The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1891-12-31

bnOl. ClamDeTeu up the pdrapeL anu TOOK TIL
umphant possession unOpposed.
But 10 begin at the beginning. Leaving my
comfortable quarters at the hotel in Petersburg
at o'clock of the morning following Thanks
giving, / entered buggy and started out over
the old Boydton Plank Road having in view a
visit 10 the battlefield of that name. My
driver was post beliun sprout, who knew a
little something OF the road but nothing Of its
| historical significance. How often a large
fraction Of Lees army had marched over that
road he had no idea whatever / knew, how
ever. of at least three occasions when they
tramped or skirted It's plankless mire. and made
lively music for the Yanks, whom they finally
encountered, 10 dance to.
Having once got outside Of the city the drive
| is very pleasant one. We ride nearly two
miles to the southwest before reaching the main
rebel line Of Qualifications This line extended
originally from the Appomattox River on the
east Of the town southerly, westerly. and north
erly, till il again reached the river the west,
thus Offering a defense for the city on three
| sides. The sllients and outwOrks in this line
| pierced for batteries were all numbered from
No. on the east TO No. 80 or Whereabouts on
the est
At my first point Of contact with the line in
this expedition stands Battery 40. IL IL where
the plank road crosses the Weldon Railroad.
The old intrenchment, which IS still conspicu-
Jus ~ bhC iduu1tape, runs hiOnR bOubH VI Tue
BOydtOn road for nearly n mile, when it crosses
to the north. At this point the works are still
very strong, Fort Lee on the left remarkably
so. 10 is from here that Lee ran his new line
OF works southwesterly 10 Hateher's Run.
parallel with the Boydton road, to cut of the
frequently recurring attempts OF the Union
army to reach the Southside road. 1t has, as a
whole, scarcely been disturbed since the war.
Half mile westward from Fort Lee as we
ride aud Toarhana half Iczau, IA IN fhaU orfh
Of the road, stands Battery Gregg. already al
luded to; not fort, as it is often termed,
simply n redan like that which veterans of
Birney's Division will remember covered the
approach 10 Chesterfield bridge over the North
Anna River in the Wilderness campaign. A
growth OF shrubbery within and about it par
italy Obscures its outlines. The parapet in
front is still we'll preserved, and from the ex-
terror seems quito formidable. The actual
historical significance of this spot is already
being EMBODIED in legendary lore which must
be amusing To the spirits of the dead which re-
visit the glimpses Of the moon here.
IL Is a matter Of quite authentic record,
believe. that Gibbons as5aultiug columns num-
bered about 5000 men. while the fort" was
defended by a somewhat mixed force Of in
fintry mainly North Carolinians. numbering
$50 in all, who made fOolhardy and reckless
contest TO hold the place. They did hold il for
time, until go Of their number were struck
down, when the remainder were made prisoners.
They inflicted loss upon Gibbons followers Of
nearly 600 men killed and wounded-a num-
Der under all circumstances comparatively
small, but still creditable as q brave defense by
the JOhnnies.
But this disparity, large as it may seem, dose
not satisfy the ilOrid Imagination of the average
Southerner. 1t does not sufficiently mark the
supposed superiority Of the Southern soldier
over his Northern brother; hence, was not
wholly unprepared for o statement made 10 me
later by Mr. Newman. who lives just west OF
Battery Gregg. Mr.. Newman claims to have
been in just one battle, and in that under
duress ! asked him if he had any relics of the
Gregg fght He had none, stating that when
Lees monument was dedicated in Petersburg
few months ago, more than 1000 people came
out and dug over old Fort Gregg for some me-
mento Of the fight, and carried away besides
everything which he had picked up.
i ventured to remark that it seemed an act
Of folly for the garrison to have sold their own
lives so dearly for a merely temporary adj
vantage which also involved a killing and
manning of nearly 600 more. Then Mr. New
man stood amazed. "Six hundred! Why they
killed $1,000 of your men. They fought till
only two COnfederstes were left alive in the
fort" And he looked at me with an expression
of pity that should have been so misinformed.
i mildly suggested that as this was about three
times as many men as GibbOu had with him 10
seemed hardly possible that his statement
could be correct.
This evidently did not convince him. but ap-
parently gave him the feeling that he had en-
countered one Of those hard-headed or preju-
diced Yankees whom it was useless to argue
with, and so he turned the subject, and / soon
after resumed my journey toward Hateher's
Run.
Right here on this question Of authen tic
history am reminded to say that the South,
or at least this part Of it, is engaged in the
practical teaching of the history Of the last
war. At the Crater, which visited the day
before, i was Informed by Mr.. Grifiiths, the
proprietor. that only few days before teacher
of Petersburg had been down there with his
entire class, accompanied by Gen. VIM. Ma
hone. who had been invited to explain the
battle to the boys and girls.
Very likely the same class, under the lead
of its eminently- practical teacher, will visit
| Battery Gregg, if it has not already done so.
| Should it depend upon such reservoir of mis-
| information as that which inspires the forid
rodomontade of my friend Newman, we may
expect az least one more "cTop" OF Southern
| brothers 10 be raised with the notion that one
/ of them eau thrash five Yankees.
i apprehend nothing serious from this con-
| tingency, but regret that the two sections can
not unite upon q school history Of the war ac-
eeptable TO bOth-and correct. To Hatcher's
Run later.-B, Boston.
THE FIERCE SHEEP.