Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-08-11
A VERY RAGGED BRIGADE.
And How the Ln|ies Procureo NC"
Clothes for Them.

,voa the most trying ordeal and severest
&c, ~ nerve each one encountered during
the warp Every soldier has some in
c,dent In his military career that STANDS
out I'm bold relief. around which centres
all the dangers through which he has
passed. one after the other related MS
experience and strange TO say, not one
Of the tests was In actual battle. i re-
lated an incident that seemed 10 impress
the company with a great deal OF III
terest So much so. that a request was
made to write IL up. The only objecoon
that could be urged was that the Word
ego would be used too much, and while
every word uttered was true, and all
fhe essential facts connected with the
incident could be cOrrObOrated by living
witnesses. yet it would look like paracing
ones self, and / did not relish that /
was met with the answer: 1t Will be
interesting To the old soldiers, and. per-
haps. awaken some recollections that have
slept in their memory, and be the means
Of drawing out these "reminiscences, and
possibly some OF ii might be Of use TO
the future historian" Putting il In that
light, and believing that II would interest,
at least. some OF my old comrades,
consented.
1t might not be amiss, parenthelically'
TO give a brief outline Of the movement
of the brigade TO which | was attached,
from the battle Of Bean Station. In East
Tennessee. in which over $4,000 worth
OF provisions were captured from the
enemy, UP to the time OF the incident.
We were stationed so that we could de-
fend SaltVile. Va, or Carter'S station,
East Tennessee. and. Ike a pendulum,
oscillating between the two Just as the
reports were brought in as 10 which point
the enemy were advancing. 1t was
tough work. as we had no wagons. and
the cooking utensils lad 10 be carried
on our backs, n addition 10 ACQUIRE
ments. blankets, knspsacks. and ratiOns
The enemy threatened these two points
because General Lee had his hands full
at the wilderness and Spotsylvania Court
house. ana these movements We're
to prevent reinforcements. These
battles were fought, and Lee. falling
back upon Richmond. which was One OBJ
jective point. an ordsr came for us TO
report TO Richmond. On reaching the
city and marching through the place. a
more astonlshed set Of citizens never
gazed upon n brigade. The Eastern army
were always well cloihed-gTay Jackets
and blue pants-while We had slid up
and down the mountains Of East Tennes-
SEE until hardly a shred hung together.
Judge Henry Cook, Of Williamson county.
had dozen strings tied around the legs
OF his trousers TO prevent the flesh from
showing. While mine in front were all
right, but mirable dictu, in the rear
they were real summer pants. The en-
tire brigade was in the same predicament.
The ladies threw up their hands in holy
horror, and broke for the War Depart
ment, and the next morning we looked
Ike major generals. for those noble wo-
men would not rest until we were pro-
vided with suitable garments. II was
a revelation TO them. They had not re
allied what the hardshps OF war really
were until they saw that tattered Ten
nassee brigade. without a complaint, not
even murmur. pass through their city
with hearts as light and step as jaunty
as If arrayed in the most gorgeous uni
forms.
IN THE IMMEDIATE FRONT.
We went into camp. and IL was the
Intention OF the commanding officer 10
give us a good rest. We were told 10
arrange our fishing tackle-net., lines,
poles. etc.-so that we could fish in the
James river. We went TO bed that night
with joyful anticipation of the morOw,
but, alas. to be rudely awakened at 2
o'clock in the morning TO march TO the
south side. That was the last OF our
fishing. From that day 10 the surrender
Of Lee we were in the immediate front
Of the Federal army.
But now | come 10 the Hewlett Hous.
battery, around which occurred some of
the most exciting events In the history
To-
Major -, we were ordered 10 fill sacks
with sand, and. following the lines marked
on the ground, we built a fertilization
twenty-five feet thick, the height Of an
ordinary man, with embrasures, mounted
the guns etc. Strange to say. the enemy
paid no attention to us while construct
ing the fort, but as soon as we opened
fire their monitor and gunboats replied.
and I'm half an hour there was no How
lett House battery. General --. hearing
the connonading. rode up as the firing
ceased. and asked: "Who ordered this
fertilization built OF sandbags?" The an
swer was given: Major -" Using an
epithet. he ordered one of his stan 10
mark out a line under his direction on
the surface, and then instructed us to
dig subterranean trenches, and, branch
ing out. perfected one of the best field
Notifications during the war. This was
the Hewlett House battery that became
historic. one circumstance Is very vivdly
impressed on my mind in connection
with this battery. / had the fortune, or
misfortune, of being buried alive by a
59D-pound mortar-shell from one OF the
gun-boats. Lieutenant Dickens was killed,
and two wounded by the same shot.
we lay in the trenches at this point
10
those who were digging the Dutch Gap
canal. making 1t uncomfortable for them
and for us, too--as the monitors would
return the compliment. and we would
hunt our holes.
Intimately connected with. and just pre-
cedng the incident that this article
started out TO relate. the colonel com
manding the brigade, John 5. Fulton,
sent for me. and said: Il want you 10
select another man and go through the
picket-line and see whether the enemy Is
leaving our front and reinforcing another
mart of the line. 1t Is believed that a
flank movement will be attempted by
them. II YOU should be discovered and
unable TO retreat, surrender 10 the enemy
and say that you are deserters. l VIII
protect your good names.
NEVER 4 Drawer SOLDIER.
selected Fayette Bush. brother o.
Major Bush, one OF our largest contrac-
tors. Let me say word for my COM
panion. Bush, who sleeps his last sleep on
Virginia soil There never was Drawer
soldier In either army, and so well was
he thought OF while IN East TENNESSEE
that he was sent through that country ms
A spy. lie POSSESSED peculiar characteris-
tics for the perillous duties. Hs could as
sumo such an air Of simplicity that no one
who was unacquainted with him could be-
lieye ought else but that he was half
witted fellow, with hardly sense enough
To get In out Of the rain. He was my