Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-08-05
WHO COMMANDED /!
rur cHsFcE or THE FIFTEENTH ON
the HoWLETT HOUSE WORK.
A Communication from Colonel Morrison
Ernbsacins Extracts from Letters
from Other Participants.
To the Editor Of the Dispatch:

rirja Infantry on the AFTERNOON ot uio
10th of June. 1864. when the regiment ae-
| ployed as skIrmishers. 80 CALAMITY uro'e
the enemy out of and held the works on the
Howlett-house line, and n statement OK
mine In a previous newspaper artieie
giving my recollection of the AFFAIR nav
ing been declared erroneous, beg leave
ia submit the annexed extracts from let
ters from some of the participants IN
| the sklrmsh to sustain my statement
| namely, that l Joined the shirinish me
a few minutes before the advance, went
! with il through the woods and open heia
and into the works, performing all inc
| duties OF a commanding officer poss'oie
uader the circumstances.
| had cause TO be proud OF my ht'ie
regiment II was one of the best dfh'eu
and best disciplined In the Army oi
| Northern Virginia and on this particular
Afternoon got in some very pretty WIZ
! of its own yoition, notwithstanding 'he
( foot that IL seems TO have had three com
mauding officers, of whom that soou'
gallant. modes, gentleman j. D. "a'u,
| CAPTAIN of Company /, in all Fairness
| deserves the greatest credit. He deploycu
| tho regiment most admirably, maze an
| the dispositions for the attack anu II.
| good faith. ignorant OF the presence VI
| any commanding officer, conducted 'ne
| charge, or, at least. SO much OF IL u"
| he coi.ld superintend and control, 10 ii
| successful issue, All honor 10 the gar
liant "Oid Boy" and have no doupt- '"s
result WOULD have been the same ma
neither General Corse nor Coiohei mo-
son been present. for 1t was not 'lie Us
| fine he had heard the singing OF those
.thirrsv (Minies). which, innocently, he
| ,,,,stoole for "bees" at Malvern Hill.
The following extracts from 'le,less
| ~ different persons engaged In the aIIhr
| SLOW how treacherous is the memory VI
man:
| CAPTAIN wAID's STATEMENT.
| Captain Waid says: While passing
| Drewry's Bluff Colonel Morrison stopped
| his horse on the roadside and, as my
| company approached. said. "Waid, take
| command OF the regiment / want 10
see "A friend at Drewry's Bluff.
| He goes on to tell OF the dispositions
| for attack. and says: "Glancing 10 the
| rear lust as we started on the charge,
| received special inspiration. as II
| were. A few PAGES in rear, standing on
| an abandoned earthwork, was Geherai
/ NJ. ID. Corse, waving his hat above ms
head and cheering on the men with MS
| well-known phrase on SUCH occasions,
| Go IT, my buliies' After reaching the
| works. General Corse's orders having been
| executed. my skirmishers were halted IN
the trenches of the Hewlett line,
and I was awaiting further instructions
| when Colonel Morrison rode up to me
| from the direction Of the left or my
| line. and I becoming aware or MS
presence with his regiment, my command
| of IL ceased. but not till then"
(Ahl Jimmie. here l think your reeoi-
/ lection is at fault. l could scarcely get
through that swamp on loot. Wouiu
| never have done so OIL horseback, and
came from the right)
| First-Leutenant William L. Smith, or
| the Fifteenth Virginia Infantry, says:
| "Haw's mistake was quite naturai one,
/ he being at one point OF the line, could
| not possibly tell what took place at all
| times at other points. The facts In the
| case are these: While we were IN skirmish
/ line under the brow of the hill ana pro-
/ tected by a slight thicket Of trees you
/ came I'D and passed in rear or Com
| pany A. going to the right. A Few mo-
/ ments later we advanced TO the attack.
| I do not know whether you saw captain
| Waid assume command or not. | know
/ positively 1t was at this time you came
M for / remember distinctly remarklng
| 10 one of my comrades We'll. the Colo
| mel is I'D Just in time for the ball.
| sERGEAN T-MAJOR LACY'S RECOL-
| LECTION.
Sergeant-Major James b. Lacy says;
| ION our advance We came 10 httlc
stream in a bottom. which we crossed
and found ourselves in sight OF the lleld
| and saw the enemy occupying the HOW
ANA n n
and I think II was Captain Wmd VINO
| asked me where was MorrisonT AS
did not know. he sent me to look Tor
Won I found you a short distance III
rear. talking with one or the serseahls
| in the line Of file-closars
81 delivered his message, which was.
We have sighted the enemy ana await
YOUR Instructions Your reply was, use
YOUR own discretion. but be prudent ana
tell him not to get where ne cannot eH-
tricata himself | ran back swiftly, found
the men where had left them, gave Cap
tain Waid the instructions, ana MAD haruIy
done so when without any order that
heard a big yell went up and every man
dashed out OF the woods ana INTO me
field. and the enemy, making liitIe re-
sistance. left the works Just before we
got to them.
"You were dismountod when ! saw you
I'm the woods and did not have your morse
with YOU All the horses were ieit on
the pike when we entered the woods.
LIEUTENANT BUMPAsS'S TESTI-
MONY.
Is. B. Bumpass. lieutenant Company c,
says:
1T has been 80 long since 1t happened
that I cannot remember all OF ths par
ticulars concerning the lfowlett-House
Yts in I'd \ L
certain that I saw you during our adj
vance through the woods and after We
yot into the works" (And IL l aTn not
mistaken | slept with him or some or
his company that night
have other letters to a like effect.
but these are enough, l suppose. 20 prove
my statement. Comrades Lumsden and
Lacy seem to be mystitied that they both
should have been sent TO the rear with
practically the same message.
After posting a few pickets In our
front and learning from the left. where
we were. | sent two men-Lieutenant
Arthur Lumsden and Sergeant-Major
Lacy. thsnk--at intervals Of an hour and
a half to General Corsc with just such In
formation as they say in their letters to
me they received. BY. the first messenger
General Corse informed me | must he
| mistaken as to the works being those OF
| the hOMlSLL ftcErc oShN SS-
| cond messenger with positive assurance
| that the works were the Hewlett line,
| and asked him as soon al possible get
more men into them, and also to arrange
| about getting the rations to the men,
which was not done until quite late next
| morning.
TIRED AND SLEEPY.
The men were very tired and sleepy.
| Night came on in a hurry with very little
| twilight, and | found 1t impossible To
| keep them awake, although they, as we'll
| as myself. appreciated the fact that we
| would be in a precarious situation If the
| Yankees attacked US that night or early
next morning.
/ have .lot written thus at length for
| my own lauda ton, nor do L take TO my
self any particular credit. save the fact
| of trying to do my whole duty as soon as
| l met up with the command, for the
| men, as soon as they confronted the
works partially occupied by the enemy,
seemed intuitiyelJ 10 know what 10 do
| and did II.
| Had the result been otherwise, end
| Al or "a men been killed and the works