The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-11-11
STOLE 4 REGIMENT.
Feat Accomplished by Confederate
Officer

Officer.
GeE> a. j. Vaughan net long ago visit.
ed the battlefield of Chickamauga, he be-
ing enc oil the park commissioners. and
Went over the entire park, observing tka
lCSl9tou of the different monuments ami
as-ertainea for himself if the spots picked
ont as nariiinss the location of the differ
ent regiments and different events in the
great battle axe correct, Sain Gen.
Waugh II:
II was particularly struck with the
ground marked as having been occupied
by the Seventy seventh Pennsylvania
regiment. According TO the way the
park is now laid out, it would appear
that the Seventy. seventh PENNSYLVANIA
regiment was hanked by ether regiments
and that, in fact, an entire division was
stationed there III line of battlr Nor
there was a very remarkable circumstance
connected with the capture OF the Seven.
seventh regiment, and consider it one
of the most remarkable events in the
whole war. 1t would make IA good story"
Gen. Vaughan WAS requested to give
the particulars of the affair, which he
proceeded to do rs follows: toy
AT dark on the first day OF the battle
of Chickamaugn, it was decided by the
Confederates that a night attack should
be made upon the enemy, and for that
purpose Cleburne's division was directed
to march i'll the advance with Cheatham
following close after ut Il certain number
of PAGES i'll the rear of Cleburne's divi-
sion. Dessler's moved off in front and
WAS followed by Preston Smiths brigade,
in which | was an officer. 1t was quiet
late ut night when the order, Forward,
march was given. 1t was II very dark
night. Dessler's brigade was ordered to
,i.rl,t ala l.
some obstacles it obliqueu to the left
Our brigade, moving lin the rear of Des.
slcr's did not defect its course, but
moved straight ahead. We had gone but
little distance when suddenly man,
who had been lying in the shade of :.
tree, jumped up and approached me, say
ing: Colonel, where sare we? Where is
the enemy located
Il perceived ut once that this fellow
was Il federal, and had mistaken me for
one of the officers of his regiment aud it
became apparent to me at once that the
enemy were close ut hand. Preston
Smith was rather in advance of his men
and looking ahead of him perceived reg
iment standing ont in the dark He
naturally thought it was Dessler's bri.
gade, and he rode up to find out the SIT.
uation of affairs. When he got close to
the regiment he was met by some of
their men, Who rs soon rs they could
distinguish in the dark that he WAS n Con-
federnte, shot him dead. That is how
Preston Smith lost his life.
Il heard the shots fired, and about that
instant the federal soldier who was talk
ing to me recognized that | was II Con-
Tolerate also. Quickly drawing his gun
he fired, but he did it so suddenly his
aim was bad. The bullet passed in front
,,f
John Donelson, who was OH my staff 1t
struck his watch and drove it com pletely
though the body. OF course he died in
stantly.
Il ordered my men to fire ut this fed
eral, and the scattering bullets fell in Il
shower among the federal regiment that
had killed Preston Smith. The Yankee
regiment was in dismay. They did not
know where the firing was coming from,
nor how many men were doing the firing
rode rapidly up To where the regiment
was stationed, and called for the com
handing officer. The commanding officer
came forward and announced that the
regiment was ready to surrender. called
for the standard bearer, ordered the colors
handed over to our men, and then selected
a guard to march the regiment to the
rear.
when visited Chickamnuga | OBJ
served that the federal officers who
selected the place marked as the Seventy
seventh Pennsylvania Regiment that sur
rendered that night had also marked the
location OF ii couple of other regiments
thanking the Seventy -seenth PENNSYLVANIA
Nov it does not seem possible TO me
that two federal regiments could have
been in that Aicinitv without our men
meeting them, and it does not seem prob
able that the Seventy seventh would have
surrendered so easily had there been any
other federal troops in that vicinity. -
knoXille Sentinel.