Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1890-04-01
PUBLISHED DAILY AND TRI-wEEKLY AT THE
Gazette Building, 80 and BIZ Prince st.
Charge of Kemper's Brigade at Frazier's
Farm

7 u
The following description OF oue of the
most brilliant fea;s oi tno war It from lit
tie book entitled -Four Years Soldier"
by Hon. David E Johnston Judge Of a Ju-
ociaI Circuit of West Vlrginia), member OF
CompauJ D. Seventh Virginia Infantry, and
afterwards segean' -mejor of the regiment.
When our brigade had cleared the woods,
i5 entered ia most confused state. an open
fiel0 at the farther side If which. some four
nundred yards IN front Of Us, was 8 Federal
battery with heavy infantry supports. The
shots from this battery had been ploughing
through the woods from which we advanced
10 The attack.
80 rapid had been our advance that our
men were not only badly scattered and dis
organized, but We had far outstripped in
distance the support on our wings AID were
rushing wildly upon the enemy, who
quietly aud cody awaited our coming; in
fact, ha0 go far anticipated Us rs TO place
,neir infantry supports in commanding pc
silion Immediately behind the battery, and
had thrown out on the right and Lett ii front
another body of iu!antry, thu5 laying g trap
into which they felt saiisfied we would
fill and in which expectation they were net
disappointed.
Il The reader has never been n fierce
battle he does not know how mans oour
age is most severely put TO the test, and it
may be well just here to give eome idea, if
possible, az to testing ope's courage under
such circumstances. Here our regiment is
in line on the edge of wood. Les than a
quarter of q mile away is another wood.
Between the two is an open field bare Of the
ment IS advancing and the line moves out
into tue clear sunlight. Men viii! hurriediy
reason 10 themselves, THE enemy is posted
in that lumber across the field and before
we move many yards he will open on US
,gith shot and shell this perhaps Is my last
day." So each man reasons; yet every face
is sternly set to the front and not man
fa!tera. Shell and shot come; dozens are
blown to CORY fragments; but ttne line moves
on as before, and the living Say "Tbe fire
will presently change from shot and shell 10
grape and canister. and then We shall Ger
tainy bs hit." The prediction s well nigh
verified. Gap after gap yawns through the
line, only to be speedily closed again. Now
the regiment has lost its adhesion and
marching step; its lines are broken.
but the movement is still onward and
the rest of US reason, "The infantry
are supporting that battery we have es-
capped shell and canister, but when the dead
y fire of the musketry comes we shall sure
ly be slaughtered" Still there is no hang.
log back nor turning to right or left-no
other thought but to push ahead. The lead
en- hail is upon US; the lines are further dis.
ordered and the left wing has lost its front
By severa! feet but the others DO not stop.
AS we go on, men grip their muskets tight
er; their eyes fash, their teeth shut hard,
only to open with cry of rage as they rush
upon the guns and hayonets, the cannoniers
at their posts, and then goes up that long,
continuous yel! of triumph to see the infant
ry supports running to the rear. Such is
faint picture of testing a mans courage In
battle.
As our brigade pushed forward towards the
enemy's battery, and led by Gen. Kemper, it
met shower of shot, shell and canister and
q storm of leaden bullets. The men never
once faltered, but rushed like torrent upon
the battery, routing the infantry, aud Sergt.
T. P. Mays, the ensign, planted the colors OF
our regiment on the enemy's guns. They
were ours, fairly won after severe and
bloody struggle. AS before stated, we had
far preceded our support on the wings; had
penetrated deep into the enemy's lines,
had fallen into the trap set for us,
and nov casting about, could see the
enemy's fanking column closing in
behind US. The men 10 the ranks
could see all this as plainly as their off.
oers and Confederate soldier, even at this
early date, wes his own general when he
got into battle so far as nov recollected,
no order was received from an officer 10 re
tire; but the men. seeing the critical situa-
tion in which they were placed, determined
to fight their way out as they had fought
their way in. At this juncture Sergeant
Allen NJ. Bane, OF the color guard, mounted
the wheel of captured gun and shouted at
the top of his voice, Retreat" Our sup.
ports were not near enough to strike blow
for our relief, and nothing was left but to
make our way out as best we could. The
loss in this retyograde movement was heavy
equally as great as in the advance. Most
OF the men succeeded in passing the gap be.
fore it was closed by the enemy, and in
few moments came our supports, who struck
theit fanking columns and sent them flying
and scattered tc the rear. One brigade ral.
lied short distance in the rear, but took
no further part ia the battle, which ragged
with great fury and varying fortune till late
in the night. Among the terribly wound
ed in this memorable charge was Rev. John
Cranberry, chaplain of the gallant Eleventh
regiment, now bishop of the Methodist
Episcopal Church, South.