Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-06-18
ON TO GETTYSBURG.
4 Drummer Boys Reductions Of the
Campaign.
.ovG AND WEARY MARCH
Entering the Enemy's Country-she
Had known Eweii--An Experience
In n Wkeat-Fieid--The Terrible
Cnnuoasde and tho Charge.


written for the DIspateh)
The battle 'of Chanccllorsville had been
ought. the immortal "Stonewall" had re-
ce.vod his death wound and passed from
the scene OF action. and lying quietly in
SIS position. south OF the Rsppahannock,
was the victorious Army OF Northern Vir-
enia. when the brigade TO which the
writer was attached as drummer boy
Daniels North Carolina. had been order
cl forward from its camp TO the south
q Kinston, y. c., 10 General Lees army.
Arriving at Guinea Station the latter
part Of May. the brigade was attached TO
Eodcss division OF Ewelrs corps; the
division consisting Of Dole's Georgia..
Battles (Alabama). Ramscur's and Dan
.e's (North Cardinal brigalcs; the corps
beng composed OK Early's Johnson's and
Rodess divisions, and known AS the Sec
oul Army Corps OF the Army OF Northern
virginia. IS a brief introduction Of
tlc whereabouts OF my command in the
latter days Of May. 1858. l purpose 70
t.Vc q condensed account. from memory
ol ms personal experiences in the cam
IaIen that followed, and will call IL, "A
Drummer Boys Recollections OF the
-arch 20 and Return from Gettysburg"
ON the morning OF June "a our COM
raul broke camp near Hamltons cross
..- and started on the ever memorable
0...s saurc campaign. Crossing the Rap-
CAN 90 Gcrmanna ford, We forged ahead
for Culpcpcr Courthouse. arriving there
tte l1.h. the day after the heavy cavalry
fsht at Brandy Station.
Ne went into camp near the Court
house. and spent two days very quietly,
aa ihe cavalry had done the work before
fsn rob.y and needed no infantry sup
3.rt We were soon on the march again,
ling directly for the Blue Ridge. This
rams. Of mountains NVe crossed at Chester
Gsn. then went ON through the town OF
Font Royal. across the North and South
tlrss 90 the Shenandoah. We soon took
road TO The right. ana were on our way
il Eerryv.Ac. Clarke county. Here was
abolished q supply depot. guarded, l
..tnn-e. by some two hundred Blue
,-a.s / hardly think those Ianks
thought there was Johnnie in TWEEN
o. miles OF them before they were swoop-
Cd down on, nearly the entire outht be
r- captured. Most Of the stores taken
consisted OF clothing. blankets. and shoes.
u.tl some gImCioths and tcnt-nies.
%,ariy every man IN our command pos
-.--cd himself OF 4 blouse or coat. but
u. were never allowed 10 wear these. as
under orders. they were positively forbid
dom tl Dec worn. and were tnrown away
ts ihe waysld.. % he picked up possibly
ty those who followed o. by the residents
.u that ur.shborhooI.
STILL ONWARD.
We were soon fastening Oh to the north
Of Winchester iu order, Il possible, 10 cut
az thc retreat of NilrOy from that place.
Artr bending every energy 10 strike the
.f. la Doomed
CD sappontmeut. for when we came
u0 thc burning wagons and stores
scattered along The road for every twenty
or more yards tod too well the place
where Mlroy and some OF his followers
fa. made good m ir escape. Night
coming on. and "a rI'n-storm having set
ir. ve soon went into camp. leaving the
cavalry in not pursuit OF the enemy.
E1rE the next morning found us on
tt- march. ia nrsi place W. came 10
was Bunker liili. ECre. standing on the
l.tt O. che road. on q slight elevation,
u.. 81 small brick church. through the
n4ls % which The enemy had made loop
ROLES. converting 10 into sort of block
.se il was empty wh n We came up.
..c cavalry having very enectGaiiy
cleared the enemy out This church stood
.s familiar objec. u the thousands of
.4ers of both erilies who in the years
.. follow passed and rcpas- Il 10.
Ol We went through DaIkvlle. Mar
fir-iur- U1e strongest tn.1n place 10 was
ry fC:-uus to pa.s through during The
tart. AMI at lest arrived on the sou;h
u.lA az tie Potomac. While the troops
were f...c Gown o. tne ford w- boys dor
there were seven OF NJ ln the crum-
corps. Vita Jonn Jacob as drum major
araiIct ocrsclVls 90 The opportunity or
taking ride across in the rude Terry
boat. cr bars. which was propelled 10y
long poles ami kept 90 IFS course by
rope cable overhead. This boat or barge
proved grca, b.e ing In Transporting
.l! sick and wounded across Oh tne re-
t..I from C.tiys ours. ana VIII now lie
recalled to a. minds Of mary Who %cr-
t.c gr- Maryland. My Maryland
greeted tho e-i as column after column
..tI into the clear. sprinshke waters OF
t-- Potomac.
Soon we crossed The canal running
parallel with the river and entered the
ratu strc-t 90 WiuamspO-t. VI lkiog 10
s.oq for any length Of time. W. we're soon
rushing forward Tor H3ger .town. Here
u- were greeted warmly Pos the Whole
r..rlace. ald rc 10 was that ] sacrificed
every button / had en- nav Sr1y JACKIE,
.I.l al that time numbered about three.
Iu every hand you were -"'etcd with.
"tlisier give me buxton" ali IL would
Iar. been useless. " YOU Lad wished 10
.1 50. o. resist the pleadings II those
I..r MARYLAND beauties. IT, act. AZ they
lat desired IL. would have parted with
uy Jacket. As Il was. l came o., OF ,cwn
minus au my buttons, bu: IN return
received a Testam Mt. which l promised
g. g,ai at every 1ppormi'y.
ON PENNSYLVANIA SOIL.
Two DAYS FOR rest were spent in camp
near UaerrStown and We were again
ou the march. Crossing the Maryland
lr- at Greencastle. We were now M the
,..my's country. and the first Confederate
infantry In force on Pennsylvania soil.
ca W. went through Chambersburg.
The road on bOth sides was lined with
Cherry-treee heavy with the rip ned fruit
Time was too short 20 allow the picking
ot them so limb after limb fell prey
% The hungry Confederates. For miles
the road was strewn with cherry
branches. and the troops TO follow on that
route did not fare 50 well on ripe. lus-
cious cherries.
The next town we struck was Shippen-
burg. Here / came In possession Of
pair Of gum boots. True, they were some
what large for me, but by means OF rags
wrapped around my feet made out
very well ! hau no seeks. and II was
Impossible 10 procure any. The next
morning as / fell in az the head OF the
Inc l was greeted with, Come out OF
them boots" and Ike remarks. But
did not come out OF them. AT least, not
az that time. The morning being plea
rant, ] made out very well. but as the
DAY advanced and the sun became warm
er my feet began 20 swell. or the
boots began 10 get smaller After hav-
ing covered some six or seven miles those
boots became positively unbearable' ana
was al last forced to come out or
them and found blisters on both my
heels about the size OF partridge-eggs.
1 committed those boots 10 the hedge
row, and for the balance OF that cam
psign j was a bare-footed johnnie
The next town Of any note on our
march was Carlisle. town, suppose
al that time, OF some 1900 or 5000 In