Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-11-27
THAT SHAM BATTLE
IN WHICH THE FOURTH VIRGINIA
PARTICIPATED.
INTERVIEW WITH BARDED WIRE.
Took n Bath without Waiting for
the Water to he Heate'-"e V"''
Misunderstanding Faces Reappear--
Notes.



CAMP ONWARD. SAVANNAH, Ca
November 25.-rhe big sham battle OF the
Second Division has been fought at last
The enemy consisting OF the 16lst lndi-
ana Second Illinois. and First North
Carolina. OF. the First Brigade OF this
division. under Colonel Armfield, OF the
First North Carolina. occupied the earth-
works which are about mile from our
camp. 49,
The Second Brigade, consisting OF the
Fourth virginia, Forty-nlnth Iowa, ana
sixth Missouri under command or COLO
mel G.. w. Taylor, of the Fourth virginia
marched forth early this morning TO dis
lodge them from this strong position
The men of the attacking force wore
khaki trousers, which easily distinguished
them from the enemy in blue.
In line of squads the three attacking
regiments marched through the WOODS
brush. and briers, falling over stumpS'
hanging in barbed-wire fences, wadihs
swamps. and jumping bitches. TWO Oh
the Virginia officers soiled their dress
coats and spoiled their dignity by inVoi-
unfairly taking a plunge bath In one Oh
the marshes, without waiting to have the
water heated. At one time they were en-
tirely lost to view
one of the Richmond Blues got IN
miserable predicament. He became en-
tangled I'm barbtd wire just as he was
about TO Jump a ditch. and the result OIL
IL was that his head got across, while ms
legs were left behind on the other side
He had to be disrobed to set him free
from the clutches of the wire.
Major Tarrall's horse was very oadly
cut nv running into a barbed-wire fence
The blare Of trumpets. the shouts or ON
GERS. and the field officers and couriers
riding 70 and fro were warlike indeed.
| The yolleys from the attacking torces'
| the replies from the earthworks, which
! bristled with rifles, and the bayonet
charges would have wildly reminded an
| old veteran of the sixties of the time
! when those same earthworks were SINH
larly lined with men and guns. and there
was the same din of battle; but then each
volley that was fired meant death ana
destruction. either to Sherman's maraud-
ers or Savannah's defenders.
THE UMPIRES.
The battle was umpired by Generals
| Hasbrouck and Wlliston, and some OF
their STATS. Whenever a company, or
anv body of troops, made a move which
would have been destructive to them
selves they were thrown out Of the bat
tie.
General Wiillston and General Has
brouck spoke most highly in praise OF
Colonel Taylor's management OF his men,
and the method in which the attack was
made. They also eomplimented the splen-
did order OF the troops in the attacking
brigade, the quiet manner in which the
squad leaders gave their orders, and the
auickness Of the men in getting on the
firing line.
After the firing Of fifteen rounds ef
blank cartridges in volley, "at will" and
rapid fire." charge bayonets" was
given, but halt" was commanded before
the attacking force reached the earth
works 1t became apparent that the enc
my was too strongly entrenched, and SO
we retired in perfect order.
Starvation has been recommended as
the best weapon with which to attack
such positions. 1t is more effective than
firearms. besides being more economical.
THE ONLY VICTIM.
There was no mortality, save the killing
of two rabbits by the Virginians.
About the first OF next week the Fourth
Illinois will be relieved from provost duty.
The practice OF demoralizing one regi-
ment by putting the whole OF 1t on this
soft snap will be given up, and General
Lee now intends to have details from
each regiment to spend about week at
time in the performance Of such duty.
The 2O2d New York, Third New Jersey,
and Fifteenth Pennsylvania, forming the
First Brigade Of the Third Division of
the Second Army Corps, will be here In
a day or so. Brigadier-General w. c.
Oats, its commander, telegraphed General
Lee TO prepare temporary camps for them.
They have been assigned to Pinar del
Rio, Mariel, and Guanajay Cuba, which
points they are expected to reach by De-
cember lst.
A number of the familiar faces which
have been missing in the Fourth Virginia
all the way from ten to sixty days put in
their appearance to-day. Among them
are the following: Privates Corrie Graves
and r. w. Jones, of Company NJ; Ser
geant o. p. Hasten, Corporal W. G.
Crenshaw, and Privates William Crump
and Charles Dear, all Of whom have been
home on sick furloughs for thirty days
or more Sergeant John Teller and Pri-
vate Krouse, Of Company II; Sergeants
II. r. Hinton and ]. NJ. Il. Gill, and Pri-
vate W. p. Ray. Of Company X, who have
been home on ten-day furloughs.
Prvates Graves and JONES' of Company
NJ. and Corporal W. G. Crenshaw, of Com
pany II, have all secured discharges. but
they couldn't allow their old comrades TO
leave for the Mecca Of the Seventh Army
Corps QHabana) without fond farewell
and parting benediction. Besides, they
craved a few more meals on our army
delicacles.
Company NJ Is very ambitious of late
a company without a prototype in hts
tory. They do more O. than they are or
dered to do. They voluntarily have af-
ternoon drills regularly e~s> -"