The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1883-01-17
EXTRACTS FROM
a,uaEE YEARS IN BATTLE,
AND
THREE IN PRISON."

Continued from tdst Wee*.)
Taste TO THE BALL!

o.v massage of the Defle put
in good spirits, and the Divis-
the AID down the mountain slope in
lOh ton The country was clear and
rap and one could see afar to the
ro,'' p,Il Run battle-ground, whence
0" tbe thunder of heavy guns, show
dot Jackson was having warm
BY ten o'clock we were near
VII TO hear the small arms, and
,~aerwlr,Is passed into the turn
and On rapidly TOWARDS Groveton.
~, PASSED through the camps OF
l., wagons the question-"How
att Going would be met by the
49,, transfers with the reply,-Oh.
IN. is in plenty of time to git a
- Old Jack 5 been a prayln' fer
70 this two-hour!
FOOLISH RUSH.
wos ne ,r noon when the front was
..bad and without a moments pause
- 5eploving movement began. Hoods
,.;rade vas formed IN the right Of the
.~.nnike. and three brigades under Will
s,v nut in on the left OF the pike to con-
so.t with the right of JacksOn's line.
while this was going on Gen. kemper
uas sent to come in upon TIE right OF
Hood 50 that the line might be extend
- n meet the column of Fitz John
porter Which had arrived about the
same hour.
About | D. M, L6ncstreet ordered
tbis wing to advance. Guns were load
Cd ambulance men prepared their lit
,ers. and everybody supposed the battle
uos TO begin in a minute ! An excit-
able colonel yelled to "Charge!' and
,be line rushed forward with shouts. and
,nroar. over rough fields, over fences.
,brouch thickets. down in bitches. I'VE
small creeks. for half a mile! OF course
sneh a rush. at full speed, over such
Ground. which was badly cut up by ra-
vines. threw the entire command out CT
order. and into confusion. Pulling.
nanting. and excited, expecting a dead
* yolIey at each mOment) We finally
reached a green grassy hollow. and
were told To lie down aud rest. Then
MIGHT have been seen some OF the
a%n9riest men Imaginable. The wild
ush across the stubble-tield (rye slut.
HE which was like spears sticHing OUT
of the ground. and the rocks. had been
very severe on the b~areioOted cOntln
gent.-who only kept up "n the suppo'
sition that they were sorely needed.
whereas as it turned out they were not
IN ire a gun till sunset! The writer wa-
so infuriated at his officers Che was then
q private in the ranks that he left his
command an | went off about a mile
towards Groveton to see the fight.
JACKSON'S WING.
The battle had begun about 2 p. m.
and as the country was OPEN Ia two
lines could he seen for a long distance
Several times the Blue-coat masses rar
up to pistol shot. but were hurled back
At one time a force OF the enemy got il
between Greggs and o mas briga,!es
and threatened to make Il panic. Blu
Early's brigade swept forward, drove
them out, and stopped the hole. while
three or four of our batteries which were
on the hill turned loose upon the Yam
KEGS, almost shooting them i'll he back
for they had gone past us.
(N. B. Zen. Lonsstreet has printed
a letter saying that he was ordered tt
send men to help Jackson hut seem:
there was not time, sent the artillery t,
try the long range reliei.)
LONGsTREET's WING.
Gen. Lee had been urging L.ongstree
to advance but the latter was coi>titu
tionally slow, and did o move unit
near sunset. The enemy were driver
until dark. and it was an excesslvel
dark night. As We charged down
slope, before VT were aware half TIL
command We're in water waist deep
and the enemy just acros. the stream
The order to halt. and retire, or reform
was given.-and at that moment a sin
gular incident occurred.
CAVALRY CHARGE.
Col. Ira Harris. of what was know
as the Ira Harris New York Cavalry,
either purposely or as many believe
MISUNDERSTANDING his comman
down the turnpike. w the bridge. an
into our lines, or past our lines, a. ther
happened TO be no troops directly IN I'll
turnpike. In the darkness nObod
noticed that they were Blue-coar
until a little drummer-boy, on the tenc,
screamed-"They're Yankees! They
Yankees! They sag they're for II
Jaton! They say they're for the Union
The shrill treble was followed by I'll
shouts of officers on both sides. with
rafting fire OF muskets and pistol
which emptied many a. saddle; thou.
it vas hard TO tell friend from foe in Il
darkness. The little drummer was !,
down or trample under foot. \ dra
COON on a powerful horse came gallo
ing full at the writer. when the probe,
ing stake Of the fence threw the anirni
breaking its neck. and sending the rid
IL IN I'LL ,.t - ~ rto =