Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1896-03-23
COL. DEL KEMPER TO GENERAL
THOMAS Il. MUNFORD.
LYNcHBURG, Va, Mar. is, 1896.

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THOMAS Z. MUNFORD.
LYNcHBURG, Va, Mar. is, 1896.
To the editor of the Dispatch:
feel sure you will give the surviving
members of the Alexandria Light Ar
tillery, Army of Northern Virginia, TIE
benefit of the subjoined letter from their
gallant old captain, Del. Kemper, at
this time United States Consul al
Annoy, China.
Some of your readers will doubtless
recognize that Col. Kemper's reference
is to q communication of Col. John
Scott, of Fauquier, in December last,
in which he sent to the Dispatch for
publication letter from Captain W.
F. Randolph, of Greenville, Miss, in
regard to the capture of fourteen pieces
of artillery on the stampede at First
Manassas.
You may remember that TO so much
of this letter of Captain Randolph's as
referred to my command and my Off
cial report of that affair l availed my
self of your courtesy to reply in person
in the Dispatch.
Col. Kemper is separated from s
old comrades by thousands ofmiles OF
land and sea; but, like Goldsmith's
wanderer, he draws at each remove q
engthening chain, and his heart, un-
travelled, fondly turns with all the
warmth Of woman's affection to his old
companions in arms and his loved Vir-
ginia; and, with the esprit de corps
which neither time nor distance car
Danish from the bosom of every true
Confederate.
ask that it may be your pleasure to
publish, also, the accompanying ex-
tracts from the official reports of Colo
nels f. B. Cash and j. B. Kershaw, in
compliment to Colonel DEL Kemper.
They make good his point.
Very truly,
THOMAS T. MUNFoRD.
(From Report of Colonel j. b. KcrshaaU,
Second South Carolina Intant7y)
VIENNA, Va, July 26. 1861.
Captain Kemper, of the Alexandria
Artillery, and all his officers and men,
engaged, as they were, under my OWL
eye, merit the most honorable mention
in this report. To the efficiency of this
battery have no doubt we are chiefly
Indebted for the valuable capture of
arms, stores, and munitions of war at
The suspension-bridge. Without this
artillery they could not have been ar
rested. Page 526, War Records, Se-
ries l., Vol. III.
(From Report OF Colonel Z B. Cash,
Eighth South Carolina Infantry
cater crossing the stone bricge !
found Colonel Kershaw's command
drawn up on the right of the road, and
was ordered by that officer to take
position on the left, Captain Kemper
occupying the road We continued to
advance in this order, l deploying
as skirmishers. to the front Captain
Hoole's company, who drove the
enemy before them. Occasionally
the artillery of the enemy would fire
upon us, but without effect. After con-
tinuing the pursuit for some two and
half or three miles we came in full view
of the heavy columns of the retreating
enemy. The regiments were halted
and CAPTAIN Kemper commenced o
rapid and well-directed fire upon them,
which caused them to abandon their
guns, wagons, ETC., and completed the
defeat. The enemy now fled In the
utmost confusion, throwing away every
thing which at all impeded his flight.
Too much praise cannot be awarded to
Captain Kemper for the manner in
which he managed his guns on this oc..
casion. Directing the fire, he displayed
ali the attributes of brave, gallant and
accomplished officer. Page 53l, War
Records, Vol. ii.
Annoy, China, February 10, 1895.
Dear General Nuntord
Away of here, on the shores OF tar
Kathay, had the pleasure last week OF
reading your charming criticism in the {,
Richmond Dispatch of "W. +. RS"
claim that Colonel John Scott was the
sole captor of the fourteen pieces OF ar
tillery abandoned by the retreatlng
federals at Cub Creek bridge on the
evening of July 81, 1861.
AS never like to enjoy mans good
things without due acknowledgment
therefor, adventure this line to thank
YOU for the admirable way in which
YOU show the untenable nature OF MIR.
Raudolph's exclusive claim.
You know would not take one lota
of credit from the cavalry, if | could ;
but / am sure you will rardon me for
saying that for the ra't thirty-hve
years, I have been "toling" around
with me the assured belief that the cap
ture of the fourteen guns 10 question
was due to the fortunate shot from one
of my guns, which turned an ambulance
over on the bridge, blocking the pass
age, and leaving the federal guns on
our side, to be driven back to Stone
bridge by my men, assisted by the
cayalrymen belonging to the Black
Horse and other companies, that came
M after my fire had ceased.
You see, General, the cavalry charge
delivered near the house used as feder-
al hospital, some time previous to the
incident at the bridge, lost much of the
force of impact by reason OF the fences
that then lined the turnpike. Certain 1t
is that when Kershaw's command ICON
sisting of the Second and Eighth South
Carolina. and the Alexandra Battery,