The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-09-29
TARHEEL>,THI GRAY LINE
Colin Campbell's Highlanders Outdone
by North CaroIfnians

NOllA NdlIlPOCil I1iSilidnuCIS Oul2Ouc
by North Caro,inians.
Can incident Of the battle of Win
chester, Va, that surpasses the Nine
ty-third Regiments famous stand on
the morning of Balaklava-How Gen.
eral Robert d. johnson repealed re-
peated charges of yankee cavalry far
outnumbering his a~ttenuated brigade
AS told by General Bradley Johnson.)
At the battle Of Balakava occurred
an accident which Kinglike has painted
in words and thus immortalized. The
Highland Brigade, the Forty-second,
the Black Watch, the Cold Stream
Guards, the Grenadiers and the Ninety
third. Sir Colin Campbelps old regi-
ment were in position which threw the
Ninety-third just along the crest of a
slight rise Of the ground.
The Russian artillery had become an
noying and the N~inety-third lay down
lust behind the crest, where they were
better sheltered and concealed. A di-
vision Of Russian horse was moving to
the left of Sir Collins whole line, and
its head of column nearly with the
British, where at once four squadronS
of Russians. 400 men, swung quickly
out of column, and struck a gallop to-
wards the English position. Instantly
the Highlanders rose from the ground,
and with their tall forms and towering
block plumes looked like a line of
giants. The N~inety-third was not in
touch with either of the other battal-
ions of the brigade, so they stood and
took it and when the Russians got
within 300 yards opened fire upon them,
and drove them back. They never re-
peated the charge. This scene has
been celebrated in song and story as
"Sir Colin Campbelrs Thin Red Line"
It was witnessed by the allied armies,
English French and Turkish, and SIM
ply astounded the Russians, for both
sides saw it.
EXCELLED BY JOHNSTON'S MEN
But 1 myself, with thousands of 9TH
ers, saw Johnston's North Carolina Bril-
gade-First N. c., Battalion Sharp
Shooters, Fifth N. c., Twelfth N. c..
Twentieth N. c., and T~wenty-third N.
c. regiments-do a thing on September
18th, 1864, which far excelled in gal
lantry, in firmness, and in heroism this
feat Of the Thin Red Line. and 1
have never seen a description of it in
print, and I do not think it was referred
to in the reports. I am sure Bob Johns
ton did not, for he was as modest as
he was handsome and brave.
In September, 1864, Early's army was
lying about Winchester. We had been
through Maryland, and terrified Wash
ington into fits, and had gotten safely
back into Virginia, with thousands OF
horses, cattle, medical stores and hum
dreds Of wagon loads Of eatableS OF
every kind. I ! had a cavalry brigade Of
wild southwestern Virginia horSemen,
as brave and as undisciDlined as the
Virginia Rangers Colonel Washington
at Fort Necessity, or An
drews fought Cornstalk with at Point
Pleasant. I was bivouacked-we a
no tents. About three miles north of
Winchester, on the Valley pike, and
picketed from. the Valley pige, to the
Berryville pike, running east from Win
chester, General Robert D.. Johnston,
of North Carolina, had a brigade of 800
to 1000 muskets on the Berryville pike,
on the top Of the ridge running across
the road. My pickets were a mile in
advance of his in Ashe Hollow. Sheri-
dan, with As, 900 infantry and 0,0O0 cav
airy lay eight to fifteen miles beyond
our picket lines, from Berryville and
Ripon to Charlestown, and Halltown,
in Clark and Jefferson counties, Vir-
ginia. Now, every morning the yankee
cavalry would rush my pickets in on
Johnston's posts. He would stop them
until L got up, and then I'd drive the
yankees back n r~eestablish my ORR
ginal picket posts. This done l would
send my command pack to camp.
AN AL FRESCO BREAKFAST.
1 had about 800 mounted men, and
I'd ride up to Bob Johnston's head
quarters, which was a wagon under a
tree, one camp stool and a frying pan
sizzling with bacon, n a pot of rye
coffee and sorghum. I'd get my break
fast. But after a week of his proceed
ing it either became monotonous or my
appetite showed no signs Of weakening.
&, I don't know which. One morning ]
dismounted after my usual morning
call to boots and saddle and swung my
self very comfortably into Johnston's
single and only camp stool. I smelled
fho bacon +on6 cniffa6 tho nnffno and
waited. In a few moments the cook
handed me a chip for a plate and a
tin cup of red hot coffee, SO hot you
had to sit the cup on the grass, and
Bob spoke up.
Says he: Bradley, you let those
yankees do you too bad. You LAY
got so scared of them that O all rum"
els that so, Roberto" sale I. That's
a pity, but I don't know how to help it.
Z do the best I a How many yam
kee cavalry do you think you are good
for?"
"Well," said he, "Ive got 800 muskets
present for duty. BY a weeks time, as
I'll ave LOCO. Well, with 1000 muskets
I think I can take care of 5000 yanks
ON horseback
'An right said I, wait and see. I
hope you can"
SO I got my breakfast and went off,
n t1CkleQ at the concert OIL the
Tar Heel; for Sheridan's Cavalry, with
Custer. Torbett and Devens, were about
as good soldiers as ever took horse or
drew sabre. We had drilled them so
that in three years we had taught them
to ride. They were always drilling
enought to fight n they learned the
use of the sabre from necessity.
Well, things went on as usual. Every
morning Sheridan would send a regi-
ment out to feel Early, to drive in his
pickets, 81 as to make sure where he
was, and to know where to find him,
and every morning I'd ride over to the
Berryville road, re-establish my lines,
get my breakfast off of Johnston, and
back to sleep.
SHERIDAN'S ADVANCE.
BY daylight, the 10Th of September,
a scared cavalryman Of my own COM
mand nearly rode over me, as I lay
asleep on the grass, and reported that
the yankees were advancing with a