Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1885-01-30

rive at AppOmattOX Court House,
there to be discharged, on the 9th
day of April, 1865, from service in
the Confederate army forever. In
your ranks many are now marching
who will be numbered with the un-
returning brave, and the voice of
bitter lamentation will be heard in
every home in all your beautiful
valley. You are in Lynchburg on
the 18th day Of May, and are mus
tered into the service of the Con-
federate States. Your company is
assigned to the 2Sth Reg iment of
Virginia Infantry, and receives a
new name. Henceforth it will be
known as Company a. and its
career in future will be merged in
the career of its regiment. You
spend short time in Lynchburg.
You are subjected to rigid military
discipline; you begin to feel that
you are veterans, and you pant for
the front. Federal troops cross the
Potomac on the 9th of May, and
occupy Alexandria. The 2Sth now
receives marching orders. 1t is
transported to Manassas Junction,
aud becomes a part of the army of
the Potomac, under Beauregard.
You remain at the Junction some
weeks, and then go into camp near
Fairfax G. II. The 18th day of July
comes. You are becoming impa-
tient. VIII the Yankees never ad.
vance? Belt possible after all that
the war will end without even a
skirmish q? If Lincoln intends TO
suppress the rebellion, why doesn't
he begin the work of suppression :!
Don't be inpatient, men A courier
rode into camp this morning before
daylight. He was the bearer of a
mysterious message to your Colo
mel. You are abOnt to fall back in
the direction of Bull Run. And
now the tents are struck. The
baggage wagons are loaded and
drive off. The regiment is formed.
You are standing at an order arms.
But listen, what command is it
that the Colonel gives? Load .
load at will - And the iron ramrod
rings in the muskct barrel as the
missile of death is driven down.
Soldiers yon will learn to under
stand that ringing sound better in
the future than you understand 1t
now. 1t will bring pallor to the
cheek of the bravest, and make
the strongest heart beat quicker
when you hear it again and again
as you stand 'on the terrible edge
of battle in the months and years
that are TO come. On the evening
of the 18th Of July, the 2Sth takes
position near the stone bridge on
the west side Of Bull Run. You
can hear the fighting of the 18th a
few miles below you on the stream.
1t is only a skirmish. All day the
10Th you rest on your arms. The
evening Of the Goth you cross Bull
Run and 90 on picket duty IN the
direction of Centrcville, and at
dawn of day the 2lst you Withdraw
to the west side Of the stream again.
You are hardly across when you
hear the rattle of musketry and the
boom of artillery. The Confcder
ate forces a few hundred yards 10
your left, have engaged the enemy
in earnest. Aud there you stand,
in line Of battle, at the ford that
you have Just crossed. You listen
to the battle as it RACES. You see
the troops rapidly moving into ac-
ton on the range of hills behind
YOU. You hear the loud shouts
that proclaim the onset. You see
the wounded, bathed IN blood, car.
ried on litters to the rear. Reports
of Regiments and Brigades 'cut
all to pieces are brought to you /;
and you keep standing in your pO-
sltlon at the ford, under the scOrch-
ing rays of July sun, while the
morning wears away. About two
o'clock in the evening you receive
orders to move to the front, and
you rapidly ascend the long hill ;
you pass the Lewis House, when
you are fred into by the enemy, as
you move by the flank. You hard
| ly have an opportunity to return
the fire before the whole Federal
army is in full retreat. But you
have participated in the battle.
And you feel grandly. What glow
ing accounts Of the battle you write
home Every man was hero in
the strife. The number of Yankees
that each man killed was only ex-
ceeded by the number that each
man captured. There must have
been millions Of them. Waterloo
was a skirmish as compared with
the battle of Manassas, so says
your Colonel, and so feels every one
of you on the night of that 2lst
day of July, 1851. Will the war
end now7 Will another Federal
army have the hardihood to again
meet the COnfederates in the open
neld7 While you are indulging in
these specnlations the summer and
autumn wear away. You hear
every day wild runors of the rec
ognition of the Confederate States
by foreign powers, and rumors of
negotiations for peace. But for
eirn nowers defer their recOgnitiOn