Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-05-05

trains were placed three abreastto hasten
then onward. Qusrtermasters swore NJ
waQon-masters, wagon-mssters swore 81
the drivers. and they in turn swore st
their mules, all OF which tended TO IN
crease the confusion and hinder the pre-
seryation of that order necessary for the
safety OF the trains.
STRUGGLING ON.
There as every indication of panic,
and the enemy needed only to have
thrown shell or two into the train TO
have created a complete stampede. The
wagons we're hghtened by throwing oil
all the surplus stores with which they
were loaded. All along the road might
be seen piles OF ammunihon-b boxes,
cooking utensils, and other articles
heaped on the roadside. Clothing and
provisions we're thrown out, but the
men did not allow them to remain long.
The teams were nearly broken down (;
most Of them had been going almost IN
cessantly since they left Petersburg with
but little if any feed, and whenever a
team showed signs OF giving out the
WHICH, WIS ChABhh-
HALF-sTARvED, But FIGHTING.
The men who were fighting to keep
the enemy back we're in as bad condl-
ton. They were wearied by continuous
marching. and the demoralizing influ-
ences brought to bear upon their minds
tended but the more to exhaust them.
Many of them had been fasting for more
than twenty-four hours. and we're living
on parched corn, and they were now
fighting against overwhelming numbers
OF comparatively fresh men. 1t seems
wonderful that orr little handful OF
soldiers-which was every moment de-
creasing by desertion and straggling-
was not crushed by Grants army, which
partly surrounded it, Yet had 1t not
been for the genius of Sheridan and the
superiority OF his cavalry the chances
are three to one that General Lee would
have gotten his army intact TO North
Carolina. Their dashes into our lines
we're bold and brilliant They would
ride quickly into the midst OF train,
cut down drivers and mules, station
themselves behind the wagons, and
shoot every one in sight. They would
dash into a column on the march, cut
and shoot right and left, and ride back
with almost entire impunity.
1yA TIGHT PLACE.
Cur trains pushed on until about mid
day, when the enemy commenced to
shell them. There was IN open and
elevated point on the road over which
the trains had to pass, and as each wagon
came to this point the Federals would
fire upon it with splendid accuracy from
a battery posted on hill in a south
westerly direction. Very few wagons
passed without being struck. The scene
mt this time would be difficult 70 de-
scribe. The road was lined with piles
Of ordnance and quartermsster and COM
miasary stores, aud the air was filled
with papers and forms thrown out OF the
wagons among the first of the things.
Many loose accounts were settled by this
stampede. for prominent among the pa
pers scattered in every direction were
" Abstracts of Issues and Expenditures,
Form ,, and acquisitions and receipts
for large sums of money. The curslng
and yelling Of quartermasters, the crack
ing OF whips, mutitudinous, lengthy,
and far-fetched oaths bestowed by the
drivers on their luckless animals ; the
cries of wounded men, and the bowling,
kissing. and bursting of shells filled the
air with hideous discord. There had
been already a good deal of plunder
thrown ont on the road, but the amount
here exceeded anything yet seen. Here,
also, several pieces Of artillery were left.
GUSTS LEE CAPTURED.
At this place the trains took to the
right of the main road by what seemed
to be O small county road. Generals
Ewell and r. II. Anderson took the
main road, and had not gone more than
mile before the former, with his entire
command, was surrounded and captured,
and the latter, though he escaped,
brought but few besides his staff out
VITA him. Geneals Gusts Lee, Ker-
shaw, DuBose, Corse, Hunton, and Bar
ton, and Commodore Tucker, with his
naval brigade, were captured at the same
time. The latter, On officer OF much
worth and note, led the sailors from the
ironclads and other gunboats and the
marines from Drewry's Bluff STYLED the
Naval Brigade, and proved as efficient as
landsman fighter as when with the
Patrick Henry, passenger steamship
(the Yorktown converted into gun
boat. he followed the Merrimac against
those monster men-of-wsr in Hampton
Roads. In this affair Colonel Stapleton
Crutchfeld was killed. lie was formerly
chief of artillery to General Stonewall
Jackson, and was wounded by the same
volley which deprived us of our Napo-
leonic chleftain. He was a gallant Off
Ger and one Of the best artillerists in our
army.
Gordon, who commanded the rear,
took the right at the aforementioned
point, keeping close TO the rear of the
trains. As we moved on the enemy
kept constantly in sight, and occasion
ally they were so near that the bullets Of
their sharpshooters would whistle
among the wagons. The number Of
wounded men striving to keep up was
very large, and many OF them were
lying on the roadside.
AT SAILOR CREEK.
At about 5 o'clock we reached Sailors
Greek, where about three hundred wa
CONS and artillery were blocked up, each
one waiting for ITS turn TO cross the
creek. A staff officer was stationed at
the ford endeayoring to get the artillery
and ordnance-wagoDs over first. Cor
don's men were retreating slowly and
steadily, and the roar of musketry and
booming Of artillery got alarmingly near.
The drivers and wagon-masters we're I'M
easy. They would look behind them as
the sound of battle grew nearer, then
look impatiently at the ford
aud shake their heads significantly
as the bowling of shell
or whistling of a bullet could he heard
getting rather close. at this time some
frightened quartermaster sergeant's
Imagination was worked TO such pitch
that he conceived that the order to re-
treat had been given, or else, Ike the
fellow who could not control his legs.
lost control OF his tongue and voice and
shouted ont " Retreat Nothing more