The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1885-05-14
FIGHTING THEM OVER
What Our Veterans Have to Say About
Their Old Campaigns
CRUTCHFIELD'S WATCH.
Who Took the Watch from His Body After the
Fight at Sailors Creekf

Who Took the Watch from His Body After the
Fight at Sailors Creekt
To THE EDITOR: On the afternoon Of the
9Th of April, 1865 we came up with the rear
of Lees army at the crossing of Sailors Creek,
o tributary of the Appomattox. From the
time we had charged and carried the enemy
line of works in front of Petersburg at daylight
on the I'd of April we had been on a keen jump.
The troops were tired and exhausted. The roads
were in a horrible condition, the mud knee
deep and constantly being made worse by the
artillery aud heavily loaded ammunition ana
supply trains.
The Confederate army was in q worse condl-
ton than ourselves for, in addition to scanty
supply of rations, they were retreatiDg before
a victorious army, which is demoralizing TO
any troops. They were sorely pressed. While
the Sixth Corps to which i belonged Was per-
suing them in the rear, the other corps were
on either flank. and the cavalry under Sher-
idan Custer and others was enGcavorng TO
prevent them from forming junction with
JOhnston's army, then near Raleigh, and was
constantly heading them OFF. They were IN a
deplOrabie condition. With their numbers being
constantly depleted from the continual harraSs-
ing, IRON desertions, death. wounds, and prls-
oneTs captured, il is q miracle how they MAIN
tanned their esprit de corps as well as they d!d.
After a hard days march and constant Sklr-
mishing they were obliged 10 throw up III
leave them at daylight and continue their
rapid flight. The roads were strewn with the
debris of two great armies: brokcDdown gun
carriages, caSsOuS, supply wagons, clothing,
equipments, muskets swords, p:stois-In fact,
everything which belongs to m army IN retreat
marked its flight. As We ncarCd the creek,
Gen Sheridan sat upon his horse impatient!y
awaiting our arrival. Our division ttbe Third
quickly formed in line, with Sheridan directly III
front of our cOlors. His words were, Boys do
you want that train?" pointing about quar-
ter of a mile of, where a large train OF rebel
wagons was moving quickly along. The boys,
as he called them, shouted, Yes! yes!" His
reply was, Follow mel"
The division instantly moved forward
through piece OF woods, where number
of our cayalrymen lay dead, having at
tempted to take the train a short time before,
and been repulsed. The command moved
forward to the edge of the creek, and without
waiting for the other two divisions, who were
q short distance behind, plunged through the
creek and charged up the slope on the opposite
side under
MURDERoUS FIRE
from the enemy, who was posted behind hastily
constructed earthworks and FROM the pine
woods i'll their rear.
1t was a desperate hand toll apd struggle;
both sides had elnptied their muskets and were
thruSting at each other with their bayonctS.
The color bearer, Serg't Black was shot through
the knee, aud rs he fell the coorS were wrench
ed from his hands by a rebel, who in turn was
instantly shot and the colors recaptured But
the contest was too unequal, and our division
was obliged 10 fall back to the edge OF the
creek, where, throwing themselves fat on the
ground they evaded in measure the plunging
fire of the Confederates. The First Division
now came up and the nights were carried,
with heavy loss on both sides. The dead and
wounded Confederates lay thick within the
Entertainments, and one could scarcely step
without treading on them.
While talking with q wounded Confederate
officer l esp:ed dead officer near by, whose
dress denoted rank. / inquired who it was.
In the position in which he was lying he could
not see him, but from my description he said it
was undoubtedly Col. Crutchheld, who was
Chief of Artillery under Stonewall jackson and
was wounded by the same fire that killed Jack
son at Charlottesville, but WAS now under
Ewell. who at the present time commanded
Jackson's old corps. Upon examining the body
/ found a handkerchief with the name S.
Crutchfield in India ink stamped on the border,
which removed all doubt. The Confcderates
were in "A starving condition, they having re-
ceived only one days rations since leaving
Petersburg. / felt in the haversacks of many
Of them, thinking to replenish my own scanty
stock I'VE having received three days rations
the day before with instructions that they must
last six, but all could find in them were ears
of hard corn. / shared my scanty supply with
several of the wounded, they eagerly munching
the bareback in their death-agony. / pitied
them, enemies though they were, for they were
brave men. OF all the battlefelds that have
seen / think, for the numbers engaged, the
short time occupied, and the CHASTITY rows Of
dead and wounded, this was the most horrible.
Many lay with
ARMS, LEGS AND HEADS SHOT OFF,
others will, hoxrelS protru1inu ond othar oa m
ing wounds, for our artillery raked them ter
ribly with grape and canister from a command
ing rise of ground on the opposite side Of the
creek. The shrieks of the wounded and dying
rose above the din of battle.
Accustomed as we had become to such scenes
of suffering and death, it is not strange that We
should look upon them with stole indifference
One poor wretch begged me to rub his limbs, as
he said they were growing so cold. l did what
could to alleviate his sufferings, but l knew it
was the chill of death. Darkness was now
coming on, the army was again in notion and
i was Obliged to go.
Historians almost ignore this battle and make
little mention of it. In the earlier stages of
the war every little skirmish was dwet upon
but here was battle in which two divisions of
the Sixth Corps and part of Sheridan's cav
airy captured or destroyed the rear guard of
Lees army, including Gems. Ewell, Custis and
three other general officers,-in all over 5000
1itl 1Hc blalll WIS captured, ana
the darkness of the night was lit up for miles
with the light of burning wagons and the ex-
plosion of shells and other fixed ammunition
In view Of all the disasters which had be-
fallen the Confederates since leaving Peters
burg, il is strange, but nevertheless true that
q large portion of Lees followers chung to the
waning fortunes of the Confederacy with q
tenacity and heroism worthy Of better cause
The clouds which had been fringed with sill
very lining, and had hung SO auspiciously over
them in the earlier stages of the war, were
now draped in the darkness of Egyptian night
but the die was cast-the last act IN. the drama
had been performed; they had staked their all
and lost, when success to them would have
been great calamity.
During the night of the 9Th, two corps of
infantry, by forced marches, placed themselves
directly across Lees line of retreat, and when
the Army of Northern Virginia took up their
line of march, on the morning of the 9Th of
April they found themselves confronted by
massive lines of infantry. The white flag
was raised, and the army that had held at bay
for four years tic armies Of the Nation,
LAID DOWN ITS ARMS AND SURRENDERED.
II was a beautiful Sabbath morning Easter
Sunday, and when the Sixth Corps halted.
one and half miles in their rear, and news
came that negotiations were pending prepara-
tory TO a surrender, the joy of the troops knew
no bounds. Soon our Division General rode
back with the joyful news that Lees army had
surrendered. Then the widest scenes of en-.
thusiasm ensued: thousands cried with joy.
the air was rent with cheers, men shouted
themselves hoarse to think that after four