Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-03-29
RecOlIeCtiOns Of One Who Participated
in II.
PART TAKEN BY HUNTERS BRIGADE
A Charge That Was an inspiring
Sight.
n TEAR OF THE CAVALRY
p..ol. for the Woods-In n 1le"'
p1.ce-xnrrow Escape from '"p
ture-A War ReminiScenee
Nine EluE.


IT. the Editor Of the D!spatch' go,
pssnonding TO your call OF the i0''
-, will give my own recoAecti'ns
90 the battle of Sailors Creeh' "H'e4
mo tonight on the 9th of Aprii' i0'', IT,
". aoys before the surrender at Apo
- WAS at that time captain "
- y Eighth Virginia lniah'l!'
1Innton,s Brigade. Pickett's DIVISION -
,n,s account shall speak OF TINS ui'i''I-
a, General. and of Huntons biie'N0
particular. l., ,,,rd that
our brigade was not inVoiVeu
s,sastar that befell the rest u ooI
at,,,sion at Five Forks on 'n'
a.. - Anrn We had been lelt o'-
80 when Pickett was ordered 10 sup
-. ritz Lee at Five Forks. ana "e'e
ENGAGED in the battle OF GraVeiy nun "a
eve s1st of March, fighting WI"
rorns. and keeping him from re'nioiO
,ro sheridan. That day Pickett ana ri'N
,ea drove Sheridan back to D'hW4t.'e
[-.,,,.bouse. But the next day the taDieS
we're turned, and Sheridan, remiofceu "
two corps of infantry, assaied '''e
an all sides and drove him WIN H1~''
- ona in great confusion from 'he
eo,d the result was that when we re-
.a,,ad him that evening our brigade was
nerhaps the larger half OF the ui'i. .,-
we had more men present Tor du'S' 'i''''
all the other brgades put together
rho turning OF our right was ioiio"
,-,mediately by an assault upon our 'iii
It's in front of Petersburg, ana the
80 struggle for the defence Of Rich-
roond was over. Many were inc
,earts when the retreat began Dul u
never occurred TO some Of us that ln'
and Of the war was near at manu- We
believed IN the righteousness and IN 'ne
,,,,,,,,ta success of our cause. ana we
,ie,ved the retreat from Riehihohu """
1,otorsb,,re. not as an irretrievable disas-
Ter hut only as a prolongation OF the
war. We were falling back to an interior
ane behind the Stanton or Dan "hei'
- o,a Johnston could unite their forces
and turn first upon one and theh upo"
another OF the pursuing armies lh'S
Man would doubtless have been carfieu
ant hut for the inexcusable iailure Vi
our government at Richmond 10 nave
,,rnltes at Amelia Courthouse on our
fine of retreat, as ordered by 17nei"'
lee. The delay caused by the necessity
Of gathering supplies from the surrouiiu-
inc country was fatal to Lees plans
The enemy gained on us, headed US OH
from Burkville, and forced us to take
The road to Farmville and LynchDurg'
FORCED TEE BATTLE.
No hghting of any consequence occurred
r,tu the 9Th OF April. when Sheridan by
rand marching on paraliei me, so'
ahs,d ~ our division, struck the road on
witch we were moving, captured por-
,,on ne our wagon train, and forced the
hattla OF Sailors Creek. We had been
nm the march most Of the night, and our
nm were weary and hungry, having
been subsisting for two days or more on
narchsd corn. At the time the battle De-
Gan. we (our brigade were resting on q
rim. awaiting developments. as the enemy
.yare messing our rear guard. IL Wa
here that my brother John and Thompson
rr,,rr. OF my company, who mad gone
1orarlng the night before, rejoined US
bringing with them bucket Of boiled
eggs and some fried chicken and corn
bread. They found an old darky
some distance from the road, VINO IN eX-
rbange for two good army blankets gave
them a good breakfast and also some
thing for their comrades 1t was timely
relief. for we had not more than finished
nur breakfast when We were started
by the sound OF pistol shots In our 'front.'
Iool<ing up, we saw some ambulances
ard stragglers rushing down the opposite
hiu towards us. holly pursued by Federal
cavalry. The hill seemed TO be covered
with timber, and only a narrow valley
aav between. Our men took In the situa-
tlon at once and sprang TO their feet
eager for tussei with Sheridan. L SPEAK
here OF Hunton's Brigade, which was not
In the battle OF Five Forks. They felt
that they were a match for the cavalry,
and all along on the retreat they were
hoping for a chance to wipe out the re-
proach OF April LIST. The opportunity now
presented Itself, and without waiting for
orders from General Hunton who was In
the rear. the head Of the column eighth
Virginia. started down the bill at quick
enemy turned back to report. Gene
raj Hunton soon rode up. and placing
himself at the head OF his brigade
led them down the hill. across a small
stream. and up the opposite hill until We
struck the woods. There we Aled 10 the
right and formed in line OF battle in the
edge Of the woods. Just in front Of US
was narrow strip Of cleared land
covered with broom-sedge, and beyond
that the woods began again and extended
around 10 our right. Our left rested or
the road on which we had been march
Ing. We had scarcely gotten into posi-
tion. with line OF skirmishers thrown
out. before the cavalry appeared In heavy
force In the woods opposite. and bore
down upon us. They had gotten into the
habit OF riding over our infantry. and
they evidently expected to ride over us.
Our administers emptied their musIkets at
shsm, end then dropped down into the