Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1888-01-21
rhe battle Of Seven Pines.
ICorrespondence OF the AlexandrIa Gazettel

The Battle Of Seven Pines.
Correspondence OF the Alexandria Gazette
Having Just returned from visit to the
old battle field of ''Seven Pines" I feel it
would not be q waste Of words, particularly
to the survivors Of the old Seventeenth Vir-
ginia regiment, TO recall few incidents of
1 that bloody battle-one of The most hotly
contested OF the war, for the numbers en-.
gagged. Well, the Seventeenth, with Gen.
joseph E. Johnston command, reached the
vicinity Of Richmond, from the Peninsula
campaign, on May 17th, 1862, and went into
camp. With full complement oftents and
other convenieuces We were enabled to
make ourselves fairly comfortable, except
| during the frightful thunder and rain storm
! tbat ogai whelmed and submerged our camp
lug grounds or the afternoon and night Of
the 80 h OF May and which continued from
) o'clock untii IL at night. An hour latter,
at midnight, courier with orders dashed
! into our camp; few moments later the
long rolip WAS sounded, rations were Issued
and tGe men notified to be ready TO move
N the morning. Wegot off at half.past ive
and marched down the Williamsburg road
and halted about FIVE miles from the city,
on the left Of the road, when orders were
read from Gen. Johnston, from which we
| Inferred that we had business ahead. Then
our cid commander, Col. M. D. Corse, went
from ore company to another and delivered
Il charge to each in feeling words which can
never he forgotten. At ~ o'clock we moved
GOWN the road about q mile and filed TO the
right, where we were held in reserve. In q
snort time the enemy on our left was
opered upon by artillery; soon the
skirmishing began, and later the rat
tie Of musketry and the roar of can
non rapidly extended to right and left
At4 O'clock, p. m, courier dashed up
with orders, 'Kemper's brigade to the efronl"
Fail in old Seventeenth" responded Col.
Corse ealtention companyw shouted the
capla 8 and in a moment every man was at
MS post the command, forward quick
time u was given and of We marched at a
rapid pace about mile down The Williams
burg road under heavy fire of artillery
from the redoubt that commanded the road. :.
I was fearful sight TO see the wounded
coming out and the dead scattered in every
direction, but we had no time for sentiment,
and on We pushed at a double quick, un-
mindful of the storm of shot, shell and
canister; fled to the right, directly in front
of the Barker House and rushed forward
right into the enemy's camp. AT this crili
cal moment their reserves coming up poured
u into our ranks deadly fire, but we instant
ly got to work. 1t was just as we formed
our line Of battle and pushed onward that
our Intrepid color bearer, Sergeant William
T. Morrill, with the battle-hag of our regi-
ment well to tie front, fell mortally wound
ed, and while still holding that old emblem
in his weakening grasp shouted Forward
meDln Capt. Raymond Fairfax caught the
staff before the flag sank to the ground and
handed it 10 Corporal Dggs, one OF the color
guard, who, also, was shot down, when it
ieli into the hands of Wash. Harper, Of
| Company E., who carried it safely through
(but only to fall in a later battle)
Our loss in that charge and that storm of
death Was IS killed and wounded; brave,
noble, gallant comrades, who knew only
duty and fell in lis pathway. We held the
ene,ny's hreastworks, Notifications and
camp, aud repulsed them in every attempt
they made TO recover them. They still &C.
cuaied the woods 800 yards in rear OF their
captured camps, and it being important to
disiodge them portion of our brigade was
ordered to flank the position, which they
soon accomplished, and we oil advancing
simultaneously cleared them out Our reg
iment occupied line Immediately in the
rear of their deserted camp, and as it was
very marshy place the position was anything
hut pleasant, the mud and mire being knee
deep in some places At p. m. we were
relieved and moved back, when the men
supplied themselves from the captured com.
missary stores which Cassy's division left in
their flight. The dead and dying were
strewn around in every direction. Friend
aud foe, the dead, the wounded. the dying,
together lay, undistinguishable in the dark
ness of the night. All enmity seemed for
gotten when the foe had fallen, and the men
| who a few hours before met each other in
bloody combat were now ministering to the
wants of their wounded enemies.
The desperate daring and heroism of the
officers and men of the old Seventeenth was
almost incredible it is miraculous that any
man should have escaped death in such
perfect tornado of shot aud shell. In the
midst Of that terrific death dealing hail
cu1ld be seen the familiar forms of Colonel
Cofse and Lieutenant Colonel Morton Ma
rye, and there also was Maj. Arthur Her,
bert who, after giving q helping band, was
hastily summoned to take command of an
Alabama regiment, and was wounded while
ca his way to take charge Where the bat.
tie ragged in its fury could also be seen Ad.
infant Bryant, Captains Steuart, Fairfax,
Burke (wounded), Fowle Iwounded), Simp-
sen, Knox (wounded), Smith, Lynch, Ty-
lar aud Kirby; Lieutenants Perry, Lehew.
Buck, Turner, Athey, Littleton, Barnes,
Tubmsn, Simpson, Mcknight, Herrell, Paul,
Gray (killed), Kell, Fitzhugh (mortally
woanded), Wallace, Power, Adie (wound-
edl, Brodie (wounded), Slaughter and Har-
son. In fact. every officer, non.commis-
aipned officer and private in the regiment