Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-05-01

humoredly by the infantry arm of the
service whenever they came in contact.
The cavalry were called by them butter
milk rangers. and we would frequently
hear them ask each other If they had
ever seen a dead cavalryman. All sorts
oil jokes were INDUCED in by both parties
and no doubt al times when we were about
to engage in deadly combat with the enc
my, when the infantry would often leave
forty or fifty per cent dead or dying on
the field of battle. had a brother In the
7th Va. infantry regiment, and who was
left upon the field of Gettysburg among
those supposed to be mortally wounded
in that famous charge of Pickett's divis-
ion, and hence 1 was often thrown with
the infantry on my visits to him. / would
very often (when i could learn that
Longstreet's command was passing near
u.s. leave my company, hunt up the Ith
Virginia regiment and have my brother
mount my horse. while 1 would take his
place in the infantry ranks. and trudge
along with them for miles in the mud.
I mean of course, as long as there was no
fighting going on.
Well, that reminds me of the only in
fantry fight 1 was ever in. I was with
Longstreet's VIrginians. Georgians and
Texans and IL happened on the 9Th day
of May, 1864, in the Wilderness and in the
following way: Stuart's cavalry had been
defending Lees right flank every day
since Grant and Mead left Chancellors-
Vine, and we were now somewhere about
the Brock road and near To-A's Tavern,
after having witnessed and engaged in
several deadly combats on the 9Th with
Hancock's men.
The Confederate Military History helps
us out in many points and assures us that
a furious combat took place on the after
noon of the 5th in which Heth's division
strengthened by Ewell, and VII. Poague
battalion with portions of Gibbons and
Owens and other troops in reserve. These
lines met each other face to face, the
Confederates met the Federal advance
with deliberate aim and drove 1t back, al
though held to it's work by strong lines
of bayonets in its rear. Longstreet bad
halted at nightfall his veterans at Rich
ards Shop miles away from HIS night
but under orders of urgency from General
Lee marched again at midnight and on
re morning o. the 9Th was well advanced
towards Lees right where he was to join
in the holly contested battle Of the after
noon of the same day. We of Stuart s
cavalry dropped from our horses at night
fall and slept upon the firing line during
the night; and until late into the night
we could hear the whiz Of the bullets
from the Yankee sharpshooters.
Early in the morning as Hill was forced
back by Hancock, stubbornly fighting as
when General Lee said to a staff officer,
why does not Longstreet come" Just
| then he caught sight of Longstreets corps
| in double column, well closed up and
coming at a double quick. Lee rode to
meet ,nem and asked: What boys are
these?" A quick reply came from HOOD,
| Texas boys" when the voice of the great
leader said: MY Texas boys, you must
you must charge" The response Of 500
| was a cheer that gave assurance OF VIC
| tory The men rushed forward upon Han
| cocks men, but soon heard the voice OF
Lee among them shouting the command:
| charge! charge, boys, charged! The Tex
ans shouted, go back General Lee! Marse
Robert, go backl" But Lee waving his
hat rode forward, when from every side
| the soldiers cried out, lee to the rear!
| Lee to the rear!" Inen a tall Texas SER
geant caught the bride of Traveller and
| turned him to the rear, when the men
rushed forward and met the solid ranks or
Hancock's oncoming host, and many met
that sleep that knows no waking. During
| all that time our cavalry were dismounted
| and were fighting back and forth through
/ the tangled and marshy forests the Fed
eral infantry. In the afternoon OF the, otn,
while we were holding our own with thin
| line Of cavalry behind light breastworks,
1 noticed a long column of Yankee IN
| fantry advancing across the open held,
| Just in front and about 300 yards from
us. Away to the left 1 could see the column
| advancing to attack, as / supposed, our
cavalry command, but just then we were
ordered to retire, and as turned TO leave
saw coming through the timber In our
rear a part of Longstreet's corps. They
were trailing their arms and painting for
breath as they dropped down into the
| trenches one after another, dusty, dirty
and worn out. They shouted, Get out OF
| the way YOU buttermilk rangers" Now as
| 1 had never engaged in an infantry ngnt,
ard wishing to see one, remained ana
watched those old veterans loading their
guns. their eyes flashing fire and their OF
| hcers all along the line giving orders to
! their respective companies to prepare for
action. Wickham's thin line Of cavalry had
| left and were marching to the rear IN
| search of their led horses. jumped be-
| hind large oak tree standing on the sloe
| of the breastworks and watched the yam
kee column four ranks deep and IN SOLID
phalanx approaching within fifty yards Of
our veterans and in addition two other I'M
| mense columns following at short inter
/ walls with fixed bayonets In moment L
/ was almost lifted of my feet from the
| tremendous fire from the muskets Oh Long
| streets men. A sheet of fire ran along
| their lines and yell after yell was heard
/ from both sides throughout the struggle.
| Finally the Yankees broke and fell back
| in disorder. The re-enforcements came
laundering onward with their heavy col
umns, but met the same sad tate at the
| hands of the Virginians and Georgians.
Exhausted by the desperate struggle the
Federals were quite content to retire and
| rest behind their defenses. But their ar
tillery like hornets disturbed in hanging
nest sent at intervals shells that crashed
| into and among the Confederate defenses
Having had enough of 1t. my curiosity
| satisfied, I babe adieu to the foot cavalry
and retreated at a double quick to the
rear In search of my horse. The infantry
fire was fearful enough, but / had made
| no ARRANGEMENTS to retreat under bursting
shells from Yankee artillery. however, my
steps were greatly quickened thereby. The
| day being unusually hot l ran until my
| nose began to bleed, and when reached
/ nv horse, my comrads thought that l
/ had been wounded. 1 thought that had
/ witnessed terrific fighting before, but the
/ truth of the old song of Jeb Stuarts II
YOU want to have a good time Jine the
| cavalry" struck me with unusual force,
| and I was content to remain with the but
ter-milk rangers. 1t was few days after
| this that General Grant sent the following
dispatch to Halleck in Washington: I'VE
/ have now ended the sixth day OF very
! heavy fighting, the result to this time in
our favor But our losses have been
heavy. as we'll as those of the enemy. We
/ have lost to this time eleven general ofl-
GERS, killed, wounded and missing, and
probably 10000 men. l am now sending
back TO Belle Plain all my wagons for a