South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1884-05-16
TCoNTINUsD.1

N'OS INV 'OiiSy "sso ucoVu auu tuC
ten men passed into eternity. Then
there was surgeon stepped forward
to each prisoner and felt his pulse,
and they found two of them not dead,
then the reserve guard stepped out
and fired again, when they were all
pronounced dead, the, division was
marched by them in two ranks in or.
der that all could sec them. After all
had gone to camp the wagons drove
up with the collins and it was our du-
ty to unite them, place then. in the
cofiins and load them in the wagons,
the one that helped to put away had
received four balls in his breast and
the rope that his hands were tied with
was cut i'll two by bullet. We then
buried them, tie chaplain being an
Episcopalian performed the service
according 20 the ritual of his church.
1t cast u gloom over the entire ar
my; for we had never seen as many
executed at one time before, and we
knew it would never stop desertion in
the army, for believe the more they
shot the more deserted, and when
they did desert they would go to the
enemy, where they knew they would
not be found. One day the whole
army was formed near Orange Court
House and marched i'm review in col
nmns and inspected by the officers,
they kept us marching around all day
and at night we returned to camp.
AS we were cleaning up camp one
day, we were divided in two squads.
sweeping with brush brooms and pc.
lice work generally, ard rs we finish
ed we mot in rear of the camp and
each squad claimed they had done the
most, until finally one fellow belong
ing to the other squad named James
Roadcap, got mad Mt some remark l
had made, and struck me over the
head and face with his brush broom.
| flew ct him and we had II regular
knock down for few minutes until
some Of the others separated US, for
fear the officers would zee rs and put
US IN the guard house, but I mashed
mp the knuckle of my little finger a.
gainst his head, and it is in that fix
to-day, although not the least in my
way and | think every time l look at
it, that it is one Of tie relics of the
war. But jim and | were soon good
friends again, and 1 carried crippled
hand for several days and told the Of
ficers | had boil Oh il.
In September "a the enemy had adj
vanced their lines from the Rappa-
hammock to the Rapidan river, we
were moved farther down the river
several miles North of Orange Court
House, and 3amped at Pisgah Church,
and commenced certifying along the
South bank of the river. The first
day they took rs out to work, we re-
ported to the engineers near large
farm house on httle eminence, the
engineers were laying Off some gun
pits for artillery in a large potato
patch near the house, and as the rio-
neers had to wait until they were laid
OFT before we could go 10 work, we
soon commenced digging potatoes, l
had gotten some distance from my
squad, very busily occupied with the
potatoes, not noticing that they had
gone to work at the pits. but General
Stewart, (Maryland Stewart) Briga-
der OF the third brigade, happened to
notice me and saw what 1 was doing,
and came riding up to me, and be-
fore L knew it he was alongside ofme,
and said what are you doing herer
he took me so by surprise that
wheeled around and exclaimed dig
ging a gun pit the hell you are, >
says he, 'you are digging potatoes
now go back to your place and let
those potatoes alone
But | had h.y haversacls full of po-
tatoes and the boys joked me Tor a
long while about it, and by the time
those pits were done there wasn't a
potato left in that patch.
The Yankee picket3 were quartered
in some houses along the river on the
opposite side from Us, and our bows
would make up q volunteer party and
wade the river at night, surround q
house and capture the whole post
Just Tor amusement aud to get some
good genuine coffee, but they had to
get the consent of some OF he officers
first, they bad made several success
ful raids OF that kind and one day as
we were working near the river we
located good post to capture, and as
Gen. Ewell happened to come riding
up a! that time some OF tine boys asked
him,if we could not go over that night
q capture ne post, he remarked that
IT would not amount TO anything and
that We were running a risk that was
not at all necessary, and that he found
that if soldier did his duty in ranks
he bad enough to DO without volun-
teering TO do any more And | of
Ten thought of his advice afterwards
and was pleased % think that he
would not rush as III danger unless it
was necessary. As we were making
trenches for the infantry we would