The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1889-03-01

the conIeuerate government orlclally.
Whether or net the edicts Of outlawry
were called for or justified is not a
question here Suffice it to say that
they existed, and it is certain that the
feeling of the troops of Lee s army was
savagely bitter toward these officers.
Gen. "Alleghany' Johnson's division
was ordered to make forced march to
get ahead and block the way of the re-
treating federal army. johnson march
ed all night and before daybreak had
flung his division squarely across Mil
roy's line of retreat. The division was
posted along line Of railroad cuts
about mile from Stephenson's Depot,
OH the Valley railroad. Dement'S 5
Maryland battery was attached to
this division.
Now, the country road to Charles
town crossed the railroad on bridge
flung over deep cut at the point in
dicated, and along this road the bulk
of Milroys troops were retreating. A
section of Dement'S battery 1.-TWO guns),
under the command of an officer
whose name is not recollected, assisted
by Lieut. Charles Contee was ordered
to defend the bridge, and Walkers
(Stonewall) brigade and North Caro-
lima brigade were placed on the right
and left of the bridge in the railroad
cut to support the battery. One of the
guns Of the section was planted on the
bridge on the side next to the enemy,
and the other little to the right of it
in the field and somewhat in advance.
The left section of the battery was
placed to defend pass some six or
eight hundred yards to the right to in
tercept Milroy personally. 1t may be
stated here that the complement of the
guns was eight men each besides the
officers and drivers.
About dawn Milroy's advance ap-
peared in front apparently unconscious
that johnson was in the path. The
first lntimation they had that the con-
federates were in their front was
discharge of canister from the section
at the bridge at point blank range
The front regiments were thus thrown
into momentary confusion, but they
rallied gamely, and deploying into line
they rushed with a "hurrah'' upon the
guns. These were served rapidly and
with deadly effect, while desultory
fire was kept up by the confederate bri
gades in support. 1t may be said right
here that neither the ''Stonewall" nor
the North Carolina brigades supported
the battery as they should have done,
nor with that vim and elan which had
won them credit and honors on many
hard-fought fields before. The infant
ry was completely shielded by the deep
railroad cut, and in this instance they
seemed little loath to leave such a safe
bulwark, and to do what was required
OF them. However, when men have
fought all of an afternoon and march
ed at breakneck pace all night fol-
lowing the aaudia certaminis, or lust of
battle, is apt to be of very cool quail
ty.
Before the rapid and whitening hail
Of canister from the guns the first
charge of the federals proved abortive,
but the contingent of the guns was deci-
mated by the musketry fire and Lieut..
Contee seriously wounded. Two more
desperate charges were made by the
federal regiments, and each time the
guns belched forth their deadly spume
Of canister into the bosoms of the ad-
vancing line, until at the last discharge.
aided by the hitherto sluggard, but fl
naily thoroughly awakened, infantry
of the brigade in support, the enemy
gave away in utter confusion to be
crushed as it were between the upper
and neither milestone, for the other two
divisions of Ewell's corps had been fol-
lowing fast upon the heels of the re-
treating army.
Now, on the final charge, such was
the severity of the federal fire there
were but two men out of the compile
ment of twenty-four able to serve gun
the one on the bridge had all its
complement of men killed or wounded
except one corporal (Willlam May) and
n private whose name is not recollected.
These two men fired the last round at
the discounted enemy. OF course the
ability of this section of battery to
withstand for SO long the assaults of a
gallant infantry column was greatly
owing to the fact that that infantry
had no artillery to hinder =. paralyze
the aim of the gunners, for, US has been
referred to above, Milroy had abandon
ed every piece of artillery and every
wagon attached to his army in order to
make his escape good.
At the end of the fight it was found
that every officer and man, except two
had been put hors de combat in the
brief space Of half hour or so. L
don't recollect either reading or hear
ing OF such complete "cut alto
pieces of battery or regiment, unless
IL to he of that iavnfod pr,ss;,,, b,+tor,-