Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1891-06-07
WAR SKETCHES.
SOME "REMINISCENCES OF THE BLOODY BATTLE
OF NEW MARKET.
George ". Xcclelland Tells Of the Part CarlnS Bat
terry Played in That Eugagement-lOw General
Seigel Behaved on That Occasion.
Many Killed and Wounded.
Battle of New Market.

IL '
sisting of five batteries, with Capt. Snow
as chief of artillery, the entire force being
under command of Gen Sigel, moved up
the Shenandoah Valley from MartlnsOurg
to New Market.
The infantry division was divided into
/ two brigades The first, under command
of Col. ThOburD, consisted OF First ana
Twelfth West Virginia and Fifty fourth
| PENNSYLVANIA; Twenty-eighth, One und-
red-aud- Sixteenth and Hundred and
Twenty-third Ohio, and Thirty-fourth
| Massachusetts,. under command oil the
colonel of the Massachusetts regiment.
Of the cavalry brigade, can only remem-
Der the number Of one regiment for certain
the Twenty-second Pennsylyania-but
| think il consisted of the Fourteenth, Sew
enteenth and Twenty-second Pennsylvania
and the First New York veterans. The
artillery brigade consisted of batteries
"Du and &C" First West Virginia; "B, ="
First MARYLAND: L. Fifth United
States. and the Thirty-lifth New York.
The infantry nearly four hundred 10 the
regime mt or in the eight regiments 3,OOO.
The cavalry about three-fourths 1ull, or
:, 800 The artillery about one hundred ana
twenty-five men per battery, or ABOUT 90,
or about 1000 in round numbers, with 81
pieces of artillery, a ten pound rife guns,
|
twelve FOUNDER brass pieces. The SIN last
were smooth bOres and manned by the
Thirty-ffth New York.
We had the usual review at Martins
! burg. when Sigel assumed command. Only
one thing worthy of mention occurred on
the review. Clarence Irwin, of the First
| w. Va. Infantry was one of the company
tmarkers. When the regiment began to
dress he inverted his musket IN lieu OF "a
guidon. when the line had dressed the
officer in command failed to com
mand Guides post The other
markers took their places in line
without the command, but Clarence stood
there with his musket as stiff and
straight as an old militia soldier" lie
stood there until the review was over l
saw him standing with his musket in
verted when our battery marched down on
the line first occupied by the infantry an
hour after his regiment had marched away.
don't know how they got him OFF. The
next time saw him to know him he had
on a pair of lieutenant straps on his
shoulders instead of sergeant strips on his
coat sleeves.
We moved up the valley by easy marches.
Camped first night at Bunker Hill: the
second at Winchester. twenty-five miles
from Martnsburg. We staid here three
or four days then on TO Cedar Creek,
fifteen miles from Winchester. Then to
Fishers Hill, Edinburg, Woodstock,
where we halted for several days. The
morning of the 18th of May we marched to
Mt. jackson going into camp down the
river below the village.
| do not intend to defend any one in these
recollections, nor DO desire 10 censure any
one too badly. presume our officers did
the best thing they could under the trying
circumstances. | have always thought that
Justice was never done Gen. Sigel in the
battle of New Market. From the DISPOSE
ton of his forces he did not intend 10 fight
at New Market. He wanted to fight at
Mount Jackson, and as he commanded the
advancing army he could pick his position.
Owing to the bluuders of some of his sub
ordinates he had TO fight losing battle at
New Market to save his army from disaster.
At Ceder creek he sent outhis cavalry,un-
der whose command I know rot. General
Stahl for some reason remained with the
infantry. The cavalry was ordered to 70
up the Luray valley above Front Royal
and cross over the mountains by the New
Market gap and form a junction with our
forces al New Market This was diaster
No. l, as they attempted TO 90 so, but our
troops did not quite reach New Market
They came down in the rear OF the enemy's
lire and were were cut to pieces endeavOr-
ing TO get through.
The second brigade, under the imme-
date command of Gen. Sullivan, was or
dered to make Reconnaissance in force"
against their position. The remainder of
the force was posted at Mt. Jackson Our
battery and, | believe, Shows cBn lst
Md went in battery in grave yard TO
the right of town. overlooking the Shenan-
doah river. Batteries &C." First West
Virginia aud the Thirty-if;h n. Y. were
with the second brigade. Battery Il"
5th L. :. was in reserve.
Gen Sullivan forged ahead with his little
brigade right into the outskirts of New
Market posting his artillery under cover of.
the first houses in the town and went TO
work 'hammer and longs as if he had
force enough TO whip all creation. In less
than two hours, he sent carrier back to
Sigel to reinforce him or he would lose his
brigade This was disaster number two
We were ordered out of the graveyard
Immediately, down to and across the river
on the other side of which we found Tho
burns brigade. They drew off to one side
of the pike while our battery and Shows
went by and up to the front as hard as we
could 20.
The battle IN progress was in full view.
The bands and drum corps for some reason
were going TO the rear. OF to the left on
the mountain side could be seen the smoke
which betokened the discharge of artillery
and the bursting of the answering shells
In our front, the smoke of battle hung low
over both lines of battle. The volleys of
musketry could be plainly heard as well rs
the ominous roar of the artillery.
For nearly three miles beyond the Shen-
oudoah river toward New Markst is level
e
nearly three miles, then we assembled hill
known as Roads Hill. The evidence of
conflict depened as we advanced. BY the
way, | don't want to leave the impressionthat
ThOburn's brigade only drew to one side to
let us pass. After we had cotton past them
Thoburn double quicked his brigade so
that they were into it about as quick as we
were. The only time that ever knew
Thoburn's brigade tolbe slow was in march
ing to the rear in face of an impending
battle.
| was No. Is on the guns Nos and 6, and
the gunner rode on the gun timber |
thought we were going TO Staunton. and
imagined that we would soon brush these
forces away and go On up the Valley re-
joicing. Just before we left the pike to 20
in battery we passed mile post which
read, 40 miles TO Winchester" | pointed
to it and said TO Corporal Smith, There is
the halfway post, ii being % miles from
Winchester to Staunton. We were also
one mile from New Market, the forty
seventh post being just in the edge of town.
We moved up to the extreme right of the
line and went into battery. Snow formed
on our left, making twelve pieces of artil-
lery on our extreme right. Our brigade
was on the same line, farther to the left,
marching TO their position IA ''close column
of division"
The first words spoken TO me by our gun
ner as our pieces and caissons came to
left about preparatory to Numbering the
guns for action was, Get bucket and fill
the sponge bucket with water" The old
Winchester command | gathered up
rubber bucket and soon filed the iron
sponge bucket under the axle of the gun
full TO overiiOwing. BY this time the mus
ket balls were tipping around at lively
rate.