National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1885-10-17

rades were rampant belonged TO the
18th regiment Of Virginia, OF Pickett's d.
vision, and don't recollect single in
stance IN our charges where the opposing
line stood when we got within fifty yards of
them. All the men, except gunners at the
cannon, killed or wounded by bayonet
thrusts on either side, would make but a
small roster when compared with those
falling under he deadly mimic ball. The
bayonet and saber are obsolete under the
conditions Of modern warfare.
ONE ACT or CowARDIcE.
But to recur to the object of this article.
| never knew but one instance Of man
showing the white feather in my regiment
when going into battle, and that was at the
battle of Williamsburg In the spring Of
1862. We had a month before totally reor-
ganlzed our company and field officers by
Uallot, rs we had u right to do under the
conscript act, and there was much dissatis-
faction among the mon, because the ''me-
chanic crowd" had beaten "the gentlemen"
In the race for honors. | may say that the
officers elected by the mechanics, although
was a viclimized candidate, did their duty
well and thoroughly in the coming cam
paign. When we were "double-quicking"
Into the fight this man speak Of who
was the bully Of the regiment as
to iisticufis, begged the colonel to
give him place in the rear, as be thought
he was unable to stand up before the enc
my Our colonel ordered him to be taken
charge of by u squad Of the regiment and
carried into the battle. When we advanced
In line of battle and, amid the brushwood,
struck the first Yankee line, we were or
dered to charge and when It was over we
halted for q minute or two to catch breath
flor the charge was over rough ground) and
we then learned that this same man had
been shot through the body at the first vol
ley. Now this fellow had no business
In the regiment. He was really man Of
courage as far as o personal fight meant.
lie was willing to fight any man with fists,
rife, pistol, sword, or knife-something
that was tangible and that he knew Of
but when the intangible prospects of
the battle, where his strength and
ilnesse in the use OF weapons were
Of no avail, he sunk like baby, aud was
| the scott and jeer Of the whole regiment,
although he was the first man struck In our
charge against the brigade that had whipped
the North Carolina brigade in front of us,
ana he died in the hospital at Williamsburg
a few days thereafter.
SUFFERING COMRADES IGNORED.
Another thing that struck me forcibly
was the utter want Of feeling shown by
men on the battle line for their dead and
wounded comrades. In the battle OF VIII
llamsburg at the final part the opposing
regiments In some places were not more
than five yards apart The dense, misty
rain, re-enforced by the smoke Of the firing
rendered II almost impossible to see SIX
feet in advance, and II was under these
conditions and at that time of day a p
n.y. that we buckled In with Sickles's New
York brigade, and fought them for over m
hour and half in the fallen timber at ter
yards distance.
Now, in consonance with the habitude Of
the regiment Numbering 500 mem, II wal
the watchword, "IIighlanders shoulder t
shoulder" and in despite of the fact tina
the elections OF officers at Yorktown wert
not satisfactory, we all Loyalty yielded t
the changed condition Of our organization.
think | have written enough to Civ,
some idea Of the temper OF the confederat,
troops at that time. In my next | will en-
deavor to show how they behaved in actua
battle. THos. j. MURRAY.