The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-08-28

/ lkS proper pOslJiOU, Sn6 FOFGY-IlEbb NlIElhid,
supposing it 20 be a part of the enemy. had
fired into the Twelfth Virginia. killing and
wounding quite number OF its members.
81 can recall the name OF but one only
who was killed by this unfortunate mistake,
and that was John Mingea, who was a mem
Der OF my company. A more gallant and
| faithful soldier, or a more perfect gentle
mau, was not known in the ranks ar the
Twelfth Virginia regiment. He was a resi-
| dent Of this city Nashville, Tenn at the
commencement of the war, and in company
with the writer left this city April 30, 1861,
| for the purpose Of enlsting In company
in his native state. Together we returned
to Petersburg in 1861, and together we
went to Norfolk and enlisted May 10, 1861.
He was my personal friend, and in camp
one OF my constant companions. IL is not
strange, therefore, that his DEATH and the
! circumstances attending it, should be so
readily recalled while writing my recol-
| lections of the batJle of the Wilderness. NV
recollection is there was very little fighting,
if any, after o'clock p. m. OF the 9th on
that part Of the line In which Mahones
brigade had been engaged before IL o'clock
l was at the intrmarY, not over three
quarters of mile distant from where l was
wounded, and where the brigade had its
hottest fire, lying in tent bathing my
! foot, which had become very much swollen,
and / remember distinctly there was very
little firing during the afternoon after
o'clock on the right of the plank road.
| "Early the next morning, the 9TH, was
| Informed by DIR. Claiborne that he had or
ders TO move, and that some time during
the day we would leave, as the army was
moving. Being unable to walk, and being
unwilling to be left behind, | sent word to
| Hugh, my brother, the adjutant of the
! Twelfth Virginia, to send me his horse, that
| wanted to keep up with the army. He
| complied with my request, and
went along with the brig
eide to Spottsylvania Court House,
where rejoined my company, though my
wound was still very painful, and took
part in that engagement.
There was one feature of the battle of
the Wilderness that impressed me very
much, and that was the meager use Of ar
| tillery. The nature OF the country there
abouts and the thick underground through
| out that section may account for this, no
doubt, although the loss Of men, especially
on the federal side, was very great. Quite
a number of federals were brought to our
| infirmary, among them Gen. Wad5worth,
who was mortally wounded"
Comrade Joseph Z. Rockwell, sergeant
Company A, of the Twelfth Virginia ragi-
ment, having had the foregoing correspond
ence submitted 20 him, sent me reply in
| which he says:
"Our movements forward were made
with all possible haste, but owing to entan-
| gled underground in some places, and tine
marshy nature of others, our line of battle
was not we'll preserved, as in our impetuos-
| ity to get forward many of our extreme
right became separated from our main
| forces in the charge.
| THE enemy were in retreat, and we bad
| the pleasure OF seeing their backs for oon-
siderable distance, except at intervals,
when the smoke from the burning woods
would conceal them from view, as the woods
I HI l.. 4
| enemy and many OF their dead and wounded
comrades lying about the fired wood; but
we had no time to help them then.
"Pressing on for few yards further, for
some reason we came to halt, that is, our
part Of the command which / am under
the impression was In advance Of our colors.
Here the retreating enemy came upon their
reserves, and we had it quite hot until
many of our comrades were shot down.
was fortunate enough to catch a friendly
ball myself, and as no surgeon would take
the responsibility of cutting for it, / have
carried it from that time TO the present
with special affection, and as a cherished
memento of that sangutnary battle My
thoughts then very naturally reverted to
our brigade surgeon, DR.. James w. Clai-
borne, whom / found at his infrmary,
about mile to the rear, and principally
occupied in attending the enemy of which
he had large number, many Of them des
perately wounded, and among them was
Gen. Wadsworth Of New York, who was
brought to our infrmary with minnie
wound in the forehead, and was placed
alone in an officers tent which had been put
| in position for his especial benefit. He died
however, in few minutes after being
placed on his back in his tent"
In order that there may be q better under
standing Of the plan of that part OF the
1 hnf In frb hi 40
ment took part as narrrted in the foregoing
letters and statements l have deemed il
| best TO conclude this address by making
some extracts from the official records to be
found in volume 36, part l, series ! of 'The
| War Of the Rebellion }" and from Swintons
Campaigns OF the Army of the Potomac"
Gen. LonRstreet III his report, Rebellion
Record, volume SO, part l. page 1854, says;
About 10 o'clock Maj. Gen.
NJ L. Smith and the others
sent out TO examine the enemy's position,
| reported that the left Of the enemy's line
extended but short distance beyond the
plank road. Special directions were given
| to Lieut.sCo Sorrel TO conduct the brig
AIDES of Gems Malone, G. T. Anderson, and
Wofford beyond the enemy's left, and TO at
| tack him on his left aud REAR have since
heard that the brigade Of Gen. Davis
formed p art Of this thanking force-the flank
| movement to be followed by a general ad
/ NdUC6s AuOeIsOnb ahp W
| and Wofford's on the left, Malone being in
the center. They moved by the flank until
the unfinished railroad from Gordonsville
to Fredericksburg was reached. Forming
on this railroad facing to the north, they
advanced 10 the direction Of the plank road
till they encountered the enemy ia flank aud
rear, who was then engaging the brigades
of Gregg, Benning and Law in front. The
| movement was a complete surprise and a
perfect success. 1t was executed with rare
zeal aud intelligence. The enemy made
but a short stand, and fell back in utter
rout, with heavy loss, to a position about
three-quarters Of a mile from my front at
| tack.
81 Immediately made arrangements to
follow up the success gained, and ordered
! an advance Of ali my troops for that pur-
pose. While riding at the head of my
column, moving by the flank down the
plank road, became opposite the brigades
which had made the flank movement, and
which were drawn up parallel 70 the plank
road, and about sixty yards therefrom,
| when portion of them fired volley,
which resulted in the death OF Gen. Jen-
kins, and the wouudinR OF myself. i'm
mediately notified the commanding general
of my being obliged to quit the field, aud
the command devolved on Mai. Gen. Field.
ITO the members Of my staff am under