Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-06-14
, WAR EXPERIENCE.
.nllNe INCIDENTS OF TIE BAT
Tie OF FISHERS HILL.
Mcnl for Gods sake let Us Stop
right Them Right Here The
song that saved an Army.
Written for the Dispatch

g. honor him. Often clothed in
--5 frequently suffering the pangs of
= -, r. was pushed on in the discharge
.. duty by patriotism, a tickle and I'M
o. master. whose very name was
..l by defeat into that Of a crime,
.l.,h fine has been forgiven he has
.., forgotten. If we take into con.
o., ...n The fact that all he has or ever
tr, fruits Of ms privations and
o.. t.-.-ht battles is stored up. not in
-.l.. goods or even IN the gratitude
t..nw-mau, bat IN his memory
surely hc-may be INDUCED in the
,... an old soldier has for boring
'.....rlo bv fighting his battles over
And this Is my excuse for attempt
.r.Ille ms recollection Of some OF
..r,s connected with the battle of
t.-. Eil. | hope this may meet the
some Of my old comrades in arms,
20 ,u sure will recognize the picture.
The POSITION.
-.. coming II September %. 1864, two
..- our defeat al Winchester. found
,-., Ts-lty's little army occupying the
.- Known as Fishers Hill with its
lI.-...!rc on OF near the Massanutta
,-..,.-, while the extreme left Of his
...-. Inc reached no further than the
s,.r e the ridge Of Fishers Hill.
.-..'Iou Of North mountain. The
..... WIS protected only by O small
cavalry.
y h' some inaccuracies in the
tr ,rip,ion, but that was the situation
-.8 20 me-a private soldier oc-
. o.. humble position of mo. g.
r-ter. m Captain MaSsey's battery
ry While private soldiers op-
....,. for knowing the general arrange
..- Imposition of the whole army of
D.. usuccmont Of or during an en-
-..-..t rs very limited, yet it must be
t-.,-. that the veterans of the Con-
i...-. .rmy had all become generals in
-,..-..... 10 the time of which | write.
q. artery 90 which | belonged was
81. % ql-.t on on the top Of a high hill
..... extreme left Of the infantry line.
T. -. having arrived on the ground
.... placed in position the day before
o.. -... Rad fortified 10 the best Of their
v.tt the poor tools they had 10
b., v..l. General Ramseur had been
.... Command OF the division Of the
'.- r3 lnvincIble Rhodes, who had
,U. days before az Winchester.
20, DIVISION occupied the breastworks 70
-..- and left of our battery. That
p. haustur was as brave a man as
.- .y o. sword III defence Of the South
.. ..u deny, but that he was wanting
...,. qualities which could estimate
a. rn.,rS or penetrate the designs of
enemy bad been but too apparent on
.7.-.. previous occasions.
AWAITING THE ATTACK.
..tvug been done that the time and
r..-.4. QUIZ disposal would enable us 10
,,-.lgtleu our position we waited
f- .. coming of the enemy. knowing
-.a. Ea outuumbered Us at leNst four
.. With the defeat of two DAYS be-
- 81. shin our minds, with our ranks
.....t tv the absence of so many of our
s-r. bows whose bodies were left on the
e. Winchester, - II any wonder that
..-F.ta soldiers began 10 look around
IL. .. examine with % critical eye our
..- rather our want of means, of de-
.... The gan left open between us and
-.L mountain was seen at once, and
.... experienced aS they were came 10
.us:0u that the real attack would
... made IN our front but on our left
General Ramseur, who. as | have
.... ned, was IN command on that part
-e. did not seem 10 anticipate any
.. vemeut Of the enemy. He had or
skifmIsher- TO the front and
them in position on q hill about
&C.. -ile in front OF the line Of battle.
.aie temporary fertilization by
-.r some tence-ralis fifteen or TWEEN
..-'- apart. This was all IN PLAIN sight
.. .e of battle. as the country in front
.. was omen. This line of skirmIshers
. imposed Of men selected by General
for that purpose and never re-
-.. On DO any other duty. Drawer men
b.. tier marksmen could not be found
...- amy. and brayelv did they sustain
equation that day.
OPENING COMPLIMENTS.
il. enemy saluted Us with his three
-.. .H,l guns pretty early III the day.
distance too great for us 10 reply TO
.. ..- twelve-pounder NapOleOns, aud
.....l 20 pay ms respects 10 as IN that
&C.. ..-l IL OF o'clock. when he showed
E body OF infantry in our front. A
.... Battle was sent forward at a double
.l-lOdEe our sklTmlsAeTS behind
r. l.e-. whom We, OF course, expect
"a. -.. swept away without any trouble.
GALLANT sxBNsuERs.
f-'t. our surprise and admiration, ana
..s cheers of the whole line Of bat
..f. mile behind them, they manfully
their ground, although "a storm OF
-.- Was rapidly thinning out this little
.. tired and true men. Each little
white smoke that arose from be-
-.. ra!l-p!les told the tale almost
...f tie fate Of one advancing foe
Nearly every shot must have told.
..a 0f battla halted. wavered, and
... ID disorder. Then the wild yell
.....t uu from our lines must have
that little band of Spartans feel
p ] fclt like / could have Rugged
.- ... Of them. But well they
--w 4- did every soldier who saw
.'ua,.1n. that tins could not
o. I.. encmy's artillery had gotten
.ry and was tearing up the piles OF
5 Another heavy line OF battle was
F- against them and the poor fellows
-. p eve way and run half mile 10 get
.. j.. ny lines. To run that distance. IN
- . t.ll under FIRE is fearful thlhE
MANY Of them never lived 10 reach
.r- and 0f those who did not a rev
.-. wounded. One poor fellow fell over
20 work. bv me with the blood
.-.- fr.ma Iullet-wCund IN his head.
above was little battle IN itself.
the unwritteu history. These
.-- tE. historian VIII never record
...t tley constitute the real history of
H.. the interesting preliminary en-
cement which | have attempted 10 de-
--.. was going on in our front an I'M
-..t movement was IN progress on our
- u...h was 20 end disastrOusly 70 our
.-uy Oh that eventful day. Whlie
.. r.yamegt seemed to be a complete
.-.,.... go those in command on that part
.a, u had been generally SPOKEN oI
..- ,.t-ran private soldiers az the me
.F-ment Of such obvious advantage
. '.. enemy that he certainly would not
e. .' g. And so IL proved.
TIE FLANK MOVEMENT.
a. General Ramseur passed along the
... some member of our battery called
attention 10 what seemed 10 be col
. .f men moving along on the side OF
',. mountain. 20 which the General re-
a-eiessly that be supposed u was
..I but fence row. but at the same
.. Doe threw his feid-glass up 70 ms eyes
aed for a few moments ana tA-
AIMED NY God Two lines OF ine
'r. infantry 10 But even then no dls-
-.t.u that / could see was made 10 meet
fa.k movement. Perhaps there were
troops % spare for that purpose. Inc
afy body OF infantry in our front con-
.asI 90 move up so slowly as 70 make II
F..1t 90 my mind that they We're only
ought 10 hold our attention until the
f- moving 10 our left were IN posi-
.. to strike US Immediately on our leit
..k. which il did not take them long 70
Several heavy vOlleys of musketrY
It heard 20 the left and rear ana lew