Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1895-03-28

; Infantry, were ahead of us g hunt-
ing breakfast" and had gone up the
James River and Kanawha Turn.
PIKE Maj. MCKendree told mo
since the war that he went up the
road some distance before he met
tho Federal advance, or scouts. and
'hat they gave him chase of nearly
TWO miles before they over. hauled
MIN. Capt. Nawter, who with Adj,
ltand, was at breakfast, | think at
Mlller's, short distance from the
intersection of the Anthony's Creek
road with the turnpike, barely es.
capcd capture. Adj. Rand, at the
first alarm, hurried 20 his horse, and
down the pike he came, his bav
laying down in dead run" lust
as our Battalion had filed out of the
Anthony's Crees road to the right,
In the direction Of the White Sui
phur. In less time than it takes me
to write it, Maj. WoOdrum came
back along the Struggling column on
run and gave the order, "Close up,
men, close up! load your guns as
quickly as you can, and get to your
places :" BY the time the column
was closed up the men had their
guns loaded, but Col. Edgar made
three attempts to form his men be-
lore 1t was effected-the surprise was
so complete. He had given his
horse to his orderly, and was stand
ing in corner of the fence, rcvol-
yer cooked in one hand, and with
the other pointing his command:
Men, form in the cornfield :" The
most of the battalion tumbled over
the fence into the corntield, but
while the men had their guns ready,
they were huddled together like a
covey of partridges, and squadron
Of cavalry at that time could have
torn the command into shreds. The
next command was, "The first three
companies form in the road" These
were A. b. q q. Not more than
half dozen were formed on nv left
before the command was issued,
Form on that ridge" and the Colo
mel pointed to the top of the ridge
back of the old toll-gate and this
point where we formed, became af-
terward the extreme right of our
line, Except picket of about 400
yards on hill near Dry Creek and
was occupied by Capt. Burdett.
suppose that it was now about 8 a.
M, and after the battalion was
formed we were moved down the
path to the turnpike and headed for
the Anthony's Creek road, moving
at double quick. Just before reach
ing that road, each man shouldered
a fencerail from the line of fence
parallel with turnpike, and built a
barricade from the east side of the
Anthony's Creek road across the
bottom land to the ridge opposite the
Miller house. In the meantime
Reid's and Swans companies had
been thrown out as skirmishers, and
the battalion, my own position be-
ing now on the extreme right, was
extended some 20 yards up into the
timbered ridge. So we waited
While lying there in line of battle,
the 22nd Virginia, under Col. Bar
bee, (COl. Patton in command of the
tield-Gen. Jones viewing the scene)
came out from the timber in line of
battle, and in the open field, made a
beautiful movement as if on dress
parade to the order which | heard
distinctly from my position, "Charge
front forward on Zone of the middle)
company" and, on double quick
moved to its place on the left of Ed.
gar. About the time Chapman's
Battery of HowitZers had gotten
into position on slight rise in the
field back of the line, say 800 yards
and in the meantime we had found
out that Averill had with him al
least one piece of artillery, 81 inch
parrot that made it unpleasant fol
everything i'm front of it until later
in the day a shot from Billy Dixon.
gun hit the thing plumb in the
mouth, chipping out from the muz
Zle a piece as large as my hand
knocked it out Of its truniOns; si
fenced it forever, and | have hearC
that Capt. Ewing said that one sho
killed and wounded II of his men.
The second and last maneuver o
Col. Edgar after taking position a
the fence was to file his men by tn,
right, to make room l suppose 70
22nd or Derrick's Battalion, and as
have stated places the extreme righ
of the line Of battle on the ridge
parallel to the pike and Immediately
above the old tOll-gate. The line
was very similar to the letter "S.'
Dunn's Battalion came up probabl.
about O'Clock p. m. and was littl
picture, as led by Lieutenant Dunn
when they countermarcbed imme
diately under our position in tn
nike and went somewhere, l have