The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-11-16
THE BATTLE OF
 SALEM CHURCH
(contlnued from Sixteenth Pase)

church, and then woods, thick. but of small growth. When the front line of the enemy reached this wood, they made a slight halt; then, giving three cheers, they came with a rush, driving our skirmishers rapidly before them. Our men held their fire till their men came within less than eighty yards, and then delivered close and terrible fire upon them, killing and wounding many and causing many of them to waver and give way. The enemy still pressed on, surrounded the school house and captured the entire company of the Ninth Alabama stationed in it, and pressing hard upon the regiment in rear of the school-house, threw 1t into con- fusion and disorder, and forced 1t to yield ground The Ninth Alabama in rear of this regiment, sprang forward as one man. and, with the rapidity of lightning, restored the continuity of our line, break ing the lines of the enemy by It's deadly fire and forcing him to give way, and, following so that he could not rally, re- took the school-house, freed the captured company, and in turn take their captors. The entire line of the enemy on the right of the road Is repulsed and our men fol- low in rapid pursuit. The regiment that had given way to the first onset of the enemy now returned to the attack and joined in the pursuit. The enemy did not assail with the same spirit on the left of the road, and were more easily repulsed. and are now followed on other side of the road which is crowded with a confused mass of the discomftted enemy With @ good battery to play upon this retreating mass the carnage would have been terri f1c. There was no rallyfng or reform ing of this line Another line came up the plank road at a double-Quick and filing to the right and left, formed line in front of my brigade. This line was scarcely formed before they were broken by the fire of my men and fled to the rear"
 Wilcox's brigade joined by Semmes, pursued the retreating enemy as far as the toll-gate, in the rear of which were formed heavy reserves of his forces. It was now quite dark, and further pursuit was deemed imprudent. The brigade, therefore retired and slept on the field at Salem Church.
 And thus ended the fierce and bloody conflict at Salem Church. The enemy met a bloody repulse, and the signal de- feat of the cherished plan of rear at- tack.
 The rear of our army at Chanceliors- vile was no longer menaced and was free from danger And one entire federal army corps and part of another under tho lead of Sedwick were discounted, put on the defensive and hastily recrossed the Rap- pahannock. In this forlorn attempt Sed- wick was on the south side of the river but little more than twenty-four hours and acknowledged a loss of 5000 men, Hooker, behind his entrenchemnts near Charlottesville, on learning of the ina bility of Sedwick to join him, speedily withdrew to the north side of Rappahan- nook. and thus ended the historic battle of Charlottesville,
 The loss of the enemy at Salem church, considering the number of the opposing np AoiH {.,F of Wilcox's brigade there were dead. 94S wounded, 1s9. The number of prisoners taken was nearly 400 The dead wero buried by tho brigade.
 The brilliant victory of this brigade at Salem church was dearly won. The lives of seventy-six of the noblest sons of Ala bama were sacrificed: 872 wounded, and forty-two missing making an aggregate of 490. The missing were mostly those wounded in the early part of the day, near Stanberry house, or at the toil-gate affair. and fell into the hands of the en- emy, Among those who fell Into the hands of the enemy at the Stanbury house where James Crook of the Tenth Alabama, late president of the Alabama railroad commission, and Ebert Riser of the same regiment, The latter fell se- verely wounded, was reported killed, but after a time returned as an exchanged prisoner
 The officers killed were Capt, R, A, Mo. Crary. Eighth Alabama, most valuable officer Capt, W, c, Murphy, Ninth Ala bama, fell in the thiokest of the fight in advance of his men, Lieut., M. J, T. Har- per. Tenth Alabamai o, D, Stpdwiclt, Eleventh Alabama, M, D, Bankston and H. M. Cox, Fourteenth Alabama. all fell fighting with the heroism of invincible veterans,
 The severely wounded were Col, Y, L. Royston. Eighth Aiabamai Col, L. Plnek-