Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-05-21

der General ". Z. Jones In his raid in
West Virginia in the spring OF 1868. ana
that IL was the Thirty-fourth Nlrglni;.
| Battalion (his command) that captured
| the church at Greenland Gap on loot AZ
| ter the Sixth and Seventh had talied'
| This is the paragraph l propose TO con-
! tradict. 1t is a wonder that the bodies
of such gallant men as Colonel John
shackleford Green. Of Rappahanrock Che
colonel of the Sixth, and Richard Duia-
ney. of Fauquler 0he colonel Of the Sew
enth). do not rise out OF their graves at
any ones charging that those two regi-
ments failed" to perform any duty as
signed them.
I challenge Colonel Witcher 10 show
from General Jones's Official report any
fact that will bear out his statement.
Now. let us look into thu facts: The
church at Greenland Gap was garrlsoned
by Captain Wallace (an Irishmam and
eighty men. The church was made OF
heavy logs, squared, and its door and win
dovys. Of pinch oak plank. doubled cross
wise. being four inches thick. There were
loopholes for free use OF muskets. The
one picket was captured. but the dis
charge Of his gun gave ample warning
This block-house had to be disposed Of
before the command could proceed, as IL
guarded the only road. General Jones
summoned CAPTAIN Wallace to surrender
under flag of truce. stating that unless he
did so he would batter the church down
with artillery. The plucky Irishman,
knowing Jones could not transport artil-
lerv over such mounta, roads, replied
Batter. and be damned" Therefore the
block-house had to be taken by assault.
Jones waited until it was dark, procured
a very long ladder, 70 use as battering-
ram. caused a number OF men. who were
all volunteers from the different com
mands, TO man the battering-ram, and 80
take large bundles Of hay. tied up, 10 set
on fire.
] do not deny that some Of Colonel
Witchers men were among the Volun-
teers and helped man the ram, and sup
ported the assaulting party, but the Sc
quel shows who should have much Of the
credit. Colonel Witcher makes no men,
ton at all Of the First Maryland Battal-
ion. commanded by Colonel Brown, Of
Baltimore. There were thirty-seVen men
killed and wounded in this assault. Wal
lace did not surrender until the roof or
the burning church began TO fail. or
these thirty-seven men killed and wound
cd more than half of them were the gal
liant Marylanders, led by Lieutenant Ken
nedy Grogan, of Baltimore. who was Kill
ed. and the Hon. John Dunlop. now Ia
wounded. 1t is remarkable that, If the
Thirty-fourth Virginia Battalion took the
church, the official report gave great ere
dit TO Colonel Browns battalion. and the
heaviest loss was on him.
am the only man in this whole section
who was present, being then a member
Of the Clarke Cavalry, Company d. In the
Sixth, and, while | accord all gallantry
to Colonel V. A. Wtcher, who Is brave
man. and TO the Thirty-fourth Virginia
Battalion, who always fought well. yet !
protest against his claiming all the ere
dit for his battalion, and against his
charge that the Sixth and Seventh had
failed. for neither regiment had ever been
ordered TO assault the church. II Colonel
Witcher is disposed to contradict what
have written. let him first learn
what Judge d. \. Grimslcy will say, and
host Of officers in the Sixth and Sew
enth who were all the,e.
ROBERT n. PENDLETON.