Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-05-11

tailed to work with Shcridan'S cav
airy division. The subsequent relief
OF Gen. Warren is a matter of history
concerning which there is no need OF
repeating.
Gen. Griffin succeeded to command.
and aided by the sixth. the Second.
ana portions Of the Army Of the James.
with other corps as East as they could
get to the scene. the military move
,, ilcnss of that timn form some CT the
most absorbing chapters of the civil
War. which history has placed On rec
ord Since the approach to -\ppomat
tox--for hundred miles or more
along this stream there had been ter
rife fghtinC-brough the head of
each army very frequently in View.
the strange spectacle OF one army
pressing with all energy in pursuit,
while its antagonist was using its
| best efforts to Gct away and reach its
della cd base Of supplies. was presented
t. 10th sidcs.
ION the terrible march to Appomat-
| tox court house the Federal troops
were ever shroudcd in smoke and dust.
and the rattle Of firearms and the
heavy roar Of artillery told all too
| ptalIlN tI lHt Iut'iSt n'tiit iii' a.
| Threatened to bring on yet one more
general engagement.
Then came 4 moment which to me,
at least. was more thrilling than any
that had gone before. AS we We're
| lmrying on in response to Shcridan's
| he Silly scrubbed note for aid. an or
Derby with still another command
from Little Phil came upon our be-
| Of l., Il ix-i
sion of the Fifth Army Corps. just as
we were passing n road leading into
| the woods. In the name Of Sheridan |
was ordered to turn aside from the
column Of march. without waiting for
orders through Inc regular channels,
and get to his relief.
The orderly said in voice of great
| est excitement that the Confederate
| infantry was pressing upon Sheridan
| with a weight so terrible that his cav
airy alone could not long oppose it.
Il turned instantly into the side road
| by which the messenger had come, and
| took up the double quick, having
spared just time enough to send to
Gen. Gregory an order to follow me
with his brigade.
In good season we reached the field
where the fight was going on. Our
cavalry had even then been driven to
| the very verge of the field by the old
| 'Stonewall corps. Swinging rapidly
| into action the first line was sent for.
ward in partial skirmish order. fol.
lowed by the main lines, the First and
Second brigadcs. Once. for some un.
known reason, | was ordered back. but
in the impetuosity of youth and the
heat Of conflict. | pushed on. for 1t
seemed to me to be a momentOus hour.
We fought like demons across that
field and up that briStlinE hill. They
told us we would expose ourselves to
the full fire of the Confederate artil-
lcry once we gained the crest. but push
on we did past the stonewall behind
which the 'StonewalfsCorps' had hid
den driving them back to the crest OF
the ridge. down over it, and away.
Eve were gathering cur forces for a
last final dash upon tho enemy. From
the summit of the hill we could see on
the opposite ridge a full mile across
the valley the dark blOtchcs of the
Confederate infantry drawn up in line
Of battle: the blocks Of cavalry fur
thcr to our right. and lower down
more cavalry. detached. running hith-
err and thithcr as if uncertain just
what to do.
I'm the valley where flowed the now
narrow Appomattox. along whose
banks we had fought for weary miles.
was a perfect swarm of moving men,
animals and wagons. wandering APP
parently aimleSsly about without def
mite precision. The river sides were
trOdden to muck by the nervous
mass. 1t was a picture which words
can scarce describe.