Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1897-08-12
SHEPHERDSTOWN w. VA. THURSDAY AUGUST II, 1897.

Hardly was this attack off the field
when we saw the determined Federals
again filing out of Fredericksburg and
preparing for another charge. The
Confederates under Cobb reserved their
fire and quietly awaited the approach
of the enemy. The Federals came
nearer than before, but were forced to
retire before the well-directed guns of
Cobb's brigade and the fire of the ar
tillery on the heights. By that time
the field in front of Cobb was thickly
strewn with the dead and dying Fed
erals, but again they formed with des-
perate courage and renewed the at
tack and were again driven off. AT
each attack the slaughter was so great
that by the time the third attack was
repulsed, the ground was so thlckly
strewn with dead that the bodies Sc
riously impeded the approach of the
Federals. General Lee, who was with
me on Lees Hill, became uneasy when
he saw the attack so promptly renewed
and pushed forward with such per-
sistence and feared the Federals might
break through our line. After the
third charge he said to me General,
they are massing very heavily, and
will break your line, am afraid.
General, l replied, if you put every
man now on the other side of the Po-
tomac on that field to approach me
over the same line, and give me plen-
ty of ammunition, l will kill them all
before they reach my line. Look to
your right ; you are in some danger
there, but not on my line.
II think the fourth time the FEEDER
ais came, a gallant fellow reached with
in 100 feet of Cobb's position and then
fell. Close behind him came some few
scattering ones, but they were either
killed or fed from certain death. This
charge was the only effort that looked
like any real danger to Cobb, and after
it was repulsed felt no apprehension,
assuring myself that there was enough
of the dead Federals on the field to
give me half the battle. The anxiety
shown by General Lee, however, in
duced me to bring up two or three brl-
gades, to be on hand, and General Ker-
shaw was ordered, with the remainder
of his brigade, down to the stone wall
but rather to carry ammunition than
a reinforcement for Cobb. Kershaw
dashed down the declivity in time to
succeed Cobb, who fell from wound
in the thigh and died in few min
utes from loss of blood.
"a fifth time the Federals formed
and charged and were repulsed. A
sixth time they charged and were dnv-
en- back, when night came to end the
fearful carnage, and the Federals with
drew leaving the battlefield literally
heaped with the bodies of their dead.
Before the well-directed fire of Cobb s
brigade the Federals had fallen like
the steady dripping of rain from the
caves of house. Our musketry alone
had killed and wounded at least 5000
and these, with the slaughtered by the
artillery, left over 1000 killed and
wounded before the foot Of Marye s
Hill. The dead were piled sometimes
three deep, and when morning broke
the spectacle that we saw upon the bat
tlefeld was one Of the most distressing
1 ever witnessed. The charge had
been desperate and bloody, but utter
ly hopeless. thought, as l saw the
Federals come again and again to their
death, that they deserved success il
courage and daring could entitle SOL
diers to victory"