The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1886-06-06
WAR MEMORIES.
Battle OF Sailors Creek-A Series OF vivid Battle
Pictures and Stories OF Hand.to.Tand Conflict

Written by Col. Archibald Hopkins ~ the Thirty.
aeyehlh Massachusetts volunteers, for the Spring.
ncd Republican,
" has happened very rarely that any one has hccn
SO Placed either ms spectator participant, as to bo
aple TOO sec and describe battle. Some minor on.
gagenen', perhaps, with small contending forces
may nave come under observation I'm such way as
70 enable tho lookcron TO say he saw II, but any.
thing worthy to he called battle mus, bc OF auch
proportions, and generally upon such ground, As "a
render this Impossible and descriptions OF battles
arc made up ns rule from what many persons saw
In writing something Of tho battle Of Sailors
creek u Is not my purpose TO attempt description
the part the rhirty.scventh Massachusetts regiment
took IN II, ard 10 recall some OF the Impressions and
experiences, OF what was to us, though of short du
ration, q memorable struggle. On tho 2d OF Apr
we had been In the front line OF the assaultlng col
uuin at Petersburg which carried the heavily forti
lled works OF Fort Fisher aud had captured two
guns and bnttle-lng ON The I'd, an, and 9Th, oui
corps having been, so VIC were told Mt the time, at
tached to Gen Sherdan's command by his spccla
request, we were making forced marches, keeping
up with the cavalry In that relentless pursuit, In
spred and led by him, and which no one can doubt
was the secret of final success. The weather had
grown very warm Tor the season, and after the FIRST
halt tho ground for acres was covered with over.
coats, extra blankets and clothing, and various little
comforts which even the oldest soldiers sometimes
begin q campaign With hut which are gradually dis
carded TIL only the barest ncccssarles remain. on
the 9th we had already covered nearly twenty miles
when about O'Clock rapid artillery firing heard
In front, and an order to doube-qnick told us that
there was work ahead. There followed hard
run, inc men dripping anu painting
der their loads hut determined to he In nj the death
for every one felt the end was at hand.
Az tho nrst sound tine artillery In advance they
began without orders to MI the magazines of thcii
Spencer rifles as they moved along. The Spencer
at that time was by far the best weapon In USE moi
so heavy as the Springfield. and silrpasslng 1t III
range and precision; firing seven shots to It's one
II made the regiments armed with 1t equal to twice
their number not only from their increased destruc
tive power, but from the added confidence 1t gave
and from the fear the enemy had of 1t. one OF the
prisoners who was taken oh our front ct Berryvlle
said to comrade as they passed TO the rear looking
askanco at one OF the smoking pieces as he spoke,
"rhcre's one o. them id guns and their theory
was that we loaded mp Sunday and fired all tho
In the CORPS that had them ana II got good deal of
extra duty In consequence
AS We came to the top OF long slope there began
an Immediate easy descent, running down to the
creek. n winding, sluggish stream, and then an as
cent began, rather sharper than the one we had
and n,crsected with deep gues cut out OF tie clay
by heavy rains At the top OF the slope in field 10
the left OF the road, near an old barn, sheridan
on his black horse talking to Wright, and saw hin,
make a gesture with his palm turned to the front
that said Enthusiastically whatever opposed us on the
the men recognized HIM a ratiling cheer went down
the line, such rs no other man could evoke from our
corps, for he had given us the Inspiration and enth
slasm of repeated Victory IN the Shenandoah ana
every man felt aud implicitly trusted his splendid
leadership.
Ills cavalry had cut of the principal wagon train
OF Lees army, and Stonewall .ackson's old corps,
now commanded by Ewell, had been put In position
to check our pursuit and save the train II possible.
Gen. Kershaw was on the right of their line, Gusts
Lee on the left, ana the naval battalion made up of
picked men from the abandoned gun boats at Rich
mond, AMI clothed and equipped In the best English
fashion, was In the rear OF Lees right In reserve
We began to move down the hill in column OF
wings, hut deployed Into line OF battle and threw
was barely fordahe being up TO our arm pits After
crossing line was reformed and the regiment
moved by the flank short distance to the right, and
then the order was brought us by Col Tom Colt
riding as jauntlngly and COOlly as on parade To
charge up the hill. The growth of young pines was
30 dense that II was impossible to see more than
the length of the regimenta line, or to tell whether
our connection on the right or left was maintained
just here Chaplain Morse, whose place was In ina
rear with the ambuances. appeared In front OF the
line and 1t took aperempory order to send him back
he was Methodist minister whom we had chosen
faithful in the duty to which he had beer unexnecteiy
called. he could never forget that he had come out
to light. We were now moving steadily up the hill
aud stray bullets hogan to ny too plentifnly to be
pleasant. As we pushed on saw Sergeant Cowes as
he fell, shot through the body, wave his hand and
we felt that few more steps would precipitate a
bloody fight, hut the line did not waver nor was
there any nlnchlng or sknng, the soldiery discl-
pine and sleadiness, which Gen. Edwards had In
fused into the regiment while Its colonel, standing
1t. as often before, In good stead; In moment, rs
still invisible tore through the pines over our headS
The misdirected aim was most fortunate
for us, for the men held their fire Ike tile veterans
were close upon them with hut few vacancies in ouI
ranEs. Thep at the word every man poured il
aeyen shots from his Spencer at easy speaking
fell killed and wounded, many came In ana gave
themselves up, some escaped, and all semblance OF
front and disappeared Flushed with success We
moved steadily on to the front distance of proba
three hundred yards; when the growth became
less dense 1t appeared that we had no support on
either flank. Just ut this juncture Curtis Lee moved
part OF his command, comprising the naval battalion
through one OF the deep gulches spoken of
| IA
of the regiment In our rear. We discovery
the movement Just in time to face about, and IN
struggle for the mastery ensaei With masieir S't al
arm length, officers lighting with dubbed musEet.
