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

| uOu-COUlullSSlO lieu OlliCcTS anu pIlVdttS was
composed entirely of picked men. devoted
alike to their brave, intelligent and gentle
manly officers and to our cause and country.
There was no situation before which that
battery ever quailed, and there never was
time when its nerve was more severely tested
than at that moment, for they had just mar
rowly escaped from disastrous field, and
they knew they were about being pursued by
the flushed victors, for we could even then
distinctly hear the bugle notes OF Stahls cav
airy brigade sounding the charge with
which they came sweeping through Piedmont
towards us, and the heavy thud of hoofs on
the solid road from more than 1000 excited
horses was distinctly audible by the
time they had reached the Beard house, though
we could not see them for the belt Of woods
| through which the road runs. and there it had
been cut cut and cleared Of timber for more
than 60 feet wide.
Whilst the battery was unlimbering a bat
TALON Of about so Tennessee rihemen under
Major W. W. Stringfellow, as now remem-
Der his name, perfect little game cock, not
over feet or inches in height, and who
had escaped from the battle field where poor
Jones and so many others were killed, came
out of the edge of the woods at a double
quick, and on up the lane towards me.
halted the Major and asked: "Will your men
fight again?" He replied, eyes; like hell if
you give them the chance / then directed
him to form his men behind strong rail
fence which ran at right angles to the road,
and on the opposite side from the battery, and
to open fire as soon as the head of the enemy's
column came in sight. He gave the ORDER
when his men scrambled over the fence with a
defiant yell, and stringing themselves along
the cross fence, two or three in corner, were
ready for action. In less time than it has
taken to detail these preparations, the enemy
appeared in close column, platoon front, at a
gallop. Just at the entrance to the lane, the
battery poured salvo of all six guns into
them, and the Tennesseans a rifle volley. The
crashing Of the shot on men and horses could
be plainly heard. The head Of the column
apparently several files deep. went down in
mass Of groaning men and horses. The
charge was checked, and another salvo from
the battery compelled the column to retire.
They rallied however, on the other side Of
the wood and reformed near the Beard house.
BY that time my brigade, mounted, came
upon the field, and formed line, on some ele-
waited ground a little in rear OF, and to the
right of the Tennesseeans. The enemy's bu-
giles again sounded the charge beyond the
wood, and on came the column. just as 1t
reached the same, to them. i'll tated spot the
six guns of the battery again belched forth
their iron contents and the Tennesseeans
poured out another volley from their rifles,
when down went men and horses, and a wild
retreat began towards Piedmont. They had
! enough; and no doubt discovering the proN-
unity of new supports to the battery, my bri-
gade having but just arrived, deemed further
attempted pursuit hazardous, for we never
saw them again.
After waiting a half hour to see ii they
would renew the attack, l ordered the battery
to retire by sections, hating the sections at
intervals of about 400 yards and Numbering
till the other guns had passed and in their
turn taken position and numbered success
iyely moving my brigade and the infantry
battalion parallel to the rear guns until we
had passed New Hope some two miles. Here
we came up with Vaughan, and he and con-
suited about our future course. The full eX-
tent of the disaster was then known to us.
We could not expect, with fugitives and all,
to have over 1900 or . 800 men left to further
oppose Hunter. General Vaughan said that
Jones had received a telegram from General
Lee, the evening before, but had not showni it
to him. or any one so far as he knew, and as
he had put it in his pocket the enemy would
no doubt find it and learn its contents We
also knew that Crook and Averill were then
within one OF two days march of Staunton.
Under these circumstances it was decided
that General Vaughan in person should pro-
coed at once to Fishersville, and open tele-
graphic communication with General Lee,
and ask for copy Of Lees telegram to Jones
so that we might Judge what effect it would
have on Hunters movements; and that l
should bring on the troops to Fishersville
that night; SO that if reinforcements were on
their way from Richmond, we would be in a
position to again confront Hunter near
Staunton but if no help reached us. we could
retreat to Rockfish Gap and thus save our
commands and baggage from humiliation.
l reached Fishersville with the troopes
about II o'clock at night and found General
| Vaughan at Mr.. Schmucker's house. He
handed me long telegram he had received
from Gen. Lee, repeating the one sent to Jones
the day before. l cannot quote its language,
but remember perfectly its purport. He had
telegraphed Jones that it was impossible for
him to spare any troops to the Valley for at
| least week to come, and that he Jones, with
such troops as he had, must fight Hunter and
drive him back, and then turn upon Crook
and Averill and drive them back out of the
valley. We knew of course Hunter would
see this dispatch, as it would be found on
Jones' body, and that thus informed he would
push Oh to Staunton next day, and we could
not prevent it, We therefore decided to fall
back to Waynesboro and Rockfsh Gap. early
next morning, and await orders, OF reinforce
ments from Gen. Lee.
This is detailed account of the battle of
Piedmont. Its incidents are indellibly i'm
pressed on my memory, for it was the first
time had ever seen Confederates routed on a
battle field Of their own selection. My pro-
test against fighting aoaere we did, and the an
CRY alteration with General Jones, coupled
with the disastrous outcome of the combat,
fixed every incident on my mind. never to be
forgotten.
Our losses were very heavy, and never,
from the nature of the temporary organiza-
ton of fragmentary attachments of our
forces, could be ascertained. Killed, wound
ed, captured and missing the aggregate was
little, if at all, less than 1900 men-and their
arms Besides Gen. VIM. E. Jones, COM
handing, Col. Brown of the Goth Va. Infan-
try, whom had assigned to the command of
one of the temporary brigades formed at Mrs.
Grattans, was killed. Several of the officers
and men of Harper's regiment Of Augusta re-
serves, were killed, and many wounded. The
most prominent Of these who fell was Robert
L. DOYLE, who had been Lit. Colonel in the
62nd Va. regiment mounted infantry, of my
brigade, and resigned, being far beyond the
military age, but had turned out then as a
volunteer with the reserves and was acting
Captain of one of the Companies. Poor