National Republican., 1885-03-07
nrMento rnE NATIONAL RErunLIoAN.

Nhto bOlulorb on elIner blue Wlbnou1 MUM
assistance from their generals or other
officers. This was owing to the fact that
the weather was rainy and thick, and the
main fight took place in dense pines and
fallen timber. Thus the general officers
were unable to see beyond their noses so
TO speak, and after sending their men In
at certain points were compelled to rely on
them to sustain the battle without further
orders. But for all that the fight was
rattling good one, and in this first grapple
between the armies of the Potomac and Of
northern Virginia the first evidence was
given on both sides of that pluck and en-
durance which afterwards was exhibited
on so many historic battle-felds.
II ever q set Of men we're overjoyed to
get out of a place, then the army Of Gen.
Joe Johnston were, to leave the foul.
postilent, gloomy and vermin-infested
trenches and bomb proofs around York
town. When, on the night Of the Sd Of
May, 1862, we were ordered to prepare to
march, although we had virtually been
under arms for twenty-four hours, IL was
with difficulty the men were restrained
from bursting forth In loud peans of ex-
ultation, as Il were. Somo time ago At
tempted to depict the horrors Of the siege Of
Yorktown In THE EREPUBLIcAN, and any
body who read that article will sympa-
thize with our feelings when the order to
move came, and We woll knew the move-
mont could be but in one direction
TOWARDS RICHMOND.
By sunup on the 4th the entire army
was we'll on the way toward Williams
burg, and the brigade, to which the
writer's regiment (17th Virginia infan-
try) was attached, then commanded by
Gen. A. p. Hill, reached the city about
10 o. M, and went into bivouac on the
grounds Of William and Mary College. 1t
10 needless to say that we were soon scat
tered through the hotels and stores Of the
town, seeking to purchase luxuries which
were unattainablo in the internal bomb
proofs from which we had just been hap
PLY released. We couldn't account for
our all day halt. except that Gen. Nc
Clellan was not following closely on our
rear. We knew we couldn't fight gen.
eral battle OF williamsburg, as 1t was
rumored that federal force had
passed up York river toward West
Point In our rear. That evening was
misty and rainy. and, curiously enough,
although stiff fight was being
waged by our cavalry with the enemy's
advance guard, in which artillery was
freely used within couple of miles Of
the town, we did not hear sound of the
firing. and knew nothing Of the fight
until lator at night. We lay down that
night and slept the sleep of tho just, but
wero called under arms at early dawn.
Soon afterward there arose q terrible
racket In the direction of our rear, and
there was no occasion to pick our ears to
ascertain that both infantry and artillery
were doing some very hard pounding
thitherward.
THAT SERIOUS BUSINESS WAS ON HAND
was indicated by the preparations made
by the surgeons in getting the college
buildings in order for . temporary hos
pital--carrying in mattresses. stretchers,
blankets, butchering tools, and what not.
About IL q. M, as we stood idling about
our stacks of arms, the long-drawn call
Attention " brought us up standing
and the brigade was soon moving at the
double.quick through the main street oi
the town toward the noise of the battle
We halted long enough 10 throw OFF oul
knapsacks into the front yards of the
houses, leaving a single man from each
company rs guards, and then moved
swiftly out Of the town. No sooner had
we cleared the outskirts than shell and
roundshot began to come skipping over
the brow Of the hill in front of us, theiI
force almost spent, and in q brief space
the regiments Of the brigade were massed
behind the brow of the hill to shield US
from the firing until
OUR TURN CAME FOR ACTION.
While we were lying here Gen. j. L. B.
Stuart's brigade of cavalry was drawn uI
In line of battle to our left. and on top OF
the hill in full range and view of the
enemy's artillery. Asa consequence mon
and horses were frequently knocked
down, and finally Col. William II. Payne
Gas brave q man by-the-by as Stuart him.
self, Of the 4th Virginia cavalry, sent ia
Stuart o request to be permitted to draw
back his regiment behind the brow of The
hill. Stuart's reply was, ASK Col. Payne
II he ever knew Of q battle in which some
one was not killed? Let the regiment
thought that this answer savored more oi
bravado than Of generalship, for nc
good general will expose his troops
unnecessarily. ! think it was about
l2 IN. when Gen. Hill got the
order to move forward into battle. The
brigade filed into the open ground and
were at once assailed by shot and shell
although Hill took advantage of every
intervening hill to shield us as much al
possible until we could get within strik
ing distance Of the enemy. Just befor,
reaching the woods In which the heaviest
fighting was going on We were thrown
into line of battle and as we advanced
out from the woods streamed tho relic
of North Carolina brigade with tn,
enemy in pursuit. The broken troopl
were ordered to lie down and lot us pas
over them. Many Of them, though
form ad n nnu tba laft ~ ha 1Ttb and al,
good service in the ensuing fight.
AswE PLUNGED INTO THE WOODS
we could not sec twenty yards ahead fo
the thick underground, so it was useles.
to throw out skirmishers. We had gont
hardly q hundred yards into the woods
when we received q staggering volley
from unseen foemen, but we got our in.
nings twenty yards further on, whero the
underbrush opened, aud we could SO,
them kneeling behind snake fence
Here we also delivered volley, ant
then made rush at them, and such wa
the violence of the impact against tn,
fence that in many places it was turned
completely over. This brigade whicl
had been already pretty we'll cut NJ
in Its fight with the North Carolinian
gave way in confusion. And here wan
to relate what always seemed to me 20 b.
CURIOUS COINCIDENCE.
There was man In my company, a bi,
burly fellow, who had great reputation
as rough and tumble fighter. When w,
were ordered into this battle he begged
his captain to assign him to duty In th,
rear as he felt sure he would bo killed 4
he went In. On being refused he ran III
to Col. Corse, whom the first cannon sho
passed close over our heads, saying, IN,
God, colonel, ] can't stand it," Old CorsC
replied, II didn't believe there was
white feather in my regiment. Four ofyol
take hold Of him and carry him into the
hght bodily" That fellow did 20 into tn
fight, and ut the first yolley no was NOR
tally wounded, and he was tho only mar
In his company-some ninety men-who
was struck at that time. Curious, wasn't
it2