The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-05-22

y 7 b
What occurred after this, or on other
parts OF the battletield, nave, Of course.
no personal knowledge, and hav,ng made
It a rule In my official reports and what
nave had to say since, about military
operations during the war, never to at
tempt an account Of what did not see
or nave knowlsrdge Of, ] shall not now
venture into that field.
The general result was, however. that
the enemy failed of his object, and re-
crossed the Rappahannock the night Of
rne eth OF June, not much, II any, wiser
or General Lees purposes than before
the reconnaissance.
1t VIII not and cannot be denied, we
were taken by surprise. This Is always
possible where the dividing line between
TWO ARMIES Is natural boundary like
the Rappahonnock river, To mass a
strong force In the night time in the
lmmedfalte neighborlood of t1e OUT
posts and pounce suddenly upon them at
daybreak next morning is not difficult
OF dangerous undertaking. This was
of6en done by both sides. but on this oc-
easion the accommodating panty did not
pass the "eyes and ears" Gas the cavalry
mad been deslgnateD of our army !
nave learned that a part of Longstreet's
infaDtry moved out towards where we
were crossing sabres, but do not thsuk
the Fede.af company got near enough
W hHOW what Cney were.
Pleasanton, who, l understand, COM
manted the attacking forces on t.he other
sfde, was an aggressive. vigorous, hard
hshing antagonist, but he was enter
tanned by Stuart all day In a. very Evely
fashion, and did not make much head
way when he encountered the fighting
squadrons on our side.
Stuart's headquarters were at Fleet
WOOD Hail, q farm house o. mile or so to
Dr. nd
charges and counter charges were made
as ! have been informed, aong TIE line
OF 'the railroad, and to the right and left
OIL II, some four or five miles to the left,
where my regiment and the Fourth Viz
s!nia were engaged. i did not see etther
Generals Stuart or Hampton ina, day.
as they were occupied IN other pants of
the field, and We had to so Il pretty
muoh alone for the reasons above stated
Major 7. j. Lipscomb succeeded in the
command of my regiment and handled Ii
me remainer of this days fight, and I'M
I'll the close of the war. with his usual
gallantry and ability.
After Brandy Station came the march
of General Lees army ito Gettysburg,
where the pivotal battle Of the war was
Fought Ii has been said the Confede-
racy reached high water mark at Gettys-
burg. The Army of Northern vi: gina.
seasoned by so many great and desperate
battles, was then at ITS beet A more
splendid army never took the field Its
discipline. hts fighting qualities, its conf
dence IN the great commander, and his
N the army were well nigh perfect
True, one of HIS strongest hight arms
''StonewalP Jackson, IN greats:t m.,:.taly
genius produced on either side, had died
from his wounds at Chancellcrsvflge, but
the other veteran generals were there
and 1t did seem the cruelty of relentless
fate that their efforts should encounter
failure instead of success.
Iii is Idle now to speculate, but we can
n-t got rid of the thought that If Jack
son lad been there the result might have
been different. May be not. An lAllw:se
Providence who controls the destinies of
men, armies, and ma t!ons decreed against
u.s. and accomplishing submission Is best
and w:se;t.
l wish 1 had the time to say and you
the patience to hear a word about the
two great military heroes after whom
your camp Is named; but 1t Is lmpossi-
BILE In this connections to do justice to
their memories. Pickett was the beau
ideal of an American infantry soldier.
dashnG, composed, splendid. The
charge of his light division at Gettys-
burg has made him and his men i'm
mortal, and Will ,anl. with the fore
most military achievements of the
Noiiu' IL WIS SalO OF the charge OF
Balaklava: 1T was glorious, but it was
not war Pickett's charge was "glori-
Gus. and 1t was war"
Buchanan, a naval hero of the first
rank. ievoutioniZed naval warfare the
world over and set the pace for naval
construction, by his novel, brilliant,
marvellous performances in the early
part of our war. Whatever has been
done since in naval architecture or
manoeuvres has been founded on the
genius of Maury, Brooke and Buchanan,
and the world has never been able to
get far away from the ideas of these
great Confederates. They need no more
endearing monument to their memories.
The Naval Post Band, which had be-
gun the exercises with wonderfully
sad, beautiful rendering of Nearer My
God. to Thee" brought them to
close with a funeral d.rge
which brought tears Co the eyes
of many an old soldier. Rev. Dr. b. D.
Tucker pronounced the benediction, and
the parade moved out of the lot toward
beautiful Elmwood, going up Bark, to
Butte, to Cumberland. thence to and
through the cemetery, mating in front
or the Confederate section, where six sa-
!utes were fired-',hree by the infantry
and three by the srt:llery-after which
the parade moved IN order down Cum
ber!and street TO FTeema son, ITO Bank, to
Commercial Place, where the military
were drilled In the rain. which had com
menced TO descend just as the process sion
LETT the cemetery. and which marred
somewhat 'the end of an otherwise per-
feet afternoon.
NOTES OF TJNE, Dav