The National tribune., 1897-08-12
ON THE QUAKER RoAD.
Hot Work for Bartietfs Brigade that March
Afternoon.

Afternoon.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: In your
issue OF June "a, COmrade Thomas Scott
says that he has never seen a correct account
of the Quaker r. ad fight OF March %, 1863.
/ have never seen any account except with
many important points left out, but am
under the impression that no better account
will ever be given us than that contained IN
the "Story of Cannoneer," by Augustus
Buell..
am not prepared to give any more light
on the account of this fight save what saw
from the ranks of the 10th Mich, Bartlett's
Brigade. The CannOneer covered the ground
correctly from or o'clock in the morning
to about in the afternoon, the time Bart
lett entered the little clearing in the vicinity
of the steam sawmill.
Bartlett halted his brigade. Gen. Warren
was on the right of the road, with Griffln
| and Bartlett, in conversation. Warren sat
his horse in his usual splendid style, with
the air of man satisfied with the general
trend of things. Our brigade moved on,
Bartlett and Griffin riding toward the head
of column. Picket-fring opened ahead OF
us, then bang! bang went the artillery
then heard the ripping and tearing OF
musketry, and fight was on. Bartletts
Brigade hustled down through an Old
slaslng and began to reply, Bartlett In the
midst of us hurrying things up.
The 10Th Mich. took 10 the right OF the
dirt road. We came on ard tried to form
| line in our forward movement, running
around stumps, jumping over logs. and
dodging bullets until we struck some little
huts near an old sawmill. Around these
huts and through the brush Chamberlain's
men were retiring in confusion. Someone
gave orders TO stop them, an order We did
| not obey, and one iha: sh uld never be
given. There can be no good result accom-
plished by stopping men III such confusion,
under such CALLING fire. Better let them
pass, get over their furry, reform their lines,
and 10 to one they will return and fight to
the death.
This is precisely what our gallant boys
under Chamberlain did. The 18th passed
over little creek, around the buts, and
formed a solid line on the edge of little
field, under Calling fire of musketry from
rebel division approaching from the op-
posite side of the field, advancing In splen-
did order, loading and firing as they came.
Our regiment got as close to the ground
as possible to escape the incessant shower of
lead Orders we're given to load, fix bayO-
nets, and reserve our fire. We let them ap-
proach TO within Is or 16 yards of US. /
guess they would have walked right over u.s.,
but we spiany TO our feet, poured into them
a withering volley, and then charged with
the bayonet.
But they turned like fash and ran.
Many of the boys got near enough to give 1t
to them in the back. saw one of our boys
run his bayonet into a reb's knapsack and
knock him over on his face. The reb sur
rendered.
The Confederate officers, hitherto leading
their men in advance. now. in retreat. be-
came fle-closers One tall, slim fellow,
apparently about 25 years of age, was using
very vigorous language l could not tell
| whether the last sentence he uttered was for
his men to halt or run. l shouted for him
to halt a, d surrender. He seemed to reply
by pulling from his belt an old rusty re-
volver. / fired and he fell
In this style we drove the rebs into the
timber and over their little works on the
Boydton Plank Road. The rebel loss was
:. very heavy, despite the fact that most of our
work was done with the bayonet, not having
much time to load and fire in the pace we
kept up. Every man was intent on getting
into their lines before they reached the
woods, and taking them prisoners. Had we
not been stopped on account Of evening
coming on there is no telling what history
Bartlett would have added to the fight OF
the Quaker Road Our boys call this the
battle of the Sawdust Pile, from a pile OF
sawdust at left of the field near the steam
sawmill.
went back op the field to see the officer
/ had the encounter with and assist him
but the poor fellow was dead Had
known his revolver was empty / might
have taken him prisoner. l gave his sword
and belt to one of our boys, who has it yet.
If comrades we're 10 say was too hasty, my
reply would be that at the battle of PEBBLES
Farm, in the Fall of 1864. we had a rebel
artillery officer surrounded, with no possi-
bility of escape. He pulled a revolver and
shot dead the Colonel Of my regiment, the
gallant Norman E. Welch. made up my
mind then to never trust a reb with gun in
hand.-T. r. LAcKIE, 467 Vinewood Ave.
Detroit, Mich.