Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1897-02-06


up again we were far enough away to
snap our fingers at their cannon. On
our fight poor fellow on foot with a
wounded leg begged me to help him
to the rear. told him to climb on
the fence if he could, which he did,
and / backed my horse near enough
for him to get on. which he did, hold
ing on to me and grooming. ] made
for the nearest ambulance aud dumped
him IN. ! have never heard from him
since. Soon after the cavalry line
fell back two or more OF our infantry
regiments were up. They nobly
stood the onset of the foe, but were
soon overhorne by numbers. All this
time the storm was on in full force
and the rain ellin torrentsamid heavy
thunder and lightning We were
drenched to the skin and could MOI
keep our arms dry. There seemed TO
be no commanding head, and men be-
came discouraged. When the inian-
try was driven back, a panic set in,
followed by disastrous retreat. The
infantry, however, suffered heavily
before they tell back. The cavalry
were ordered into line in the rear and
told to let no infantry pass them, but
it was like trying to dam river with
spoon. When ordered to halt, the
men would look up stolidly and keep
right on without word. Men seem
under these conditions to get just like
flock of sheep. Our whole force re-
treated back toand across Cedar Creek
somewhat demoralized. There had
been some good fighting done, how
ever, by our infantry, as many were
killed and wounded during the two
hours or more fighting But the force
was stretched out for miles back along
the road when the battle began, and
even the leading officers were not up.
1t was badly managed business, and
it cost the commanding general his
position. The enemy did not pursue
as we burned the bridge over the
Shenandoah on the retreat and the
water was high and swift. Some 81
our guns were tumbled into it tc
keep the enemy from getting them.
AS soon as the affair was known al
! Washington orders were issued sus.
pending General Sigel and General
David Hunter was appointed in his
place. In the camp at Cedar Creek he
soon succeeded in restoring order out
of chaos, and in about two weeks, with
some additional force, the onward
movement was againresumed. When
our cavalry advance reached Newman
ket, sorry sight presented itself.
/
had interviewed had its natural effect
upon the dead, nearly all ofwhich had
for that time been lying unburied. In
limestone quarry beside the pike
some sixty bodies had been deposited
with only light coating ofearth over
them, and heads and limbs were pro-
truding out of the mass, and the
stencil was frightful. Parties were
set to work to inter them properly.
All in the quarry were covered where
they lay, and the dead lying aboutth
field were buried where they happened
to be. The badly wounded were also
found in horrible condition. Living
squirting organisms teemed in theii
wounds. The citizens had done what
they could toalleviate theirconditions
but they had not been ableto do much
but to put them into stables and
sheds for shelter, as they had mum
Der Of their own wounded to look after
and it was but natural they should
give their best attention to them
One curious circumstance happened
at this Battle Of Newmarket, which
should have mentioned in the propei
place. While our cavalry was in
skirmish line at the front, an officer
selected one Of our comrades to bear a
dispatch to battery on our right.
The comrade started about when the
firing began and was seen on his way
and near the battery, and he has been
seen or heard Of by none from that
hour to this, though much search and
inquiry was made. Several such in
cidents happened during the war.
After restoring the battlefield t
decency and caring for the wounded
the march up the Valley was con
tinued. No enemy was met unit
Harrisonburg was reached, where ou