Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-05-05


front to cheer the weary march.
These were negroes who bad long
served the corps in peace, accom-
panied them through all the war,
contemptuoGsiy resisted all invita-
tons to desert, and stood by the
c0lors to the last The shrill flies OF
old Joe and Henry, and the rafting
drums of George Postell and Louis
Ross, as they made the old Virginia
woods ring with the strains 80 often
played at home, woke MP the tagging
spirit Of the men, and hHlNed them
for time to move cheer IT, But
in vain. The enemy's cavalry hegan
10 press the column on the lcit, ahd
on April 9Th, the rear guard OF Gen.
Lees retreating army WAS brought 10
bay near Sailors Creek.
Gen. Gordon's corps was the true
rear-guard But in the various oper-
ations and movements of that day
Gen Ewell's corps got into the rear,
and had in its turn, become the rear
guard hy force Of circumstances.
Gen. Gusts Lees division, to which
the Guards were attached, was IN
Gen. Ewelrs corps. The army was
-lernmed in on three sides by over
whelminp odds. but the men did not
know it: some shots had been fired
at them. but they supposed it was
only from some light artillery at
tacbed to small bodies of cavalry
lowering ia the distance on the left,
and imagined that the front was
clear.
HEMMED N BY THE +. E'fY.
The illusion was dispellei by a
rather odd incident. The corps was
in the act of fording Sailors creek,
the color-bearer was put in the mid
die Of it, carrying the cOlor-staff in
clined upon his shoulder, when
spent conical rife bullet struck the
staff where it rested on his shoulder,
splitting it exactly in the mid
die. and just bUrying itself in the
crack. "W here did that bullet come
dromn was the exclamation. From
ahead. of course "Then the army
is likely 10 be surrounded. They
knew then they had fight on hand.
ON that day Gen. Lees division
was in the rear Of the corps
Crutchiield's brigade i'm the rear Of
the divisi0n-the Guards al the rear
Of the brigade. The brigade was
halted for "A time a few hundred yards
from the creek, and about half way
up the slope Of . long activity.
While pausing there, some small adj
vanced parties Of the enemy appeared
upon the ground the brigade had
Dust passed over-then a battery of
light artillery regiment after
regiment of infantry. The order
was given to form line faced to the
4 d. Ar
ment. and thus became the extreme
right of the new line. Major Stiles
battalion came next: and with the
colors of these two battalions the line
was established for the division.
Some Of the troops were new, but the
whole evolution was affected with
admirable order and regularity.
Scarcely had the line been formed
when the enemy's artillery COM
menced to fire, and then the battle
began. General details would be
put of place-we are only concerned
with the Guards.
THE FIGHT AT SAILORS CREEK.
I When the enemy's infantry began
l 30 ascend the slope to attack, the
Confederate troops holding their fire
until they should get quite near, a
strong BODY was discovered making
its way through thicket of pines on
the right of the Guards go as to take
them on the flank and rear. Fortu-
nately, they were impeded and dis
ordered by the thickness Of the grove.
Mai. Basinger happened at the mo-
ment to be near the extreme right of
the Guards.
There was ~ time for deliberation.
He Immediately marched the battal-
ion by the right flank obliquely to
the rear, fixing bayonets as they
went, 50 as to face this unexpected
enemy, and, reforming his line, at
lacked at once with the bayonet,
while they were yet entangled in the
wood. The Guards were but SIS that
day, and nothing but the disorder of
1he enemy in the thicket saved them.
DECISIVE ACTION.
Their attack was successful; the
enemy was driven off, with the loss
eof two regimental flags and many
killed, but with serious loss to the
Guards also. The battalion then re-
turned to the original line to take its
part in the main battle. But again
the enemy came through the thicket
of pines, and were met in the same
manner As before. But they were too
strong, and the corps had suffered
100 much in the former attack; the
enemy were checked. but all Of the
Guards who escaped with their lives
fell into their hands as prisoners. 1t
was afterwards ascertained that these
attacks through the pine thicket had
been made by force Of three regi-
ments, half advancing at "A time. and
that their loss in the encounter was
about Us men. The disorder caused
in their advance by the pine thicket
was the only thing that rendered
such a result possible. But without
this combat the whole division
would have been assailed on its flank
@nd rear and inevitably DESTROYED.
As IL was, the division, thus
guarded on its right, repulsed two at.
lacks upon themselves, and finally,
attacking in their turn, drove the
enemy from the field, and killed and
wounded, il was said on good authori.
~, about 5000 Of his men. having
themselves only 2,250 engaged. But
IN the very moment Of their success 3
Viap foVtna from G.r Ls....n