The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-03-09
No. 2s.
HISTORY or THE <eTH REoI- NEWT, ALABAMA INFANT
 RY, yC..e. A.
By John Dykes Taylor

RY, 1c..s. A. . By John Dykes Taylor. 4 (This sketch, written by Mfr. Taylor now deceased, was found among the pa- pers of the late Col. ]. L. Sheffieid. It Street, Esq. of Guntetsville The notes are by MT. Street. The sketch has been examined by Gen. Wm. c. Oates. and in Its present form has the beneft of his
 The 18th Regiment of Alabama Infantry was organized at Auburn, Ala, May D. lS6S. by Col. James Lawrence Sheffeld. of Marshall County. Ala. although nearly to the service the previous month, but the regiment was not organized until that day. It reached Richmond. Va. about the zlst day of June. 1862, but was not permanently attached to any brigade until after the great>battles of that year In front of Richmond. though it perform ed important services during these grand and sanguinary struggles.
 About the 18th day of July. 1862. the Major General StonewaiI Jackson, to whom Colonel Sheffield had been ordered by the Secretary of War to report for duty. was assigned to Brig. Gen. w. B. Taliaferro's Virginia Brigade, which at of Jackson's Divison of the Army of Northern Virginia. Immediately after the regiment was attached to the Third Brig sde. the whole Division was marched to camps until the 7th of August. when we were put in motion and marched out to meet the arrogant Major General Pope. who had been placed iA command though Colonel Sheffield had Nbeen for several days very much indisposed. and when the order came to march was ad- vised by his surgeon to remain in camps he could not brook the idea of seeing his regiment march out to meet the foe with out him. Consequently he took his place at the head where he remained until struck down by, the enemys balls on ever memorable battle of Cedar Run, or Slaughter's Mountain, as 1t Is often called: This was the first action in which the 18th was engaged, and one of the lasted The 18th M Re went s into I the s light "s With q full list of field officers, viz: Col. J. T.. Shefheld, Lieut.. Col. A. A. Hughes. Major (Enoch Aldridge, and Adtutant Col. Hughes. fell during the engagement. none mortally but all severely wounded. The total loss of the regiment in the light of the sth of August was about 123 men. killed and wounded. and that. too. out who went into action. After the battle, our whole command was moved back to our camps near Gordonsville, where we remained until the t7th of August. at which time Genera! Lee started on his advanc, towards Washington City. The 18th was then under command of Lieut. Col. Hughes. who continued to command it up to the close of the Second Battle of Manassas. which terminated on the 3oth of August in the final rout of Pope's whole army. The 18th lost in the three days fighting at Bull Run and Mannassas IS men killed and 53 wounded. Among the Killed was the gallant Captain Lee,
 After this battle was over, Lieut.. Col. Hughes, from fatigue and exhaustion, was compelled to give up the command ard go to hospital to recover his health. Robert Goiightly, who with distinguished ability conducted it through Maryland and around Harper's Ferry. In the takins of which the 18th participated. And vtgilant to do or de, on the morning of the 17th of September. on the bloody field of Sharpsburg. when the order was given to advance, Captain Golightiy plac- commenced to advance. but was soon shot down aud expired without a struggle. In this action out of 165 men who went into battle we had s2 killed or wounded. tNote-A marginal memorandum in aIl- other handwriting says, Lees report Is k----. 8 wounded.") At the close of the engagement the highest officer left un- hurt was q junior Second Lieutenant. to
 
 B. St. John was Q native, of Marshall County. He survived the war and repre- sented the county in the General Assem-
 The next day. however, Colonel shef- field. though still suffering from his wound. rejoined the regiment, bringing in with him many of the men and officers who had been sck or wounded and left in time to conduct us back into Virginia at Shepherds Town, though he as Senior Colonel had command of the Brigade. and Capt. Samuel A, Cox of the regiment. After a few days of arduous duty around Shepherds Town we were marched to Bunkers Hill, where We remained for several weeks. resting and drilling, from which place We marched to Winchester, and there drilled for some time; in fact until the morning of the 1!th of Novem- ber, when we started upon the march to rejcin General Lee at Fredericksburg.
 Tie fiji st days march was through rain and mud. tut late in the afternoon the clouds rolled away and the north wind tlew as all men know it blows in the Shenandoah Valley. The next morning when the order was siven to march, Col quarters an' addressed Colonel Warren, the officer then in command, about as follows: Colonel. I have many men in my regiment who are baref'oted. l have no ambulances in which to haul them. and before I will see them march over the fir >zen ground without shoes. Will build winte- quarters and remain here until spring. Tn ,refore, if you wish us to remain with your brigade you must send transportation. for my barcfocted men" The result of this speech was that enffty wagons were furnished for all u.shod men in the regiment. We con- tinued the march without interruption Until we reac led Guinea Depot. a few miles south of Fredericksburg. at which place we remained until the morning of the 12th of December. when Colonel Shef- field, who had been suffering greatly for some time with rheumatism. received furlough and started for Alabama. and his regiment to Fredericksburx to par ticlpate In the great battle which was to come off on the day following.
 engaged in that fight, 1t was under fire for hours and performed important ser vices At the close of .he struggle. the army being scattered up and down the a.,n.tAra at Glinker,a Meek ruhefe hnru.