Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1886-09-16
PleasOntOn at Charlottesville.

PleaSOntOn at ChancellOrSYIlle.
Major Clifford Thomson, aidde-camI
on Gen. Pleasenton's staff, in the Sept
Century, gives the following account OF
the fight at Hazel Grove: "Gen. Pleas
onton lode from gun to gun. directing
the gunners to aim low, not to get excl.
ted, to make every shot tell the staff of.
ficers, catching their cue from him, did
the same, and while at first there had
been considerable excitement and APP
prehension among US, it soon quleted
down, and eveey thought and action was
directed to getting the best service out
of those guns that they were capable OF
rendering. Recovering from the disor-
der into which Keenan's charge had
thrown them, the enemy could be seen
forming line of battle in the edge of
woods now in our front. They were
scarcely two hundred yards distant; yet
such was the gloom that they could not
be clearly distinguished. Gen. Pleasant
on was about to give the order to fire,
when a sergeant at one of the guns said:
General, aren't those our troops? l
see our colors in the lineP This was
true, for where be pointed our colors
could be seen-trophies picked up on the
field. Gen. Pleasonton turned to me
and said:
"'Mr. Thomson, ride out there and
see who those people are
"For myself, l was not at all curious
about those people, being perfectly
willing to wait till they introduced
themselves. Riding out between our
guns, galloped to within thirty or for
ty yards of them; all along the line they
cried out to me: Come on;we're ,friendsP ?
1t was quite dark and 1 could not make
out their uniforms, but could see three
of our flags, and these caused me to hes
itate; l came to halt, peering into the
darkness to make sure, when a bullet
whistled by me,and then came the rebel
YELL The line charged up the hill to-
ward our guns. s.and led it! Lying down
upon my horses neck, l gave him the
spur, and the yells of the Johnnie's be-
hind further stimulated him, so that we
got over the ground pretty lively. But
with the report of the first shot fired at
me, Gen. Pleasonton had opened fire, and
those twenty-five guns belched forth de
struction at a fearful rate. Although
lying down on my horse, kept an eye
on the guns, and guided my horse be-
tween the flashes, and in less time than
it takes to tell it, l was on the safe side
of them. 1t was load and fire at will
for some minutes; the enemy was now
ed down in heaps; they could make no
headwa against such cyclone, and ran
back down the slope to the cover of the
woods. But still the canister was pour
ed into them, and a second attempt to
charge the guns failed. Soon Sickle's
corps moved from its advanced position
and interposed between US and the
woods; parties sent out over the field
which had been swept by our guns
found the dead and dying lying in heaps.
Old artillery officers have informed me
that they never before heard such rapid
firing as occurred at that engagement; !;
the roar was a codtinuous one, and the
execution terrific. After it had ceased
l rode up to Gen. Pleasonton and said:
General, those people are out there
are rebelsp
There was a grave twinkle in his eye
as he held out his hand and replied:
"Thomson, never expected to see
you again; thought if they didn't kill
you l should, but that was no time to
stop for one man.
4 should have agreed with him more
cordially if that one man had been
else. When Presi-
dent Lincoln visited the army day or
two after this fight, Gen. Pleasonton
,hanced to call at Hooker's headquar>
sers, when that officer said:
"'Mr. President, this is General Pleas
,nton, who saved the Army of the Po
;omac the other night
"Che President acknowledged the SER
vice in his usual grateful manner. Only
or the instinct of a natural
could have enabled PleasORton
o accomplish so much in so short time
With so small force. The fight at
Hazel Grove was one of those sharp and |
lecisive actions pregnant with great re~
ults.'