The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-08-14
this noisy demonstration. It was
afterwards explained.


afterwards explained.
Longstreet's corps was at and nea
Culpepper G. H. A. P. HilPs Divjs
ion was still at Fredericksburg, an,
Ewell who succeeded the immorta
Jackson, as Corps Commander, wa
then crossing the mountain to swoo]
down in the valley to clearit, prepare
tory to the march into Pennsylvania
l presume this hurrah was intended I,
withdraw attention from Ewell.
At any rate, our friends the enemy
on the far side of the Rappahann
evidently did not know what to max
of it, for on the morning of the 9tl
of June they made reconnaissance il
force to our side of the river ant
brought on the Brandy Station
] fight.
1t is called brandy Station"
take it, because that was the neares
railroad station, although the conf1ic
ragged some miles on either side ant
in front of it. In point of fact ther'
was no fighting at or near the
station.
Stevensburg is small hamlet, four
or five miles east or southeast frou
Brandy Station, on the main highway
from Culpepper G. H., to Richards
Ferry, on the Rappahannock. Cul
pepper is eight miles in the rear o
Brandy Station and Rapnahannock
bridge, the rail crossing of that river
about eight miles in front of it.
Our picket posts extended from the
mouth of the Rapin Ann River many
miles up the Rappahannock, above the
bridge.
My Regiment was camped about
half way on the road leading from
Brandy Station to Stevensburg.
We were in the habit of grazing oul
horses in a clover field every morning
at early dawn. On the morning of the
9th of June, 1868, the horses had just
been carried to pasture, when re.
ceived an order from Gen. Hampton
to saddle up, pack the wagons and
move promptly to Brandy Station and
await further orders, leaving the wag.
on train packed in camp. 1t so hap
pened that my gallant and much cher
ished friend and comrade, Wist Gary,
your present worthy commander, Cap
tain of that rolicking, fighting, devil
ish Company "G," was officer of the
day at that juncture. I therefore left
him with the camp guard at camp to
look after the trains, intending, of
course, that he should join the Regi-
ment as soon as the wagons were dis
posed of and the fight opened.
While it was no part of our duty to
watch the Richards Ferry road, lead.
ing from Stevensburg to Culpepper. as a
matter of precaution I directed Capt.
Gary to send two videtts to Stevens
burg, as our train was entirely exposed
from that direction. 1t turned out the
precaution was well taken.
AS directed, moved to Brandy Sta
ton with the mounted column pre-
pared for action, and reached there q
little after sunrise. Meantime we had
heard sharp artillery firing at Kappa
hammock bridge above, and the fact
was soon disclosed that the enemy was
crossing at different points in force.
We had dismounted perhaps ten
minutes, standing to horse awaiting
orders, when a courier from Capt. Gary
informed me that the enemy was near
Stevensburg on the direct road to Cul-
pepper, only seven miles away from
that point. There was nothing be-
tween my camp and Stevensburg, that
I had any knowledge of, except the
small camp guard. So, without orders
from any source, we mounted and
moved in a sweeping gallop to throw
the Regiment into. and if possible be-
yond Stevensburg in front of the ene-
my. On reaching this point we found
the enemy had retired. I therefore
detached Lit. Col. Frank Hampton,
with about forty men, to move down
the Richards Ferry road and find out
what force was there, if any. He had
not proceeded far when he reported a
heavy column Of cavalry advancing.
1t turned out to be Gregg's Division,
supported by Ames' Brigade of Infant
ry, approaching on the Richards Fer
ry Road.
1t looked like desperate venture to
pit one small regiment against such a
largely superior force, but it was rath-
er q desperate situation, and nothing
was left but to make the best resist
ance possible. Accordingly, I dis
patched couriers to Gems. Hampton
and Stuart, who were engaged some
four or five miles to our left, with 9TH
er columns of the enemy aud made the
best disposition I could to check
Gregg's advance: Fortunately, we
had camped in that vicinity the pre-
vious winter at Sandy Spring, and
were therefore familiar with the coun-
try. A steep, thickly wooded ridge
extended from and beyond the Rich
ards Ferry Road as far to the left as
Hansborough's house. 1 instructed
Col. Hampton to occupy the road
where the ridge crosses it with his
mounted detachment, with orders ito
fly into the face of anything that came
up the road" while I deployed the re-
mainder of the regiment dismounted
the crest of the ridge as far as Hans
borough's house. On Hampton's right
the country was enclosed by strong
fences, over which mounted troops
could not operate without delay. This
gave us strong position which we
could have held for some time, but for
an untoward event, which I will now
explain at the risk of being tedious in
giving details.
AS l have stated, I left 1t. COL
Hamoton with mounted detachment
in the Richards Ferry Road with the
orders / have mentioned, deployed the
remainder of the regiment dismounted
in their order along the crest of the
hill as far to the left as Hansborough's
house, so as to get plunging fire on
the enemy as he came up the steep hill
in front of our position. Maj. IT. j..
Lipscomb was placed in charge of the
left, while l occupied the centre of our