Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1894-07-13

loeC. we gallOpoO Dack ana eAaWiucu Tilt
line of battle Jones had selected for his left il
the edge of the woods on the North side Of
, the road, just a few rods below the village
of Piedmont.
Here all the infantry were in line, includ
ing the Augusta reserves, and constituted the
left wing of Jones' little army. The mer
were in high spirits and cheered us as we rode
along their front, where for part OF the dis
lance they had torn down fences to form
breast works of the rails. Jones was gleeful
! and often repeated as we passed from one
command to another: calm low boys-aim
low and hit 'em below the belt-and be sure
you see them before you shoot. Aim low and
make every shot tell.'' Thus cheering his
t men, we regained the road. By this time the
| enemy had opened heavy artillery fire or
, Berkeley, and had driven in my skirmish line
SO far, that they had brought our guns under
the range of their musketry. had received
a message from that palt Of the field saying
, that all Berkeley's horses would soon be
killed and the section would be unable to
withdraw. l turned to Jones and said: "Gen-
eraI, you have heard the message, what Or
ders shall l give Lieut.. Berkelev?" sDirect
him to move his guns back to this point i'm
lHtuldLtly, duu Will put It'll anu tHc ICSI
of our artillery into the fight Riding again
| towards the brow of the hill where there was
considerable skirmish firing and a pretty
heavy discharge from the enemies batteries,
then all in position on the opposite hill, we
obtained view of the whole of Hunters
army forming line for the attack.
My brigade, mounted, was in field on the
South Of the road. and a good deal exposed,
and where they could do no good Seeing
which | asked the General for orders. His
reply was, "Move your men back. You will
find Vaughan dismOunted, just back of the
village. Dismount your men, sending your
horses to the rear in the woods, and take po-
sition on Vaughan's right. "You see that hill
over there" (pointing to the Round hilD.
fThrow out flankers to the foot of that hill and
protect my right flank. Hunter will try TO
turn my position there and if you can prevent
that, it is all l shall ask of you to-day. I'll
attend to the rest Of the field.'' L replied ::
"Your orders will be carried out fully, %
touched my hat in salute" and rode away.
That was the last time I ever saw General
William e. Jones. In an hour afterwards he
was dead, and his body in the hands of the
enemy.
In seeking the position to which l was Or
dered, on Vaughan'S right, had to pass
through Piedmont and found his left resting
on the road, and his line extending South
, ward just in the edge of the woods on the
, Beard farm. Jones, with the infantry and
artillery, was more than quarter Of mile
farther down the road, which left an unoccu-
pied gap to that extent, between the left wing
ofh ic1 10 nd fbo rir1 do
gerous, and as the result showed fatal mis-
take in the formation of our lines
I had barely reached my position, which
commanded view Of nearly the whole field,
when we discovered heavy body of troops
advancing on the north side of the road to at
tack Jones. These were the large brigades of
Gen. Z. B. Hayes of Ohio, afterwards Pres
ident of the United States) and Of Col Utzy,
!, pronounced "Yute-sey") of Pennsylvania,
Ga very gallant officer, and noble hearted gen.
tleman, who has since the war become my
warm and intimate friend commanding a
Brigade. They had heen preceded by cav
airy dash that was easily repulsed Hayes
and Utzy came bravely and steadily to their
, work. but were met with fire SO CALLING and
destructive, that they recoiled and fell back
over the brow of the hill in disorder Protect
ed by the hill, they rapidly reformed and re-
turned to the attack, and were again driven
back. This was the supreme moment, the
crisis in the battle. Hunter was alarmed,
and had his wagon train, in his rear, turned
around preparatory to retreat. If Vaughan and
l had then been ordered ,t0raod2d the day would
undoubtedly have been won. Our joint COM
mands, 1000 to 1900 strong. had not fired a
shot, forthere was no enemy in our front, but
there was dense copse of woods, over quar-
ter of mile distant, and in front of u.s. and
that extended to within 800 or 400 yards of
Jones' infantry right flank ON the road be-
low the village.
!, By his two assaults on Jones front, Hunter
had discovered the ''gap" of fully one-fourth
| of mile between Jones right flank on tile
north side of the road, and Vaughan's left
, flank on the South side. He resolved there
; fore to make one more assault on Jones, and
this time to assail him in flank. The copse
of woods in front Of Vaughan's troops and
nine favored this as it enabled Hunter, un-
seer by us, to throw brigade into these
woods, and form it in line at right angle to
Jones, and dash through the exposed opening
OF "gap, within, perhaps, thirty minutes
after Hays and Utzy's second repulse, from
our position on the right. We, from our pc
sition, saw this f1anking brigade emerge from
the woods and move at quick time up gentle
slope directly on Jones' flank. This move
ment was Immediately in front of vaughan's
brigade, distant, perhaps, 600 yards My
brigade was still farther Off, being tc
Vaughan's right. Even then if Vaughan and
l had had orders, OF permissive discretion to
move, rapid charge on the left flank of this
thanking brigade of the enemy, would have
at least checked it, and given Jones time to
change front to the right and repel it. But
Vaughan'S orders, like mine, as he Informed
me that night, were peremptory, to take the
position assigned him. and hold it till further
orders.
So there he and We're held Inactive, and in
, less than ten minutes from the time the enemy
emerged from the woods, they struck Jones in
flank. killed him and many of his officers and
men, and doubling up his whole line drove,
what they did not kill, wound or capture to.
wards the Middle river, and across it, with
the exception of a few men who escaped in
the direction of New Hope under cover of the
woods.
The moment Jones was struck in flank [
saw the day was lost, and ordered my men to
, regain their horses and mount so as to be
ready to cover the retreating infantry The
artillery had fortunately been posted little
; further back than Jones' main line and es-
capped the charge of the fanking brigade of
the enemy and thus had chance to escape up
the road towards New Hope, about a mile
distant. l started to see Gen. Vaughan to
concert joint movement under his command
as my senior, to hold the now victorious enc
my in check. snpposing that he being nearest
Jones, would have received orders l met a
courier from Vaughan coming for me to go
and meet and confer with him. Within a
minute afterwards he and met, when he re-
rod fIoc