The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-03-23

crowded with shell. as they passed harm.
 lessly over our heads, with now and then a stray ball from the long range rifles of the enemy. We descended the hill
 In front: and as we reached the top of the hill in front, the musketry of the enemy seemed as If 1t had just began From this time until night everything In front was obscured from view by the dense smoke: and the sound that greet cd the ear can't be compared to anything but severe hail storm. accompanied
 by thunder and lightning. Often when our boys were ready. and only waiting
 for the smoke to clear away. the vivid
 flash from the cannon Of the enemy in formed our men of the whereabouts of the enemy. volley of musketry fol-
 lowed, again obscuring everything from view-for moment everything seemed
 to be in confusion. Col. A. C.. Wood
 being in command of Pryor's Brigade, Capt. G. w. Taylor of Company K. was in command of the Regiment He or dered a charge; our weary and almost exhausted boys rushed forward. but the overwhelming forces of the enemy drove out meE back. Slowly and reluctantly we retreated, disputing every Inch of ground. Night coming on, the firing gradually ceased, and our men, exhausted. sank down to rest where they stood. every one expecting that the coming day would bring with 1t another fight.
 Early the next morning our pjckets and those of tho enemy began firing, but both sides seemed to have done enough all ready. Later in the day, a flag of truce was seen approaching our lines. l never have been able to get correct verbage
 of their message; suffice Il 10 say no
 terms were agreed on. Both sides were In line of battle. and this time was en-
 ployed by our litter-bearers in bringing in the wounded that had fallen in ex-
 posed places. Night coming on, our men. hungry and weary for want of sleep, sank down to rest where they had lain the night previous, but about 10 o'clock at night we received orders to fall back
 By s o'clock next morning our whole
 army was oil the Virginia side of the Potomac. Early on the morning of the
 18th, we were drawn up in line of battle
 on the Virginia side of the Potomac.
 We remained here until late in the even ing, when we received orders to fall back
 to Martinsburg, Va. We marched all night and camped next morning only six
 miles from Sheppardstown. the road.
 though firm. was very rough. We re-
 mained here all day, and at night took
 up the march again. The night was very
 dark, and 1t appeared to me that all the
 rocks in that country might have been
 on the road we travelled over that night. We camped near Martinsburg the morn ing of the Fist of September. We re-
 mained here several days. while the gen.
 erals were employed in recognizing the
 army. While here. Adiutant L. Pinkard
 was appointed Lieutenant-Colonel.
 On the 27th we again took the road to
 Winchester. a distance of thirty miles.
 We marched twenty-seven miles and
 halted for the night; early the next morning we moved to Q more suitable camping ground. 1t was while we were encamped at this place that the smallpox broke out in our regiment; but the men
 who fell victims to this loathsome dis ease were sent off as soon as discovered.
 We left this camp September 3Oth;
 marched through Winchester, took the road to Front Royal, marched twenty seven miles. and halted for the night.
 LNap pl tvx rv,f sNf m 1df n Nn- vember, cold, and many of the men bare footed. We took the road for Culpepper Court House, waded both branches of the Shenandoah. passed through Front Roads. waded both branches of the Rap- pahannock, and arrived at Culpepper Court House November $. camped north of the Court House one mile; November 7th the first snow of the season fell. This was sleepless night to our tent less Brigade; we left this camp OH the 18th of November and arrived at Freder- icksburg the 23d. camped west Of the town three miles, and north of the plank road leading to Gordonsville one mile.
 On the 9th of December 1t showed to the depth of six or seven inches. About 5 o'clock in the morning of the l1th or December. l was awakened by the firing of cannon. Soon the order came for the men to be In readiness. The grey streak In the eastern horizon informed us that day was breaking The enemy had be- gan SnpIllnk the Clty Ot The scene from the hill near our camp was beautiful. A quotation from Camp. bell, in his description of the battle or Warsaw. best describes 1t:
 Earth shook. red meteors flashed along
 the sky .... ..--- the light of which tinged the clements was not engaged in the bloody battle at this place. but was in position on the extreme left of our army. Capt. F'errie Henshaw. of the Commissary Depart ment, having resigned on the 2d of De-
 cember. left the Regiment. He had filled his position with credit to himself. and gave general satisfaction to me en- tire Regiment. His loss was keenly felt, His position was filled by capt. Il. r. Dunson of Company E.
 Shortly after the battle of Chancellors vile we advanced north to Gettysourg crossing the Potomac at Falling waters a few miles below Harpcrs Ferry, and continued through Chambersburg on to Gettysburg: the 14th Alabama was not directly engaged at Gettysburg. only glv ing support to Picketts Division when they were outnumbered and driven back consequently the 14th lost only few men. On the 4th day of July We began the retreat from Gettysburg. The next battle in which the 1ith Alabama took Snottsyvana Court House. General Grant then made another flank move ment but he found a sufficiency of Lees army to check him at North Anna. An other flank movement brought Grants army to Cold Harbor. near Richmond then our army itself began a series or flank movements and pushed Grant army back to the James River Fms was In the month of June. The Federais admitted the loss of 40,000 men, consid- erably over half of General Lees whole army. Then began the siege of Peters burg, Then the Northern Army began tunneling under battery on the Conted- crate lines in order to blow 1t up. Pensylvana5 Regiment did the work. ana when the explosion took place something oyer 200 CbnI Iederates were killed Re bama being one of the regiments that aided in driving them back and rc-estab- fishing our lines. The siege of Peters burg and Richmond continued all the winter About the 1st of April the lew remaining Confederates began retreat
 westward. Grants army pursuing TOT several days. At last at AppomattoX the end came. Gen. John B. Gordon and his command dld tke last fighting that was done by General Lees army.
 l am now considered an old man, ana I pronounce this the saddest day of my life The men. when it became known that General Lee had surrendered. were perfectly frantic. old men wcpt ike chil- dren Be it said to the honor Of the l4th Regiment that they returned quietly home and went to work trying to re- trieve their broken fortunes, and so far as 1 know of the five companies rom Chambers. every man is dhet, peace ahle citizen. But few more years ana the last one of the ljth Regiment VII have passed over the river and VIII rest | with StOueUalI Jackson under the shaue |