Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1897-12-09
From the Warren Register
of the Battle of Front Royal.


Temporarily located in the vicinity
of Front Royal, memories Of the battle
of Front Royal come up in my mind,
bringing instances that if related may
interest many of your readers.
was a member of the Baltimore
Battery, c. S. A, which was attached
to Elzey's Brigade, Ewell's Division
attached also to the brigade was the
Maryland Regiment of Infantry. l
had friend in the regiment by the
name of Frank Blake, Baltimorean.
We boarded at the same house in Rich
mond, before either Of US enlisted.
Fortunately, both commands were IN
the same brigade, so we were fire.
quently together. When Stonewall
Jackson made his advance on Front
Royal, the Maryland Regiment was in
the advance, and among the skirmishers
was my friend Blake. Of course they
met with strong resistance, and the
.kirmish fighting was severe. During
the desultory firing Blake observed
Federal taking deadly aim at him from
over a bush, but before he could fire,
Blake sent ball through him. AS the
line advanced, Blake stopped at the
PROSTATE form to see the effect Of his
shot. AS he did so, the Federal looked
up at him in amazement and exclaimed
"My God Frank, is that you? Frank,
you have killed me, but cannot blame
you, as | had dead aim on you, but
YOU shot first !" In few moments he
was dead. Poor Franks grief over
the occurrence was terrible, as the one
he had killed had been his boon COM
panion from childhood, and the last
friend he had bid goodbye to when
leaving Baltimore for the South.
The fight had not advanced very far
before we realized that the Maryland
Regiments of both sides were confront
ing each other, and if ever the express
sion brother against brother, friend
against friend" was fully realized, it
was certainly and sadly so on that &C.
casion. After the close Of the fight,
and very nearly the whole Federal
Regiment had been captured, it was
peculiarly interesting to see the inter-
change of greetings between captors
and prisoners.
must relate an incident that seri-
ously concerned General Elzey, the
night after the battle. He, of course,
was very hungry, and had ordered an
elaborate supper to be sent to his tent,
from where | am not able to say. How
ever, it reached its destination. A
member of our battery, a tall, red
headed Irishman by the name Of
well, l won't call his name-scented
the supper from afar, and followed the
trail to the Generals tent. BY some
mastery maneuvenng he captured
that supper, and he and his mess had
a good time over it. When the Gen
eral discovered, on entering his tent,
that his supper had mysteriously dis
appeared, they say that the atmosphere
for hundred yards around turned
blue for awhile. When an inquiry
was made around the camp, "who took
the Generals supper" an expression
of innocence never was more strongly
depicted than that on the countenance
of my comrade, Nc,
1t was rather a coincidence that as
the Maryland Infantry, U. S. A, sue
cumbed to the Maryland Regiment, c.
S. A., so did the Baltimore Battery,
U. S. A., succumb to the Baltimore
Battery, c. S. A., in a later campaign.
1t was when Jackson's Army, rein
forced by large part Of the Army OF
Northern Virginia, advanced up the
Valley against General Milroy, who
held Winchester, Captain Alexander,
of the Baltimore Battery, U. S, A.,
stationed at Winchester, sent through
the lines a challenge to Captain Griffin,
of our battery to fight an artillery duel.
Captain Griffin sent him word not to
get restless, as they would meet very
soon.
The advance Of Jackson was so rapid
that We took Milroy unawares. How
ever, he made a stubborn resistance
and it was late in the afternoon before
he fell back from bis position. The
Baltimore Battery, U. S. A, retreated
from their position to the Star Fort.