The National tribune., 1900-09-27

was believed to be preparing to march
from Il point near Petersburg, Va, and
assault Suffolk in force. Isumors now
came thick and fast of the advance Of
LongStrect, whose force was supposed to
be between 80, 00U and 10000 men, though
from Confederate sources ! learned that
the actual force was about 2J,000.
RECOLLECTIoNs OF sERG'T. CRAWFORD
GRISWOLD.
At this point l will introduce to the
reader Sergt. Griswold, and | may add
that this gentleman is now n resident Of
TT. Wayne, Ind. He is, however, from
New York State, and was connected with
what was known as the Mounted Rifles.
In n recent letter Serg't. GriswoId re-
fers to the advance of Longstreet and the
Siege of Suffolk. He says:
''On the 9th Of April, 1863, We went to
Windsor on a scouting expedition. We
came back as far as Ely's to await the
rest of the regiment, who had gone to Isle
Of Wight Court House. While waiting
there l stroilcd into the yard where our
Colonel and other officers were sitting i'll
the shade, when the daughter came out
with Il picture in her hand, and, with Il
Southern woman's devotion, she proudly
said, This is my husband, Major Phil
lips, Of the Confederate army Our Of
ficcrs, with true Gallantry, took it and
pdSStu IL dIOuIu, IlIhiUB IdNDIdDlc tOUl-
mcnts. Col. Tatten then introduced Mrs.
Phillips to Ned Buntlire,'' the writer of
fiction who was i'll the group. Soon the
Isle Of Wight detachment returned, bring
ing six prisoners with them. We returned
to camp, but were not permitted to re-
main long inactive, as it was evident that
some information had reached hcadquar
ters that required active work. On the
morning of the 10th we returned to Prov
idence Church g picket duty; and early
on the 1lth | went with a detachment Of
~ men to Windsor, and was sent, with
six men, four miles beyond, to rec0Hnoiter,
with instructions not to engage any force
that | might meet, but get all the infor-
nation | could. / found the cnemy's ad-
vance guard and kept Il safe distance
ahead of them, reporting to Maj. UamiI-
ton, at Windsor, that | believed they were
the advance guard of an army, which
proved to be correct.
I'VE fell back to EIys, where our men
negotiated for hoe-cakc. The diIatory
method in supplying it created Il suspicion
that all was not right, and that the small
squad that was waiting there might be
far out from the main line of pickcts, and
that Mr.. Ely had information of the ad-
vance on Suffolk. We were afterward in
formed that Longstrect had crossed the
Blackwater the night before. The force
we met early i'll the morning proved to be
lilc auNdH'e Vi I@DlPSlTccL army. Inc
attack was made on the South Quay, Som
erton and Edenton roads, also at Provl-
dence Church. We held our own lines un.
I'll called III, and crossed the river bridge
at Suffolk at about O'Clock at night
Scrg't. Lcaring was stationed on the
South Quay road near Pruden's farm
house, and held his position with 90 men
until called III the next morning. When
the siege was raised, May 4, we went out
via Western Branch Church to pick up
stfaSgicrs, and returned via Ely's and
Providence Church Some troops preced-
ing us had set Ely's house on fire. Our
Captain sent Lieut.. Bruce and men from
our troop to put out the fire. but they did
not succeed. When being questioned as to
the reason, he said that there was no means
at hand to extinguish fires. He had heard
of smothering flames, but could not find
anything for that but shingles, which did
not prove successi Evidently Bruce
was not IN sympathy with the Ely fam
ily."
| trust l may be pardoned for making
still further extracts from n letter of
Sergt. GrjSwolds, as follows:
Nearly one year afterwards that same
picket post on the South Quay road was
the scene of as gallant q defense as a
small squad of soldiers ever made The
event occurred when Gen. Longstrcet ad-
vanced upon Suffolk. Serg't. Daniel p.
w. W. oh poo' .heie With tne usual
guard of 70 men, which he mounted and
charged the advancing rebel troops firing
| into them and retiring in good order to his
picket lines, which he held until relieved
the following morning, and capturing two
prisoners, which he turned over to the
Provost Marshal"
| SIEGE OF SUFFOLK.
| Longstreet appeared before Suffolk dur
ing the month of April. 1863, having
crossed the Blackwater River, advancing
by several roads leading from the west
into the little town. Gen. Peck was pre-
pared to receive the attack of the rebel
hosts. While the town was nearly en-
yeloped, on the west, there was no appre.
hension, as the Nansemond River and its
adjacent mud and marshes lay between
the opposing forces. Admiral Lee, com.
manding the feet in Hampton Roads, also
hastily dispatched several gunboats nm IN.