Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-12-04
BY J. w. MlNNIcK

hut the awful numbering OF the French In
those first days will never be forgotten.
But. a nos mouttons. Sunrise found us
at Groves Wharf, we were ashore IN a
trice and on the road to Yorktown where
we arrived about o'clock p. m. and rest
ed on hillside opposite the Redoubts made
famous by the last charge of Lafayette
eighty years before. We were tired. very
almost too tired to go down to the run
for a drink of cool fresh water; the day
had been very hot, and we were gray with
dust. Our commissary was far In the
rear. and we were hungry. Some OF our
boys set out on hunt for grub. They
did not go out of sight. In the narrow
ra. inc some cattle were quietly grazing.
They were nice and fat. Some fellows gun
was accidentally CD discharged and killed
the latest one of the lot A beautiful
2-year old heller. We got good supper,
(that is as far as the meat wenD ana
some ten DAYS later, on nearly the same
grounds. were most beautifully roasted
by Col. Magruder for our act of vandal-
ism say our" for although sound
asleep when the beast was killed heipeo
eat the meat and enjoyed it, and there
fore was "particeps criminis, an accessory
after the fact" as the lawyers put 1t. But
that is another tale.
we slept that night not ION our arms"
but on our backs. or ears, on the hiilslue
where we had stopped. Next morning, the
18th. we started for the Bethel, and then
we learned to appreciate cool weather.
If the day before had been hot, and dusty.
this day was hotter by ten degrees, and
the dust about ten square inches to the
lineal foot more so, and of much finer
quality Clay pulveriZed by the tramplng
of many feet of men, hoofs of beasts ana
wheels of vehicles until 1t was as light as
the finest -four. Choking and almost
binding us, and not drop of water 10
be had. the small supply of water in our
canteens was exhausted before IL O'Clock,
and we arrived at the Bethel about or
D. m Our beautiful and picturesque uni
forms as yellow almost as the road ITSELF
and enough mud on the face of each TO
plant corn in, sweat and dust.
But at the church we found water; ana
o! Sampsonl didn't we drink. Many OF
the boys had fallen out by the way, ana
came in by ones and twos nearly all night
But nights rest in the open spruced us
up, and early in the morning and until s:SO
a. m. the colonel had us out in the nelds
to the right of the road, performing the
zouave gymnastics for the edificaton OF
the Fourth North Carolina (Tarheels),
and the Richmond Howitzers.
Lord! how he did drill us. At $3.50 we
were marched back to the church, and
allowed to get breakfast and then clean
-
voted to going over the battlefield of the
Tenth and viewing the evidences of the
great slaughter on both sides.
We saw several Is or d spots OF blood
and two new graves. One in the field we
had been drilling in, said to have been
a member of the Fourth North Carolina,
and one in the field to the left of the
road, and in front of the Richmond How
itzers, the grave of Major winthrop, OF
Massachusetts. l was more interested i'm
the Yankee than in the Rebel. The latter
was "only one of the men," and the for
mer an officer, young man of note, and
some reputation and scion. of one of the
most noted houses in New England.
Therefore he was a far more interesting
object than the poor fellow from the old
North State. Besides, we had heard
something of him in connection with a
mission on his part to HE him to Rich
mond, and attempt to suppress the rebel
lion, by putting its head under the sod.
The absurd tale was repeated to us by
those who killed him. The Howitzers.
From them we obtained the story of how
he met his death, the first officer killed
in battle on either side, and in most
gallant manner did he meet literally his
death. Those two were the only graves
saw.
Butler had withdrawn to Fortress Mon
roe after his defeat at Big Bethel. AL
though we waited several days for him to
come up again, he did not attempt it and
ten days later we were again in historic
Yorktown and began TO deface nature
by throwing up mighty works, only to
| abandon them with deep regret eleven
months later; and that also is quite an
other story. In the course of the years
which have passed since then, and they
number forty-one, all told, / have read
various accounts of the manner in which
I Winthrop lost his life, but not in a single
/ instance was the account given by those
who were mainly instrumental in causing
/ his death, and who saw him fall and
who buried him within six feet of the
/ spot. And / propose even at this late
i date to correct any and all of the mis-
! statements made in regard to the manner
i'm which he lost his life, feeling as l do
/ that no one except the actual participants
/ are In better position to give the details,
| as my information as to the actual oc-
currence was obtained from. not only one,
but from a dozen members of the Rich
mond Howitzers. directly in front of
/ whose guns he fell at a distance of not
more than $50 yards, to the best of my
recollection, as the guns had not been
moved at all from their fighting positions
| until several days after our arrival, only
| two days after the fight.
The COnfederates were extended across
the road almost on line with the Bethel
which stood on the right of the road
going toward Fortress Monroe. On the
| right the Fourth North Carolina and 9TH
er troops in the edge of a wood facing
an open and elevating field. On the left
of the road in the edge of the wood the
| Richmond Howitzers, supported. In their
| front and directly on a line, with the
chapel, a narrow field extending about
eight or ten acres in depth to a small
house, in which it has been written, Ma
| jor Winthrop died See "Recollections