Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-03-08

and cou,d only count 1872 dead men on
the f,eld left by the coo soldiers MOST
az these men were killed by jackson
men. who were lying behind ieoges Vi
rock. The enemy did not advance LII
enough to be reached by JACKSON mar.
line. hid IN a deep railroad cut tnat
saryad az drst-rate breestworks It was
In this fight that / was struck with WHAT
would he the erect of q bold use OF artii.
iery and ordered the fence In our rrohl
to be taken down, and twice gave tno
command to Timber to the front lor
a dash at full gallop down oeautIi
slope to the enemy's right nank. IN iuii
retreat. and twice countermshoeo ".
order because I had no authority for
the movement and had no experience.
II was instinct, I have no doubt. nave
faith In instinct sometimes. 1t Is inten-
sized reason. The mind under high pres
sure acts with great rapldity, and o1teh
with great correctness. i ma, nowesei,
did reason In this case. First. the
enemy was In full retreat. Secono, IN
reaching his flank, / would De eaposeo
to his guns on the opposite Nils pu, d
ne would not be able to get my range.
Besides. / would soon be under cover
Of the intervening forest. Third II tnere
were any infantry In the woods l con,
Guided to put two guns on the woous anu
shell them out then turn my four guns
I'm close quarters on the exposed ndnh
of the retreating army. / have no CUES
ton now that the movement wouiu nave
been eminently successful, and would
have resulted in causing 800 or LOCO men
TO face about and lay down their arms.
Retreating infantry under these CIR
cumstances would not have made nght
with grape and canister at oVo-yarus
range. At least fifty guns half on each
side. were at tho same time firing over
their heads and the din was terrinc.
noticed in the Cyclorama at washington
the worm fence that ! had taken uowh
10 advance Is correctly represented In
that wonderful picture of the Second bat
tie of Manassas. There were no
fences or bitches to hinder our rapid
advance across this beautiful ground.
TENNESSEE CAMPAIGN.
In the Tennessee campaign. especially
in our advance upon Knoxville, / was
strongly impressed with the value OF
artillery In the front. 1t Is usually as
signed In the rear In the march. My
battery was all the time In the front,
and II turned out to be Of great value
In expediting our progress. The enemy
was falling back In inferior numbers
to our troops, but with frequent oppor-
tunity for their artillery to retard our
progress by seizing good positions TO shell
the infantry at long range. Under such
conditions II was necessary for the In
fantry TO halt and call the ar
tillery to come forward and dlslodge the
enemys artillery. This would often
cause delay, and expose the infantry to
danger and less. Peing well In 'front.'.
abreast with the head OF the column or
infantry, so soon as / saw the enemy's
gun getting ready to go into position
to shell us, I would often get into posi-
ton first and shell and dislodge him
This l found often surprised him,
and was the cause of much comment, as
will appear hereafter. The first night at
Knoxville I went into battle on a line
with the infantry and caused Gen.
sral Alexander to call my attention to my
exposed position, and he ordered that
my horses should be fed in harness and
kept to the guns all night. while half
Of the men should stand guard TIL re-
leyed by the other half at IL O'Clock.
Under such circumstances I hardly slept
an hour at time. My friend, Mr..
Thomas l. Alfriend. who was orderly SER
geant Of the battery. and who remem-
bers better than ! do some Of the events
Of this advance, informs me that the
Federals were struck with the rapidity
of our movements. / never sought pro-
motion In the army nor did offer to
be leader Of a charge. but did not want
any one I'm front of me. ] wanted to be
in line with the man who was in front.
Mr.. Alfriend writes me:
Dear Sir.-Referring to our converse
tion of a few days ago, / beg leave to
say that we had at Campbelps Station,
East Tennessee. twenty-four pieces of
artillery In position, and the enemy
fifteen and beyond a little skirmishing on
- 1f f~fo ~ IL
fought and won by the artillery.
II very well remember that during the
fight you changed position five different
times. limbering to the front every time.
the last position you took being several
hundred yards beyond that occupied by
the enemy at the beginning Of the ac-
ton.
when we took our second position
one gun being In the road, you will no
doubt remember that for the first time we
located the enemy's line Of battle. after
we had thrown two or three shells into
the tall weeds concealing them.
II have always thought, and ] know
you agree with me in this position, that
II our infantry had been handled with
anything like the skill and dash with
which the artillery was handled that the
greater part of Burnside's force would
have been captured before he got to
>
Mississippi Brigade told me that he went
on a scout In rear of Burnside's line Of
battle at this place and came back and
reported that 1t was entirely feasible to
throw one division in their rear while the
other attacked them in front You will
no doubt remember that at this time
we had great many white horses In our
battery, and after we got to Knoxville
Colonel Alexander and Major Hugar
met under q flag Of truce some old class
mates of theirs. officers In the Federal
army. and they spoke OF a white-horsa
battery at Campbell's Station. and COM
plmented the skilfuI manner with which
1t had been handled. After we retreated
from Knoxville we fell back to the
neighborhood Of Rodgersviile, and the
enemy followed us, and General Long
street moved back and attacked them at
Beams Station. at which point the road
from the Cumberland Gap comes into the
main road to Knoxville. and In this fight
the artillery again took a very much
more prominent part than the infantry,
although the latter did very much more
here than at Campbelfs Station.
"Our battery was the first on our side
TO go into position at the last-named
fight, and my brother in some way OBJ
description OF this fight, which descrip.
. ton read as follows: Presently a
acknowledgement rebel battery ran into
position. the shots from which told with
terrible effect This had reference to our
battery"
ACTIVE AS CATS.
This was a compliment to the boys who
handled the guns. They were young and
active as cats.
1t was In the fight at Beams Station
mat Tom kirtley. one Of my men, had
his pocket cut out by a canno-ball, and
cried out In his usual dry humor, DOG
gone IL this don't beat the beat. boys.
l thought the Yanks We're smart In .nicl-