South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1884-04-04


| mixed up in Que confused mass. The
enemy could hear Us and locate US
precisely by the noise, aud immediate.
ly opened on US with twenty pieces oil
artillery at short range, aud swept the
road and woods with the most terrific
aud destructive ehelling that | was O.
yer under during the war. Charlie
Cross. Sam Nunuely, Jake Fogle and
myself, were together ia the road
when tho shelling commenced, aud
stopped to one side and happened to
find o sink or low place, where q tree
had been blown over in times past
aud we lay down in it, and filled it o.
yer with the ground, and it seemed
as If the shells did not miss US more
than six inches and some would strike
III front OF US, scattering the dirt all
over us. Eoiieve ii / had stuck NV
hand up it would have been hit; we
could hear some one scream out cvery
second III the agoniss of death. Jake
Fogle kept praying all the time, eve
ry she'll that would pass over US Jake
would say Lord save US ibis time, ,
Lord save Us this time,' and Sam
Nunnely q Wild reckless fellow, would
laugh at him aud cay pray on Jake,
pray on jake and the two kept that
up as long as tho Smelling lasted.
Cross and | tried to get Sam to hush
and. shamed him but it was no use.
Our infantry, nor artillery did not
4 rn1lV q Il "A
position, but it stood i'm the road Just
rs they had drove up aud every one
was laying as close TO the ground as
they could get, aud even dug nose
holes to get closer. The yankees
soon ceased firing, AID the men soon
commenced calling for their com
mands again and making Us much
noise as ever, when we were treated
with the same dose of shells as before
and with fearful effect; when it ceas-
ed again. Ii the enemy had known
our situation and the good range they
had on us, and had kept it up they
would have literally tore and den.ore
allied our corps to pieces that night.
1t was fortunate that they kept il up
no longer. but it was fearful while it
lasted 1t wac sometime during this
shelling that Gen. Jackson was woun-
ded.
happened TO hear that night that
he was wounded! but it was not
known to many OF the soldiers. / was
standing near some officers who were
on horseback, AM heard them say
something about Gen. jackson being
wounded, and it surprised me so, that
stepped mp TO them and asked Them
III he was wounded badly" One of
them replied that he was slightly
wounded, and for me to go on to my
command.
The next morning that road was
covered for some distance with dead
men torn to pieces, dead horses, can
non wheels, cannon broken off at the
trunlons, caissons overturned and de-
struction generally. 1t seems that
Gen. Jackson and Staff had gone in
front of our line of skirmisher, to re-
connoiter, in order to throw his corps
between the enemy and the river that
night, and met their line of skirmisb-
ers advancing when they wheeled
and came back rapidly and our line
mistaking them for the enemy, fred
vollcy into them with fatal effect.
killing several and wounding several
Gen. jackson was shot through the
right hand and two balls through the
LETT arm, and had to lay there during
the Smelling and nearly bled to
death before the wounds were staunch.
ed. They finally got him on stretch
or and started to the rear, when some
OF the bearers were cut down e. he fell
heavily to the ground opening the
wounds afresh, they final lily got him
to the ambulance, and be was taken TO
the field hospital, where DIR. Mcclure
amputated bis left arm near the shout
der.
The battle that day was Just a pre-
lude to what was TO follow on the next
two days, for Gen Hooker massed bis
troops that night and strengthened his
works and made new ones. General
j. Il. y. Stuart took command of our
corps aud attacked them on the flank.
and Gen. Lee in front, and it was
charge after charge through the thick
undcrbrusb, as the cry Of remember
jackson, ran along The lines, until
tie works were gained, and the enc
my driven off Of tic field, and we
were in possession Of the strong posi-
ton, but at a fearful loss, as some OF
our regiments were nearly decimated
a large brick house was fred by our
ells,and it was said that Gen. Hooker
was standing by one of the columns
Of the porch VIXEN a shell struck the
column and exploded. There was a
Federal battery Of six or eight guns
near the house that was entirely disa-
bled, not live horse, or whole can.
non lett, and many of the cabnoniers
laying dead. We fortified that night
in ordor 10 hold c.r~ ,,o.osffo.,, a., 80.