Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1885-08-29

i nent Of an exceedingly pleasant tim
i. enjoyed by me in an excursion t
b Richmond, Va, in company with tn
Ie survivors OF the Sixth South Carolin
10 Regiment, G. S. A., and their friend.
d The train, bearing the excursionists t
10 the number OF $50, left Columbus,
e, C, Wednesday. Aug. 5, and reache,
J. Richmond at o'clock next morning
e We were met at the depot by a dele
0 CATION of Lee. Camp" an organiza
d ton of ex-Confederates, and escorted
S to the Exchange Hotel, where break
! fast was had. At half past nine O'Clock
l all again boarded the train and pro
/ ceeded to Fair Oaks Station, on the
: York River Railroad, that being the
t point at which the annual reunion o
t the Sixth Regiment Survivors Associ
, alton was to be held, on what is known
as the Battlefield OF "Seven Pines"
II On the route, sharp lookout was
kept for evidences of the old breast
t works and Notifications, but little oI
them, however, remain to be seen
Much of the land is in cultivation or
grown up with underbrush so as to be
almost hidden.
We arrived at Fair Oaks shortly af-
ten o'clock, and proceeded to the Ma
tional Cemetery, one mile south of the
railroad, where an address was deliv-
cred by Gen. John Bratton, formerly
Colonel of the Sixth, and who COM
manded it at the battle OF Seven Oaks,
where he was desperately wounded and
afterward captured by the enemy. AZ
ter the meeting was over, all dispersed
and the time was spent in going over
the battle ground, or at least, what was
said to be it. There was much dis
putting among the Survivors" as to the
different points where they were en-
gagged.
Your correspondent was partici-
pant in the battle OF Seven Pines, on
another part of the field, with Hatton's
Brigade, of which the 14th Regiment
was part. knew we fought on the
left OF the army in that engagement,
and naturally drifted off in what sup
posed was the direction of the field
where Hatton's Brigade was engaged
| found more than one place that
looked like the open field where we
formed our line of battle, as President
Davis and Generals Johnston and Lee
rode upon the field, and where the la
mented Hatton made his last speech,
before we started IN. / even thought
l could locate at any time the swamp
through which we waded before reach
ing the enemy's position in the woods,
where almost half of our gallant old
Regiment was left dead or wounded.
Was almost sure had found the
identical spot, when, in looking about,
my eye fell upon whitened musket
ball, on the ground, such as we used
with the old smooth-bore musket, with
which ten companies of the 18th were
armed at that time. But then | re-
membered that almost the whole army
had the same guns. | gathered up
from the ground passed over at differ
ent points, relics OF several kinds, con-
sisting of canteens, eaten up by rust,
pieces of cartridge boxes, several min
ME balls, one ball of the calibre used |
in the Mississippi rife, musket balls,
etc. Still could not say that found
the place where Hatton was engaged,
and where the old Tennessee Brigade
received its first real baptism OF blood
After spending several hours in thus
prospecting and rambling over this
historic ground, we took the return
train to Richmond, arriving there
about six o'clock in the evening, and
were met at the depot by company
of military and a delegation from "Lee
Camp" and escorted to the armory,
where splendid banquet was served
and speech of welcome delivered by
the President of the Chamber of Com
merce. This was responded to by Col.
Rives, of South Carolina; then another
welcoming speech by the mayor OF the
city, responded to by Hon. ]. ]. Hemp
hill, member OF Congress, from South
Carolina. We then dispersed, after |
being notified that delegation of "Lee
Camp" would callfor us with carriages
next morning, which they did, convey
ing the eutire party over-the city, Wis
iting all the points of interest and inn
portance. All the lower portion of the
city is now covered with handsome
residences, churches, ETC., where rock
cts used to be. The site of the old
hospital and the surrounding grounds
have been converted into splendid
park, with shade trees and vines. The
sight seeing wound up with another
banquet and more speeches at the wa
ter works pump house, near Holly
wood Cemetery. The party then re-
turned to the city and began to dis
perse, some preparing to go to New
York to attend the funeral of General
Grant the next day, others to Balti-
more and other points in the "Old Do
minion" to visit friends or other points
of interest, and others returning home
by the train that carried US from the
Palmetto State.
/ took the train for Gordonsville, on
the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad
reaching there at ten o'clock Friday
night. After pleasant nights rest at
the hotel, had the pleasure of seeing
the handsome and familiar form and
face of General William McComb, for
merly Colonel of the old 14th Regi-
ment, and the last Brigadier General
commanding Archer's old Tennessee
Brigade in the army of Northern Vir-
glnia. / found the General hale and
hearty, looking much the same as he
did ON the morning of April 2, 1865,
where, so calamity mounted on his
"white charger" he led the old brigade
in the last endeavor to retake our bro