to wheth-
er filled the assignment, others must
judge. l think l did. l don't know
how near l was to bullets or shells, but
assure you they were closer than is