Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-01-20
With WriqhfS Brigade At
North Anna and Cold HarbOr

Going into bIvouac on the road from
North Anna bridge to Hanover Court
Mouse after midnight OF May 18th.
Wrfrht's brigade slept the remainder OF
that night FOR the first time I'm two weeks.
N perfect peace: no bursting shells,
shrsekfng shot, or whistling bullets 20 lull
the senses or disQuiet the the nerves. no
orders 20 entrench before going 10 sleep
no detail OF men 70 picket or for outpost
duty. Can you imagine q, greater elysium
for the tired. dirty. grimy band, who at
davllrht lay curled upon the ground. en-
jOying the first really quiet sleep which
had been theirs since leaving camp near
Orange Court House? Each fellow, ofii-
Ger and soldier alike. had his quota OF dirt.
either were equally ragged. with clothing
sadly IN need OF repairs. Soon after sun
rise the command fall into line. moving
toward Hanover Court House till reach
that point. we fled TO the left towards
the North Anna. halted and stacked guns.
We were then told we had liberty 10 wash
our persons and our clothes also. II We
had any. which. by the BY. were very
scarce and well frazzled. what we did
have. after our experiences in the Wilder
ness and Spottsylvania- The men were
soon into the brook which flowed at the
foot OF the hill: some. to economic time.
washed the mud out OF their garments.
spreading them on the hillside TO dry. re-
turned 20 the water TO get on the Spott-
svfvanla coat OF dirt before getting 10
bedrock through that taken on at the
Wilderness.
We we're succeeding measurably well In
our efforts to get clean, when without
warning. bangi went a gun. where are
you9" Where are your came q shell
thirty feet over our heads. and from the
direction In which the Nanks ought 10 De.
Instantly the party OF washers ceased 10
wash. each fellow slid into his dripping
clothes. then made for the stack OF guns.
in ten minutes every man was ACQUIRED.
An line and on the march to Jericho ford.
a half mile away. resembling in their wet
and fabby clothes rather large party
az candidates for Baptism who had re-
ceived immersion and were making bee
line Tor home 10 put on dry clothes
The Yanks had not crossed over. howev-
er hrvfng contented themselves with
plantinx a battery some two miles back.
ma from this, dropping a shell over and
among us as We were industriously turn
Ing the soIl into earth works 20 oppose
their crossing. Il such should be their in
tention.
on the hun above US. ATcIntosh's bat
terry had drawn up and unlimbered four
e0-pound PARROTS. without pitting the
,t1rs or dfsmounting the .timbers- The
Yankee gun opposite and not certainly
nearer than two miles. fired range shot.
and az the next fire exploded one OF the
Parrrtt Iimbers on the blum. For a few
seconds the air was full OF exploding
she'll scrap iron. pieces OF the Timber
chest and the surplus clothing OF the gun
crew. Il was the best single cannon snot
this deponent ever saw
IN the afternoon we were transferred
from the bottom to the blum above 10 the
left OF the road. and here again the oirt
vas made TO ny. The position was IN
some respects a bad one. as II could be
enniaded. and no amount OF traversing
could remedy the drop which the enemy
rad on ms During the second day our
old friends. the 10Th Georgia battalion, oc-
cuuied the right OF the line near the road,
behind works which they had partially re-
Enforced with rails The 1anks kept peg
cling away az our line. which We. for the
lack OF artillery. could not reply 10. There
were several casualties in the different
,oumands. Finally a shell fired TO en-
Hiade the line passed on the outside OF the
revetmeut going in under the works ano
sxoloding dumped several cart loads OF
ART and a cord or two OF rails over and
81 the left company OF the 10Th Georgia
battalion. For some seconds we thought
they were all killed. but directly the rails
haran 70 culver the earth 10 move IN
~n0ts small spouts OF dust began TO as
cend ike a whale blowing water. neao
would be thrust up splitting a chunk OF
mud out OF its mouth Win al oNSl
and a grunt the members OF the lVtn,
with some few exceptions. were finally ali
resurrected. II would have been grotesque,
~ not 50 serious TO those most anecteo.
with the dangerous work which az an
times confronted US was often INTERCEPTED
hauueuings OF ludicrOus character. ana
who could enjoy them more than your
devil-may-care Johnny Reb." who Injured
20 danger and used 10 hardships, Wnen
not hghtIng would relax enough TO see
the Joke and laugh. it mattered not VINO
was the victim
our first lieutenant. W W. Richaro-
son- was an original character. as brave
- a lion. and as generous and goodheart-
- as he was brave. He was very ex-
rftable. however. and when excited ne
sputtered out his words with about the
same credence as a lot OF horse-chestnuts
would pop in the fire. The weather was
hot and for the convenience OF shelter ne
had spread his fly just back OF the tren-
ches upon ground cleared and somewhat
elevated over that upon which the trench
was situated third OF a mile above us
mon the opposite bank OF the river was
An old mill: I'm the attic of this mill. an
adventurous Yankee had planted him-
self. and BY punching out few shingles