The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1884-09-24

Zap Sa4G4s 4ACN were AHuGGu 81 SCAu
band in numbers, as depleted by th
tremendous struggles of the eampaigl
en- OF 1864, and in the various and event
e, fui ones in front of and around Peters
70 burg, they could scarcely command
ne four hundred rifles. Originally, it wa:
rp one Of the strongest commands thai
IN formed part of the army of Northern
e. Virginia, but now the bullet and dis
ne ease had thinned them down to this
at handful. Though but few, they were
co a host IN themselves. An abiding con-
at sciousness that by valor and devotion
ne they had won name second to none,
up actuated and incited them to still sterner
IN duties, Though tried on half-hun-
al dred fields, and never found wanting,
At there was reserved for them the heroic
ID and self-sacrifcing duty that prevented
s. the surrender of Richmond and Peters
3 burg, at their respective localities, and
70 delayed for one week 'that event preg-
'e nant with events" that eliminated at
le APpomattox Court House.
= There is, and always will be glow of
: pride, that one formed a part and par
= = eel of that grand body of infantry, the
I army of Northern Virginia. 1t has
9 9 been compared, and Justly so, as the
keystone of the rebellion, which when
displaced, caused the whole structure to
: fall with resounding crash" That
crash brought on an "Iliad of woes"
and collapsed, a government born in
blood, baptized in blood, and her
Z banners smesred with the life-blood |
I of thousands. Mr.. Swinton speaks of
it as "an adversary which had ever
! been the head and front of the re-
volt, that upheld the structure of the |
Confederacy with its bayonets, and |
which upon being crushed caused the
whole fabric to fall to pieces" The /
fact is attested that the whole South
gave up the cause as lost, when advised
of their surrender. If that army was
destroyed there was none to contend
further, and they submitted to the event
with as good grace as possible. OF the
incidents of the latter days of that
army we now write. The duties; strug-
giles; triumphs and defeats of one COM
mand reflects on ALL
Camp life at Bermuda Hundreds was
quiet enough for the few weeks we were
quartered there. An occasional shell
would be thrown at Federal working
parties; or hurled in close proximity TO
! those tall wooden look-outs erected
along the enemy's lines for espionage of !
Confederate movements. The balloon
system seemed "played out" as we did
not see one during the siege of Peters
burg. The tall shipping at City Point
was an object of interest though four
miles of forest intervened between.
On the night of April /, 1865, or.
ders came from Gen. Malone to Har- \
ris' brigade to report to Gen. J. B. Cor
don near Petersburg. We set off, grum- Y
bling "why in the hi can't Malone a
get some other brigade to do some fight n
ing" in the direction of Petersburg, Il
where we reported to Gen. Wilcox, as n
Gen. Gordon had no need of reinforce D
ments. About sunrise we passed through n
the city, and arriving at Fort Gregg, c
took position near our winter quarters. O
With battery Gregg and its surround 8,
ings we were familiar; also with that of Il
its neighbor, Whitworth, of this, more I
anon. When we took position in front is
of, and the right of Gregg, it was in a E
slight hollow. Everything was in con- "
fusion; our lines had been broken and n
turned the day before, and were now in b
possession of the Federals. As far IS il
we could see long lines of infantry, ar c.
tillery and cavalry in parallel columns, b
in all the "pemp and circumstance of
war;" were crossing our broken works SC
heading in the direction of Petersburg. el
1t was Gibbons corps, and they present CT
ed a magnificent spectacle, formidable CT
in numbers, and the sight was enough in
to quail the heart of the stoutest sol d,
der there. We turned to each other, 90
and wondered if only four hundred (400) h,
of us had to stem that torrent. 1t was 81
enough to dampen the ardor of the al
stoutest; but there was no covering nor sa
predictions of defeat. They knew their W
duty was to make what resistance they dc
could, in fact to be sacrificed for delay. ps
In vain they looked for help, there was oy
none to be had, for all available troops it
were in use-as the lines had been co
broken in many places. The line was tn
formed, and they laid down; skirmish- an
ers were thrown out, but were not ag- co
gressive Gibbons advanced and formed hs
line of battle some six hundred yards co
or more, and advanced against us, the
four hundred being overlapped consid- 1t
erably. just then we received orders from th
Gen. Wilcox to retire into Fort Gregg and A
protect the defense as long as possible. to
A few shots from their artillery, and the fir
dropping ones from the skirmishers, eli
were the precursors of what was in gl
few moments afterwards to become noted ca
for one of the most desperate actions
that we ever shared in. Acting courier he
for Gen. Harris that day, / had advan- Fl
tages of observing the fight and to pen Or
what | saw; and will show how error su
has gone into history. Fort Gregg was M
one of series of strong enclosed works, ov
about thirty feet high, built inside the
svkav,1a1 for
what happened. a deep moat or ditch
the fort, but 1t contained Fl
very little, if any water at that time.
The rear was projected by heavy pail :.
sades, Ioop-holed for musketry. These f Hi
piles were driven close together, and 8 S1 11
of eight or ten feet admitted pI
persons and artillery into it. This gorge na m
was secured by placing the stockades in X
! series of turns or angles, 80 that it VI VI
could afford shelter, and be easily de- % %
Tended by o few against many. Its loca- ~ ~
lion was q commanding one, in an open u@
field, and its surroundings helped to pro- a.
tect the defense considerably. Whit VI VI
worth or Alexander was patterned after a. a.
Gregg, but was never completed. These " "
two forts were intended to be connected, &c
but other work requiring more attention " ~
It was abandoned. Nomoat surrounded ~ ~
Whitworth, and the winter rains had " ~
nearly washed the structure level. Our :
Brigade wintered there, the flank of the p p
18th regiment resting against w hitworth. e T
The scarcity of wood prompted the men - =
to use the timber or poles about the ~
works for fuel and this Iessened its u u
strength good deal. A huge dam had =; "
been constructed across q little creek III
which flooded the front of Fort Gregg, =
to its left for some distance. Unfor- ~
tunately it broke Just before the fight, =.
doing much damage in its track, and " v.
losing an important advantage to the ~ ~
Fort; while it held it was of much ad- = =
vantage, as it lessened the arduous duties 4, a
Of the troops located there. Fort Gregg "
was intended for a small garrison only - =.
a battery or q section Of Washington -
Artillery, had wintered there and took y:
part ia the defense, losing several guns Il.
In the capture Gen. Harris placed the " -
18th Mississippi under Capt. A. K. Jones. y y
and the 10th regiment under Capt. ] =
HI Duncan, both under the immediate =
command of 1t. Col. James Ell. Duncan. y
Of the 10Th regiment, in Fort Gregg. Is
The 18th and 46th regiment were placed =
in Whitworth, and were under the per - -
sonal command of Gen. Harris. Cols. q q
r. II. Phipps and Joseph III. Jayne COM -
manded the latter two regiments. These :,
preparations were hardly made before Z.
our skirmiahers, under Capt. FeItus, Z,
under orders from Gen. Harris had oc. =
cupied the winter-quarters and while =
q few held back the Federal administers u
others burned the cabins, and fought =
each one to the last and then fell back - -
towards Petersburg. After light bonn =
bardment Of the two forts, the Federals Z.
aas..l-.1 Eat fNrn..o. L. I.l....--- -. ~