aud pistols aud the bayonet coming into free use fo
the first lime In experience. Clouds Of snlphI
rous smoke soon obscured everything not close a
hand, and 1t was as these opened ana shifted that
had glimpses of battle groups aud scenes which WI
always remain In my memory. one, JUS, h0mef
tary glimpse, seen and lost too soon 10 know the re
ss Of GIS9' y gray with dubbed mus
snepcer rLne himself, and was cooking it TO fire
Another OF n flaming rebel batle-iag planted In the
struggle; bne-coated sergeant sci ,ed II with de
termned grasp only TO fal, aaspesateiy wounded be
meath IT'S fold, when nlneky little fellow whom
recognized through the smoke as Private Taggnrt
Of Co u, wresed It from Its hole and carried il sa
to the rear. The battle was now at ils height; blu,
and gray mingled in a confused iaass. swayei bach
aud forth ~ the eddylnl, smoke and fierce cries o
"Down with en,""give 'em HI" aud the clashin.
crSsssi 9aSonsts could be heard rising above TIT
|
ioweu mp all sense Of danger AMI every man foucl
more than valorously almost with savage fury
Meanwhile our Spencers had again given us IN,
advantage, aud the enemys force, broken into con
fused groups, was driven back into the little ravn
through which they had come In a hudiled mass
we gathered ut Its mouth and gave them such
| terrible raklng IRE That they soon began to show
white handkerch'eis In token of surrender and oui
| The adintant. John s. Bradley, of Lee, a pallap,
soldier always at the front, as the muskeiry inlet
demanded the sword of a rebel oilcer near whom h,
| hA Nor xxrItI.
put MS pistol 10 the adjalants breast. wi Ii
s saSa th ssI movement 1Sst IN time to knock hi
oyer each other down into the ravine, the on,
Ger dschargng his pistol into the adjutant's shout
| der az they went. rebel soldier also shot hin
through the thigh, and In an instan, more hls an
tagonsl would have despatched him with another
pistol shot, when Private Eddy, OF 20. b, who In,
heen watching his chance, as Bradley's assalan
| came uppermOst, shot him dead He had haril,
ured when powerful drawback thrust him thrnugl
the body with bayonet, the point coming out nea
the ground. His antagonist then tried 10 wrest hi
| Spencer from him, hut he chung 10 1t desperately
and In spite OF me terrible disadvantage of his poal
ton succeeded III tiring another shot, which wa
fatal 10 his brave aud determined enemy. The rebe
fe upon him as he lay, hut he thrust his body aside
pulled ont the bayonet which transaxed him, an,
staggered to the rear, where he was cared tor aud
finally recovered. Arter this az course We Opene'
time In earnest. den. Cnss Lee surrendered a
the mnzzle of Corporal David Whites rine, and W,
sent TO rear with him and his staff nearly tire,
| piisoh'ls sIlt nag belDuRluE 10
crack Savannah battalion, besides the battle
nag already spoken OF. Seventy dead wer
| taken from the ravne, and the Ambulance
men said they had never seen them piled up II
such heaps anywhere. Dnrng the hight corpora
who was noted for his quiet pr0mpfitudc and nm
varying good behavior, becoming little separate,
from the main command, fOnnd himself confrone,
by a rebel 0iiicer, whose surrender he demanded
The officer refused and the corporal fired shoo,nj
him through the body. As he fell the corporal hen
over Inn and told him that he was Sorry he had I,
shoot hhl aud that ne was Christian, and II h
| wished II Won,d pray with him. The officer eager
a9sentea, and the corporal knGlt by his side anids
the drifting smoke and iiying MISSILES nndislurbe
by the roar OF mnskeirY and the shouts and gyOag
of the combaiants ana altered feryel, prayer Tor III
When he had nnlshed they shook hands, and IN
Officer gave the corporal his sword as memento
and asked him Ia write 10 his wife and tell her VIVA
had befallen him. Then they babe farewell, an
the corporal who had been made target of by III
rebels, under the Impression that he was rining tn
oiicer's body, picked up his Spencer and Went OF
nrng.
An irish corporal, whose brother had been knle
on the parapet IN the assault on Petersburg IL,
days before, concealed himself IN thicketa and bile
nine rebels during the hight When II was over Il,
SAID "he didnt know as II would help poar Nike any
| hut somehow he felt aisyer about HE Heart" SOM,
men were alw9ys having narrow escapes. We ha
| u sergeant VINO was famous for them. l met hiI
You had your scratch 20 lie pushedup his cap In IL
| ply, and saw the blood rckling down his temple
| which had been grazed by II bullet.
| IL was pahl O'Clock when we struck the enemy
AMI az the shadows fell, and the evening breeze rus
and sighed a requiem through the swaying pines al