The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1902-07-20

his horse supporting himself, having re-
ceived his death wound. He said, Men,
do not rum" The men were demoralzed
They fell backwards, through the woods
over the fence, down the hilfi reformed
facing to the front, then faced to the rear,
crossed the brook and again halted and
faced to the front obliqing to the right.
Colonel Jones having been left wounded,
Lieutenant Colonel Law took command.
1t was then seen that Immediately on our
fsft there was a Federal regiment that
had turned our left in close column by
division at a support arms, and that our
right had been turned by Union brig
ade. The left company of the Fourth,
notwithstanding the cry, Don't shoot,
they are Virginians," delivered fire left
oblique into the faces of the regiment on
the left. This was returned with interest.
The Fourth was literally hanging in the
air without a support, enemies to the
right of them, to the front of them and
to the left of them. Again the men in
front of the terrible fire fled up the hill.
II was pitiful to see the poor fellows fall
before the merciless hail. Chagrined, full
of wrath and shame, some dragged them
selves up the ILL and as they retired
turned and emptied their muskets at short
range into the faces of the foe.
Where was Shank Evans with his six
hundred, where was Wheat with his
Louisiana Tigers, where was Falkner
with his Mississippians? Crossing the
line of the Eighth Georgia, a shell ex-
ploded just over the head of Captain
Clarke, who commanded the left rifle
company, and Immediately in front of
this historian. The old captain fell, lay
still on his face for a moment, rose,
brushed the dirt from his clothes, and
quietly continued to the rear. Here the
celebrated Hampton's legion came into
view, with the assistant surgeon in front
carrying a stretcner, and firing voleys of
red hot oaths at the retreatng men.
Hampton must have formed on the left
of the Eighth Georgia. Hating around
the old cotton-bale flag, which Sergeant
Frank Fits had carried through the day.
just in the rear Of the Georgians, 1t was
ascertained that about two hundred of
the regiment had rallied.
1t was just at this time that General
Johnston and Beauregard. accompanied
by their staffs, rode up to the regiment,
having heard the firing from their posi-
ton on the right and concluded that Nc
Dowell had selected his own battle-ground
and was giving battle. To General john
stons question, what troops are these?'
the answer was, ut Is what is left of the
Fourth Alabama"
''Where are your field officers?" The
answer was, left on the battlefield"
who is In commando"
Here 1t was understood that no one had
thought it the duty of the senior captain
to take command We asked that the
general either lead or give us a comman-
der to take us again into battle. He re-
piled that he had just come on the field,
and as soon as he could understand the
situation he would place us again in bat
tie.
Just at this point General Barlow,
bleeding from wound in the foot. his
horse wounded and painting. rode up and
said, General Johnston, am hard press
i w...f hold xraxr
positions without reinforcements The
General replied, "You must at all hazards
hold your position, and you need rein
forcements, this regiment here" pointing
to the Fourth Alabama, will support
YOU Barlow turned his horse and rode
back to his command and to his death.
General Johnston then, placing himself
by the colors, moved the Fourth through
the scrub pine timber. placed the regi-
ment in washout in the rear of the
Georgians and left us shrouded by the
thick pine bushes with orders to support
Barlow.
| There are some men who believe that
speech is always in order, and never
| lose an opportunity TO fire an audience
with their eloquence. Here was a great
| opportunity and Captain, afterwards
General Tracy rose to the occasion. The
men were sad; their. comrades had fallen;
they had shown their backs to the foe.
and they felt that hence forth they never
would be able to wipe out the stain. They
felt that they ought to have died on the
battlefield. Tracy was eloquent, It Is
remembered that when he had exhausted