The National tribune., 1902-08-28
CHARLES CITY CROSSROADS.
Incidents of the Campaign Recalled by ''
Friend With the Countersign."

Friend with the Countersign."
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: Conrad
John w. Burnett, Co. F, 4th Pa. Res
expresses my sentiment in his article i
The National Tribune in regard to tn
story Of the spy in the civil war, "Wh
Goes ThereY and "a Friend With tn
Countersign,' from the first movement o
the troops under Gen. Mcdowell to tn
first battle of Bull Run.
What Isl klegg and Shorty" recalls t
the boys of the Western Army under Gen
Sherman, Berwick's dOings and adven
lures recall to the Army of the Potomac
Allow me to enlarge on COmrade Burnett
account of the battle of Charles Cit,
Crossroads, or Glendale, as the history o
the LIST MINI. (by Judge w. Lochren
calls it, and the accommodating under Gen
Hooker, Aug. 5, 1862.
On the afternoon of June % we wer,
ordered to pack up everything but shelter
tents, and at nightfall these were strucl
and we lay on the ground without cover
ing The trains had been going to the
South all day, and at dark the sick anG
disabled We're also sent away, and at early
daylight the morning of June %, leaving
our picket line, we marched in the real
of the army.
The roads were blocked with masses
Of moving troops. impeded farther along
by trains and artillery, and in the dense
mist of morning very slow progress was
made. We had advanced about three
miles when, at 8 o'clock a. M, our picket
was forced back, followed by the enemy
under the active and alert Magruder. This
force attacked at once, as we formed neal
the peach orchard on Aliens farm. The
fighting was sharp for a brief time
1yh ha NJ o;rlx Col
just to the right of our regiment, and but
little of the enemy's fire, save from ar
tillery, reached us. After several re
pulses the enemy fell back and our army
proceeded on its way.
Moving on, we reached Savage Station
about / o'clock p. M, and were massed
with a considerable body of the Second
Corps near the road leading across White
Oak Swamp. The remainder of the army
had passed on, and large amount of ma
terial at the railroad bridge was being
destroyed. When the brigade, with engines
and trains upon it, was blown up, an i'm
mense body Of dense smoke arose, assum
ing perfectly symmetrical and continually
changing forms and cOlOrs, beautiful and
grand to the view, in whatever form il
took, like the changes in a Kaleidoscope,
and observed by all for several minutes
before it was dissipated.
About o'clock the rebels ran down
the railroad a heavy gun mounted upon a
fat-car and protected by railroad iron, and
opened on our troops. This was followed
closely by infantry and other artillery.
The LIST MINI. and Gen. Burns's Brigade
of our division were ordered to the point
of attack. and soon drove off the enemy.
But Confederate infantry at once ap-
peared on another road farther to the left,
and we were sent to that point, being
Joined by the other regiments of our bri-
gade. The LIST MINI. here formed the ex-
IRENE left of the line, and resisted the
heaviest attack, which was made with ar
tillery at canister range, and with infan-
try extending beyond our left flank, which
was in great danger of being turned. The
attack here was most persistent and Sc
we're. and as we got the enemy's fire dag
onally from its extended right, as well as
from the front, our loss was considerable
We held the position, however, without
yielding an inch, and about sunset the
Vermont Brigade, which had been re-
called from its route to White Oak
Swamp, came in on our left, and joining
in last counter attack the enemy was
driven back. The LIST MINI. lost As killed
and wounded in this battle. Gathering
our wounded into the field hospital, as
there were no facilities for removing them
they were left, with sufficient number
of attendants, after their wounds had
been dressed, to the care of the enemy,
and we pushed on after night, still in
rear of the army, across White Oak
Swamp, bivouacking near morning for q
brief time soon after crossing the bridge.
Early in the morning of June 80 the
regiment, under command of Lieut.-Col.
Miller (Sully, by reason of Germans ILL
ness being in command of the brigade),
marched about two miles, when it was
cOuntermarched to the bridge to aid the
corps of Gen. Franklin in holding that
point against the assault of Jackson,
which began furiously with artillery about
10 o'clock. The natural obstacles of
swamp and stream gave jackson little
chance to use infantry, but the artillery,
with occasional infantry fighting, lasted
the entire day. The heat was sitting.
Heavy infantry firing ahead of us ap-
prised us of the sanguinary battle at Glen
dale, where the corps of LOngstreet and
A. =. Hill, having passed around the
swamp, were endeavoring to force the
flank of our line of march. and cut off that
part Of the army still in the rear, holding
Jackson at bay, as well as the immense
wagon trains, which, crossing White Oak
Swamp the night before, now filled the
roads behind our forces at Glendale. Soon
after noon we were sent to another cross
ing of the stream, which Jackson endeav-
ored to ford.
Late in the afternoon we were hurried
ly sent to Glendale, moving for most Of
the distance at double-quick. We were
at first placed in support of troops, then
holly engaged, throwing ourselves on the
ground to recover breath, and avoid need
less exposure to the storm of bullets pass
ing over us. 1t was the heaviest attack
al.