The National tribune., 1897-08-12
Alb IN A DENSE FOG.
Pennsylvania Major Tells of Incident
After charlottesville.

Pennsylvania Major Tells of an Incident
After Charlottesville.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: AS you
come in touch with the men who did their
duty during the civil war, l wish 10 relate
an incident connected with the crossing OF
Sedywick's Corps of Hookers army after
the battle of Charlottesville.
The Second Brigade Of the Second Di-
vision, Second Corps, crossed at Banks's
Ford, and formed Gordon to protect and
cover the crossing. The writer was in COM
maud OF two companies of the I'D Pa, who
occupied position facing east towards
Fredericksburg, about mile from the ford.
In front OF our line vas cleared ravne
about so feet wide, gradually descending to
depth of eight feet. 1t was misty, moon
light night, obscurDg vision distance OF
80 yards away.
| Orders received through a staff officer
| were to hold the line, us Sedgwck was about
| to cross, and when lie lad crossed ! would
be informed. After a lapse OF about two
| hours another officer came riding out and
| said
"Sedgwick is inside the picket-line, and
no one outside Of you but the rehs." As
soon as Sedgwick should have crossed the
river / was TO be withdrawn.
| / went along the line and cautioned the
men not to fire without orders. / knew the
rebs had happy way OF feeling our posi-
| ton by advancing thin skirmlsh-liue that
would fire AT random to provoke return
| fire.
A long time passed. and some of the men
| afierward remarked they could the
ghost of L bby Prison outlined in the log,
| as they began to feel they were being leIt
out in the cold. All at once from out OF
the fog emerged a body of troops moving
south along The opposite edge OF the ravlne
A single shot WIS fred by one OF my men
when q cry came:
| "Du not fire; we are friends"
"Oh," our men replied, that is played
out"
l went down the ravine and up on the
opposite side to the head of the regiment
| and asked:
What regiment is this?"
The commanding officer replied The
9th VI"
"Where are you going?" asked.
He replied "T0 Banks's Ford"
81 said: Colonel. if you keep on in the
same direction, inside of 10 minutes You
will be within the rebel lines. You are
going south, while the river is north. You
must fl lie right, and by keeping to the righ,
in 90 minutes you will reach the ford"
The regiment DISAPPEARED, and everything
was quiet. After another wait the sound
OF horse at full gallop was heard. It was
Lieut.. Seabury, OF Gen. Ovens staff. He
cri, d:
Major, get your men in as soon as you
can" He, too, disappeared in the fog.
When we arrivel at the ford the rebs
were Smelling the bridge, which the pom.
tooniers were about to cast loose. What.
ever regiment it was, the shot fired was in.
strumental in placing the regiment in 8
proper direction, and possibly saving il
from capture. Having been informed that
no Union troops were outside of our lines,
could but infer it was q rebel regiment
Fortunately for our men it was not, for that
one shot would have had an opposite effect
Is there anyone of the 9th Vt. who par
ticipated in the Charlottesville fight who
can recall their march from Frederick .buri
to Banks's Ford, and how near they came tt
march on to Richmond ?-SAMUEL ROBERTS
Major, I'D Pa, Germantown, Pa.