Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-02-26
GOT THE BODY HOME.
AsAD MISSION THAT WAS ATTENDED
WITH MANY DIFFICULTIES.
mt Captain Spence Overcsme Them All
and Brought His Brothers Re-
mains TO Richmond.


IN Sunday morning. April 81, 1861. the
Richmond Grays. of which company was
a member. left Richmond for Norfolk, va,
This was the day known to so many OF our
citizens, ms "Pawnee Sunday" Soon
thereafter tho Grays were assigned to the
Twelfth Virginia Infantry. Colonel ID. A.
Weisieer commanding. and formed part
of the famous Mahone's Brigade" IL Is
NOT nv intention in this sketch to attempt
On follow this gallant command through
four wears OF war. during which time they
carved their name high IN the niche OF
| glory that surrounds That grand Army OF
| Northern Virginia. but only to give IN ac-
| count Of one twenty-four hours eApeIienco
/ during that period. - ri.
On the 9Th day of February. 1870: AFTER
being in line of battle all night, Mahone's
| Division were ordered 10 Hatchers Run,
Which was near the extreme right ot Cen
I eral Lees line, 10 take part In the nght
/ then going on between part OF the req
/ eral army and the divisions OF denerals
/ Gordon and Pegram. We reacheu tue
/ field about o'clock and were ut once nur:
ried into the fight to support Gordon and
/ Pegram.
| sAw HIS BROTHER SHOT.
While charging the enemy my brother
| George. also member OF the lWelith Wy
pinia Infantry. was shot IN tue head.
/ Seelne him fall | ran TO him and tlnding
/ him mortally wounded | went TO Colonel
| Groner. who was commanding the brigade
I and asked permission to take the BODY on
( the field. This being refused i returned
/ to the spot. and finding George, still
[ breathing called Tor help. and with the as
sstance of two members OF the Grays TOOK
| him up and started 20 the rear. George
soon breathed his last. and determined
/ TO carry his body home TO his wlte ana
/ children. Night coming on we got lost IN
/ the woods, and IN wandering around came
/ near the enemy's line. We captured
! two Federal soldiers. and made them as
/ sist in carrying the body. Alter some time
( spent in the woods we finally found road
/ and came across an ambu ance That was
/ going to General Johnston's headquarters.
/ and the driver took the corpse to that
point The comrades that hau thus far
/ assisted me returned to their commands
| with the two prisoners, and l was now
/ alone with my brothers body | soon
/ found a wagon that was going TO General
! Pegrams headquarters, aud the driver
/ agreed 10 carry the corpse TO that point.
| On getting there found a hut with ten
or fifteen soldiers IN II. and put the BODY
1 in the house and went on 4 scout for some
other CONVEYANCE / soon found a wagon
that was going to BURGESS Mills. which
was on the main road to Petersburg, and
| thus carried the body to that point.
WOUNDED OFFICERS KINDNESS.
While waiting on the roadside for an
oDpOrtunItv 10 get still nearer 10 Peters
| burg wounded officer came along on his
way to Petersburg with his arm IN a sling.
| asked him TO 90 half mile out of his
path TO tell nv other brother who was q
member of the Otey Battery, then campe1
about three and half miles from Peters
burg that George was killed, and in the
darkness and wounded as be was he left
tho road to do me this favor. |
mention this to show the present
generation the feeling that ono Con-
federate soldier had for another in
those dark DAYS. Soon another wagon
that was going towards Petersburg
came along, and the BODY was again put on
the move. This vehicle had TO leave the
road about three aud half miles from
Petersburg, so the corpse was placed on
the ground and / was left there alone with
il about 2 or o'clock III the morning.
Now imagine. If YOU can, how dismal was
the situation. The ground was covered
with snow and a sleetlng rain was falling,
/ while INV clothing were one cake OF Ice.
There was no fire and no one near me,
as hour after hour | walked mp and down
the road to keep from freezing.
GLAD TO SEE DAYLIGHT.
But the time passed and daylight came
and with IL soldier who watched the
body while | went over to the camp Of the
Otey Battery and sent my brother, VIII
liam, % Petersburg 20 telegraph the sad
news home. Hour after hour rolled by
and no opportunity to get that body to
Petersburg presented itself. Up TO this
point had received the kIndest treatment
and assistance from all the soldiers | had
come in contact with. About II o'clock a
lone ambulance came along from Peters
burg on Its way TO the front.
A FIEND IN A CONFEDERATE UNIFoRM.
The driver. after an enormous amount Of
earnest pleading and the additional lncen-
tive of 800. consented 10 carry tho corpse
to Petersburg. As we were going along the
rOad-I walking to keep myself from
freezng-we saw General K. +. Lee and
some of his staff coming towards rs on
their way to the front. As l did
not have any papers giving me
permission to be absent from my COM
mand and not desiring at that time to be
interviewed even by such grand and
noble character as "Marse Robert" I
! quietly got in the ambulance and laid
down alongside my dead brother until the
distinguished gentlemen were out of sight.
About l o'clock We reached Petersburg.
and the body was carried to the home of
Mr.. Eckles, kind citizen, who, think.
fed more hungry Confederate soldiers than
any one person 1 knew of during the war;
HIS two sons. members OF the Twelfth
Virginia, earned o record for galantry sur
passed by few.
GOT A PASS TO RICHMOND.
| Here at last the prospects seemed bright
| for getting the corpse home that after
noon. Ny uncle and brother came over
from Richmond Cor the body, and the for
mer said | ought TO 90 to Richmond
with the remains. To many of the old
veterans this will cause smile. Go to
/ Richmond, of course No pass; no fur
/ Tough. Really absent from my command
without leave. How to get passport or
how to escape arrest by the innumerable
one had TO pass before he could
get from Sycamore street. Peters
burg. to Main street. Richmond? Well,
| determined to try it. Next morning
before daybreak | was out at Lieutenant
General A. z. HIPS headquarters. and
after waking up his assistant adIutant-
general, Major w. n. Starke. l got the
Major 10 give me a letter of introduction
to Colonel W. II. Taylor, General K. f.
I uNolNNuHb uhJutdul-EtutAbl- M ultu
with this letter, by sunrise | was at Gene
raj Lees headquarters. and finding Colonel
Taylor, he finally. after some pleading on
my part, gave me pass togo to Richmond
| to return on the early tram next morning
| (tbis train left Richmond about A. NJ. J.
Returning TO Petersburg we took the body
and carried it to Dunlop. where we caught
the train for home. On reaching Rich
mond, not desiring 10 return TO
camp next morning, went out
on north Tenth street. where the Hon. Ro-
bert Ould lived. He was at that time the
Confederate commissioner for the exchange
of prisoners. | gave HIM my pass and asked
him to get it extended for forty-eight
hours. The next morning the Judge gave
me the pass with the Endorsement on the
back: The within is extended for forty
eight hours" lSignedl
j. G.. BREcKYR1DGE.
Secretary Of War.
RETURNED COLONEL rAYLoR's KINDNESS.
Those who were priyates in the Confed-
crate army will better understand the diff
culties that had to encounter and over
| come to accomplish so successfully the