The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-03-23
DEPARTMENT OF ARCHIVES
 AND HISTORY OF ALABAMA.
THOMAa N. OWEN, Director. sN@ANEsN&&s@

The redoubt in which we were posted was dusty when we entered it Sunday night. Monday morning it was ankle ! deep in mud. At ten minutes after s o'clock the batteries of the enemy. right artillery repMed slowly, as ammunition
 was scarce. This artillery duel lasted
 until near Il o'clock. General Longstreet
 woods, lying to our right. Soon the sharmfshers of the enemy and our own
 were engaged, each side falling back to its reserve. The two armies advanced.
 evening, they opened fire. from this time until near Il o'clock at night, the roar of cannon. and the rattle of musketry
 was unceasing. The rain was pouring bama Regiment being posted in a red oubt near the one in which the other seven companies were, to support a bat tery; they were in command of Major or's Brigade. to which we belonged. be-
 ing already engaged. the three coinpa- nies. under Major Mcl.emore. viz: Com
 psny pany 6 E. Lsa Gsn w. Hin%s1n Hs co%panj S0R R
 Capt A. c. Wood. were ordered forward. Fearlessly they rushed forward through
 the drenching rain and deep mud. to sue
 cor their suffering comrades. the gallant
 little Major, the pride of the Regiment.
 leading them. Soon the rattle of mus
 ketry began at the point they entered
 the woods. At the first fire from the enemy, Major McLemore's horse was
 killed from under him. He dismounted from the already fallen animal, and with a smile. as if nothing had happened. to follow him. The woods were very thick; the enemy were lying down. wait ing for us to advance. What a mistaken Idea they had of the courage of our men.
 the boys. when two Yankees took fair CT ack al him. The eagle eye of Corporal G. W. Courtney. in his eagerness for the fight. raised his gun and shot one of
 gallant Corporal. and said. Very well,
 George. load and try another" During
 the balance of the day, the three com.
 panies. under Major McLemore, were ergo ged in that desperate battle. the re-
 suit of which is too well known to be
 mentioned here. I was sent on the field
 late in the day. to assist in bringing
 wounded soldier off: and while looking
 had a chance of viewing the whole of the
 battle ground. except that part on which
 the two armies were then engaged. The
 pistols. bowie knives. cartridge boxes.
 krapsacks. haversscks and blankets
 were scattered in every direction.
 Capt. J s. Williamson of Company B.
 Capt. A. c. Wood of Company K. and
 Lieut.. W. M., Bell of Company c, all
 behaved themselves honorably. At 10
 o'clock at night We took the road for Richmond. The cause of our retreat. af- ter so signal victory, was. 1 suppose.
 that ammunition was so scarce, that We would be unable to continue the fight the
 next day. The roads were awful; the
 mud so deep and the whole earth so rot
 tsn. that saw stout men, who ventured to go through it, rather than pick their
 way through the bushes. get mred. and
 were unable to extricate themselves diers. Many of the men were sick; some entirely unable to travel. Many
 were sent forward to the different hos
 pitals at Petersburg, where they died. Others, who were unable to keep up with
 the Regiment until transportation could be furnished. sank by the roadside, ex-
 hausted. Every effort was made by the
 surgeon in charge, and our noble Guar
 termaster. D. W. Hinkle, to furnish
 transportation to the sick. who were un- able to travel. The principal Surgeon of
 the Regiment. J. B. Gastonr> was left at
 Williamsburg to care for the wounded. Captain Ferrie Henshaw, of the Commits sary Department, and his assistant, J.
 S. Earle, were untiring in their efforts
 to procure rations for the men: but the
 many thousands of soldaers who were ahead of us. stripped the country of ev- erything eatable. We arrived at Rich
 mond on the 22nd day of May; camped east of the city. near the Fair Field
 Race Paths. and were partially recov-
 cred from our severe march, having been in line of battle every day since we left
 Williamsburg
 On the S1st day of May every man was
 ordered to have forty rounds of cart
 ridges. The roar of cannon was already
 heard in the direction of Williamsburg.
 Lieut.. Col. D. w. Baine at that time was in the hospital, and hearing that the Regiment was ordered to be in readiness
 hurried to 1t. The Regiment being in line of battle, marched to the battle ground
 of Seven Pi1ss: the weather was very warm. In the evening 1t began raining.
 We arrived at the spot where the enemy
 had first Nbeen attacked by our troops
 end driverk from their camps, leaving their tents standing with kettles full of beef, peas and coffee, ready for eating and drinking. The mangled dead and wounded were still lying on the field. many of whom had fallen in water saf- ticiently deep to cover them while lying. charged on them. lying dead. with the bayonetS of Alabamians and Of the en- emy run through each other Just at dark we halted for few minutes, and the Regiment was ordered to assist in removing these noble men to the nearest house. where they could be attended by the surgeons. Late in the night, the rain still pouring down. the Regiment was or dered to take position in front. The men sank down in the mud to rest, expecting that the coming day they would be called upon to perform the severest task for which they volunteered. As day was dawning the next morning, the enemy opened fire on us while our men were eating snack. As quick as thought every man was at his gun and in line; skirmishers were sent forward, the pick cts of the enemy falling back Soon the Regiment was ordered forward. and the battle which followed, though not as hot | ly contested as others have been since. | was sufficient to try the nerves of the officers and men. Lieut.. c. J Rankston and Corporal E. w. Ray of Company C, | privates w. Dozier and s. A. Brewster of Company D, and others of the Regi- ment were conspicuous for thedr daring.
 The enemy having been defeated, the heavy rain which had fallen made the swamp of Chickahominy inaccessible. | Our forces fell back to our camp near Richmond. nothing unusual transpring until the 26th of June. Lieutenant-Coln- | nel Raine made short speech to the companies of the Regiment. informing them of the expected battle. asking them l to remmeber the State they had the hon l or to represent. The Regiment was i formed. and taking the road from Rich | mond to Mechanicsville. the morning of | the Hth of June. we were in line of bat | tie near the battle-ground of Gaines Mill ! Major A. C. Wood formerly Captain Of | Company K, was also present. The firing | had already began in front. The 14th | Alabama was ordered forward to support | the 14th Louisiana in a charge on the | strong position of the enemy; for some | reason unknown to the author, the charge | was not made. We were suffered to lie | in an open field, exposed to the murder ous fire Of the enemy. and were not all ! lowed to fire a gun. We lost several gal lant men, and several wounded. A deep | ditch was in front: the Louisianians suc- ceeded in throwing bridge across it. and