Brenham weekly banner. [volume] (Brenham, Tex.) 1877-1907, 1897-08-05

across the following letter written
during the war by the late H. D,
Donald, Esq, which letter the
Citizen has kindly been permitted
to reproduce. The letter was
printed as extra by the Citizen in
March, 1865, and is as follows:
Letter from Fort Craig.
SoLDoRo, 80 MILES ABOVE FoRT CRAIG, |
February II, 1862. !
r. V. COoK:-I write you a
few lines; am propped up on my
couch in the hospital. We fought
a great battle on the 21st, in the
valley of the Rio Grande, about
81 xmiles above Fort Craig, not
far from the town of Val Verde.
1t is called the ''Battle of Val
Verde" The cannonading COM
menced about 2 o'clock and con-
tinued until 4 o'clock, when a
charge was ordered. Our cap
tain CALAMITY led the charge
upon the enemy's heaviest bat
terry, and all of the boys-except
two or three-as calamity fol-
lowed, and victory soon was
ours. The loss on our side was
about forty killed and one hun
dred and forty wounded. The
loss of our company-one, killed
and twenty-five wounded-as
follows:
KILLED-Jo. E. Smith-was
first shot in the thigh, but still
fought on, till a second ball
struck him in the forehead,
killing him instantly. He fell
only a few feet from me.
WoUNDED-Lieut. D. A. Hub
bard, in the head, MORALLY;
Sergt. G. o. Sloneker, in the left
foot, not serious; Corporal R. H.
Carter, grape shot, left thigh,
flesh wound; M. C. Knowlton, in
the right side, dangerous; A. L.
Baker, just below the right eye,
not serious; F. E. Caldwell, in
the right arm, flesh wound; S.
Clapp, in both thighs, flesh
wounds; John P. Campbell, on
the wrist, very slight; j. H.
David, in the breast, MORALLY
died today; H. D. Donald, in the
right thigh, flesh wound; T. B.
Gillespie, in the right arm, flesh
wound; A. L. Grow, in the right
thigh, flesh wound; John Q.
Knowles, in the right arm, one
bone broken; A. G. Mitchell, in
the left arm, one bone broken; j.
H. McLeary, in the calf of the
leg, slight wound; j. D. Mont
gomery, just below the knee,
flesh wound; M. Panky, in the
right thigh, flesh wound; S. Put
nam, left arm broken, dangerous;
W. G. Roberts, calf of the leg,
slight wound; J. J. Stolts, left
arm broken, badly wounded; A..
Shubert, just grazed his chin,
very slight; Sam Henderson,
face and neck burnt by the ex-
plosion of one of the enemy's
caisons or ammunition carriages.
He is still able to fill his place as
commissary sergeant.
Capt. Shropshire is now major
in place of S. A. Lochridge,
who was killed while leading the
desperate charge which made
victory ours. Thos. G. Wright
is now our captain.
February 28.-Lieut Hubbard.
died last night. Cakes is our
only lieutenant, and will rank as
first henceforward.
Capt. Killough's company in
the battle lost two killed and one
wounded, but 1 did not know any
of them and have forgotten their
names. Capt. Killough and
Robert Moore are in good health.
The loss of the enemy is said
to be near 400 killed, and they
themselves do not know their
number wounded. Many of
them ran to the mountains, some
of whom have been found, but
numbers are still unheard of.
We captured six pieces of artil-
lery and some two or three hun
dred stands of arms, but did not
get the fort, so the enemy is now
above and below US.
Tell the ladies of Columbus
that the flag they gave US was
the first Southern banner that
waved over the enemy's bat
teries in the great battle Of Val
Verde; that only two bullets
pierced it, and its bearer, George
H. Little, was unhurt; and that
all the Columbus boys faced the
music with nerve to strike terror
to the foe, and made them ex-
claim, ''In the name of God what
are you made of, since cannon
and grape shot do not stop you'll"
Those two OF three who Law al