The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-03-10

nincSs that men can make TOT the"se"es
under adverse circumstancts. 1ntrs Was
material In that company 10 STOCK na'i
a doze, OF the average theatrical or con-
., ,, ,rorues. In history, science and lit
,r,turc some groups could have given
elementary lessons TO hall the socie-
ins devoted to those cults. NhiIe the
..pr<s h,,,,rIan Board" luminous in
theology. and misht have instructed many
half-d,-lged doctors OF y DIVINITY. the
acnngtics OF another mess could give
notnfs TO Darwin. at least In the humorous
treatment of science. There was not
wanting even the study Of ancient and
modern, lauguagcsr while the COMPANY {,
Cloc Club was delight TO themselves and
to every body who ever heard them
sing from Major-GeneTals down. or rath-
ar perhaps from privatcs up. for many of
those privstes had 81 way of thinking Of
themselves as rather better than some
Major-Generals, though always respect
fu ans hospitable to that or any other
rank when they came 10 spend a social
eveidng around the company camp-fres.
With membership representing near
~ all callin6s and professions. some Of
them men OF culture and knowledge OF
the world. there was A generous COM
radcship, and the common devotion and
daily peril OF life and limb wrought bonds
OF brotherly friendship that relieved the
severity of discipline and the irksome
restraints OF soldier life.
But the Dunn House and al other
camps were but temporary and uncertain
rests. and its end came in the last days
Of March. when the sounds of furious
fighting around Petersburg told OF the
opening Of another campaign and warncn
everybody to be ready 20 move. How
our lines were broken around Petersburg
10 a story familiar to many OF u.s. anu
the glory of the ensuing campaign mas
been often rehearscd. SO bright Is its
record of constancy and heroic deeds
that It's memory is to-day the proudest
recollection of every man who stood to
his colors and endured TO the end though
doomcd 10 end i'm disaster and surrender.
This halo of glory has almost obscured
the hardships of that terrible week our
ing which the army marchcd udy anu
night with no regular supplies, .put ue
bending on such precarous SUBSTITUTE
as could be obtained by foraSing IN de-
plctcd section Of country, WINE the WY
air was rife with sounds ana oihe"s VI
disaster. r,,,,,,,
On the fall Of Petersburg. the Dunn
Uouse lines were evacuated, during .the
night Of Saturday, April :. Not many
miles had been marched when carry 'he
next morning the sound OF explosions anu
the smoke Of conf iSratlon toid the late
Of Richmond, and that the enemy was
| hatuseu the company and their homes.
WHIT tbis means can only be known by
chose who have endured such an expert
| ence But with what haste they cCuIu
tho BATTERY moved over Nrctched roaus
crowded with soldiers and teams, tpldsh-
ing aad Juggling through muu anu Hi"e,
ON every hand were signs OF hurry anu
confusion, and all day long hungry s'oli!-
acbs complained of waning cohiHisS'i9
| stores and nights were MAZE ms ia a
| 4y,rn,,ob uant of sleep and rest. Inc
moor horses in bad condition even "heh
reetine i'm camp, were giving out, anu ny
| tho time Amelia Courthouse was reach-
| al tho teams were so broken down by
hard marching and want or rest anu
| the prospect of supplies was SO hoP1'e9s
| that the caissons were abando9eu anu
| destroyed This dire necessity was az
| ominous Of disaster, as IT was ms
away three fourths Of the amnlun,'loI''
| Ioa,,ir, only that in the lirber chests
Of the guns for the coiluineeCS no,
! neht An Immediate prospect, supply ,hdI
| would he soon used up in any DISK Dat
| tie. ,...,,.o az
| There was. however, no alternative, as
| tho teams were so exhausted thdt lui-
ther hauling of the caissons was I'M
| nossible and the horses must DE Iseu
| 10 relieve the gun teams. Gen, Ienii'
ton chief Of Artillery reports that NM
| +v-dve caissons, mostly loaded were
| - abandoned and destroyed Up. l2SD.
| 'rbore vvaq probably any amount OF PIT
| ,,ate thinking and unpleasant rehecuoh
| hero Going on in the minds OF olilCeiS
| and men but this company hau ions ass
| learned the lesson that thelr ohiH u",S
| was obedience TO orders, ana IL 10 S'iu
! 10 saw that so loEg as Lee ordereu' tn' NJ,
| confidence was unimpaired in the peliel
| right ana inc
| heet and the proper thing TO do.
| At Amelia Courthouse the batteries Oh
| CaboIl's battalion were put into the du-
vance column OF artillery and trains uii,
der Zen. Lindsay Walker. ana moNeu
10 the right and west OF the nam pouE
of the army From the information NOW
,ttaiuahla there were probably nun
dred pieces of artillery in this couiinh
which was pushed on in advance ol
the army. Being thus screened III rear
tho column did not participate IN INC
daily lighting in which the main Douy was
engaged. Not until the evening OF 'he
Sth was it struck by the Federal caVdiI >
who had pushed to the front ana across
the head of the army.
| About 2 o'clock that evening the COM
mand had reached a point opposite ~
| uomattOX station some TWO OF thieo "'''
| hevopd the courthouse, ana hau tulheu
| off
as was available for man or beast. HaIl-
| ir, I'm the field, as each piece drove up lne
teams were unhitched and given thelr
| srant food or allowed TO Craze "I'ho
tbn men were busted making their corn
IF, md cooking probably the remnants
81 ON ola COW. from which rauons had
baep dealt and eaten that III ''hi,s
a.itb,n an hour after her slaughter In
| ,tt' trro,,,Iar biyouac so little was the
,,.,,,,,..es ar approach OF an enemy sus-
,,o,tld tbat no sort Of guard had oeen
sot and when the report of arms ana
,,o sigbt of Federal Cavalry IN the Woou
Ht.ti,7r tho field startled officers ana
~, -, tbeir httle mess fires or SUM
- ,rbo surprise was complete ana as
| ,,,,,,l,no So sudden and unexpected was
~ .ttanl and so near were the enemy
In drst discovered that DISK ue-
t',,,i,.,d charge would nave brought men,
,,.i.ltn tho battery ECfore piece eouiu
a,,lir,borad and loaded. For there Is
,,,,.,ine. mere helpless then artlnelH
when surprised. if once the me Vi 20
t,,v can be carried by II quiCh -, ".''
- q. ,bc, a mere matter Of shooting 40" "
,,naruoed cannoniers and drNhs 'l,'
from their guns Why such Insh a..
not made aud everything CAPTURE %. n
tbs snot has often been the woiiu'' Vi
old Howitzers. .,.,,,,,on+
Their wonder will grow 10 ahld%Vn
when they learn from. the feFcrtS W
This volume. that at least two ulNlsioi'e
Of cavalry we're at hand and ensaseu' III
that attack. But luCki1y thero Was n
such charge. and In a moment quich VI
ders sent cannoniers flying TO their Po t's
| -. -,.oro ,rns more quickly unllmpeI-