Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1899-07-07
10 VA. INFANTRY AT CHANCELLORS
VILE.
(From Shenandoah Valley.)

(From Shenandoah Valley)
: The regiment passed the winter 0
lS62-G3 in reasonably good winter quar-
: tiers near Guinea Station. During IN,
winter it was drilled to high standar,
OF proficiency, and the spring found it il
every respect well prepared forthe cam
paign. The regiment was composed Of
leleven eompanies-seven from Rock.
ingham, two from Shenandoah, one from
Page, and one from Madison. With q
full complement OF field and company
officers of tried courage and ability and
40 men 1t entered the great battle OF
Chancellor svile. The battle began in
the evening of The ID OF May, 1863. Al
though over thirty-six years ago, many
OF the incidents of the battle are vet
fresh in our memory. The night Of the
| st we camped near the old plank road
leading from Orange Courthouse, passed
Charlottesville to Fredericksburg at a
point where the Catharine Furnace road
intersects the plank road On the morn
Ing Of the I'd we were marched out this
road, passed the old furnace, onr line Of
march being mostly through The woods,
and within one mile of the enemy's
lines.
After hard days marCh-frOm Hook.
cT's front en- the east to his rear on the
west-JacksOn's corps struca the old
pike west Of the plank road and near
the old wilderness tavern. and was at
once formed in three lines across and at
right angles with this road. Gen. Rhodes
in the first line, Gen. Colston in .he see
ond and Gen. A. =. Hill in tine third
line. This was between and > p. IN.
So soon ms the lines were well formed.
the advance was begun, and after pass
ing short distance through the brush,
the skirmish bugle sounded the charge
and the battle began. The next sound
was the familiar rafting skirmish fire
This was soon followed By yolieys of
musketry and the now famous "rebel
yell" The enemy was at supper, and
was completely surprised. This was
Jackson's last and greatest flank move
ment.
The 10th was pant CT the second Inc,
and its right rested on the west side OF
this Old road The direction OF or adj
vance now was from west TO east. Al
though The enemy was completely SUIT
prised, yet their extensive earth works
rallying points from which
they poured heavy vclleys into our lines.
The heaviest loss We sustained on the
evening Of lie I'd was near the "wilder-
ness chWch." Immediately east Of the
church was heavy earth work. Here
the enemy made a stand The second
line now joined The first line and Storm
ell these works. one Of the first men to
HioHut tuieN NpiN was IlCNi. QdbN
Shank, color bearer Of the 10Th. lie
stood Oh the works and waved the flag
OF his regiment In the face OF u storm OF
lead. lie escaped unframed, but later
on died in Yankee prison. The main
line of these works crossed this road At
right angles, but on the east side OF the
road in addition 10 this main line, there
was breast work parallel with the pike.
The cnemy's lines or the west side gave
way first, so their lines on the east side
poured heavy cross fire into the 10th
which inflicted heavy loss, Many OF our
comrades went down under this cross
fire. This however did not check our
advance We drove The enemy back one
and a-haf miles further, where we gain
ed possession OF a strong barricade of
timber. 1t was now getting dusk. Our
line was scattered and confused, and A.
p. Hills line was not up. In the confu-
sion, effort was being made to get our
men to man this barricade.
During this lull in the battle, Gen
Jackson was wounded. The enemy adj
vaneed several batteries OF artillery and
opened a heavy lire on Us at short range.
Under cover Of this fire Hooker re-Occu-
pied this barIicade which was part of
his main line Of defence, therefore OF Vi
tai importance to him. No genius can
folesee and provide for every contingent
cy OF a great battle. Had A. p. llill's
line OF fresh troops been able to naye o.
cupied this hgyI.cade AZ once, IIookcr's
army would have been destroyed. These
lines were finally taken by our men the
next day, the Sd, III, not without hard
ighdng and heavy loss. In this time
Sedgwick had overcome Gen Early at
Fredericksburg, and threatened Gen.
Lees rear. This forced Lee to relax his
hol1 on Hnolar and euablp him IN re-.