The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-04-05
MARCH AND N u
BATTLE,
From Milford Station to the
Gettysburg Field.
,At,lLExANDER'S BATTALION II \
Incidents and 5Adyentur os In q Memor
able Campaign 8 o. der L LIE 10
3s tho Army o. Northern VIZ
6 Inia. if

tho ARMY OF htNO' N'St " S'.sHs, r KY
~ 6 Ini .. "a
n Tho following piece OF unwritten history
from the pe,, OF Captain Frederick nj
Colston, lieutenant. and afterwards wal cap
4 lain, in AleSander's Battalion OF Artil-
& iery. was road at tho Parker Battery Rc-
B l,nion here last woek. Captain Colston IS
Il 4 resident OF Baltimore and is member
n 81 the firm OF Wilson, Colston & Co.,
d i,anke there, His recolle ctions OF tne
ID Gett v.burg caInIsi gu viii be OF partlcu-
\ lar in terest$ to the survivors OF Parker 9
a BAIT terry, which was one OF the SIX COM
X NJ posing Aloxanders battalion ana 70
n Longs treot's corps generally, !,
We quote: After tho battle Of Chanoel-
lorsvlle our battalion was moved uoWI W., W
q Milford n Caroline county, to refit. we
4 F;yy;ere in fine Spirits for we had taken an
n active part in this great victory and the
losses IN our battalion had been Very
n small. Our confidence In Genera Lee
e was much increased, but our JOY was ,a!s
modified by the death Of "StoneW'ail
st$Jackson. 4.i5 e q. =, =,
pleasant episode. ~.
menred q forward march. which ended
n only at Gettysburg. 5I
Lack OF space compeis us to omit tho
incidents OF the trip, including tho march
UPON Chamborsburg. dltor OF the Con-
n federate Columns,
& AT GETTYSBURG.
We arrived near Gettysburg on July "a.
We turned to the right and marched down
the Valley Of Willoughby's Run until We
4 got to the schOo1-house at the 1901 OF
g9 he road which enters the Emmittsburg
road just south OF the famous peach or
rhard, where we waited for our infantry
"a arrive and form for the attack.
AS we were waiting there n ambulance
n came along, and we saw General Hood
sitting in front with the driver, with his
arm In bloody bandage, as he had Just
been wounded ID and was being . carried !, 70
the rear. Just5as he came to the school
= House a shell, struck the roof almost In
vi his face, but General Hood merely looked
s5Sup and took no notice OF It ai#
We lay there very quietly for some
hours, but suddenly, about p. NJ, VIC
got word and galloped up that road turn
"a ed Ito the left and went into action on
the ridge directly opposite to the peach
$S orchard It was sharp but short fight
for the enemy, SicklSs third corps
were driven helter-skelter. They were
n followed Immediately. but the advance Of
the artillery was ilnpsdei.by the Fences
RI around us Major bearing, who was
there saw this and galloped up to where
the prisoners. several hundred, were com
sH ing in. Waving his sword he roared out
"God damn you. pull down those fences
#I The frightened prisoners rushed ut then
8 and. each man grabbing rail. tho fences
literally flew into tho air Tho battore:
actually charged, action front, the fines
n sight ever saw on n battlefield. Ont
OF the batteries, being short-handed, Dor
rowed five men from an adjacent Missis
a. sippI regiment, and In tho fight two Wer'
killed and ono wounded, so that we coult
II only return two. which the regimen
5i seemed to think small return OF Dor
~ rowed property.
@ We then took a position in front OF tn,
Emmittsb road and little north 0
the peach orchard, where we fired until
s after dark and then lay all night thero
&.E I walked around and ] never saw e.
much concentrated destruction as say
v In the peach orchard, the most OF whicl
was done by tho fIro OF our guns.
After our peaceful sleep. with WOUNDED
land dead mon and horses all around us
JULY 3. GETTYSBURG.
va Our position was opposite to tho centr
OF the enemy's line, the cemetery bein
n little to our left front. and the Roun
u Tops to our right 8N
Colonel Alexander was only the colone
OF our battalion. but General Lonsstree
says: "Our artillery was In charge q
5S General u. P. Alexander. brave an
gifted officer Alexander bein
4 al the head OF tho column and being flrf
In position and being, besides, an office
IS OF unusual promptness, sagacty and "
teligence. was given charge Of the n
q tillery,'' 30 that no was now IN comman
& OF the whole artillery limo OF our corp
& about eighty ts0) guns,
H We were entirely quiet all the morninl
but 1t was easy to sce that we were goll
4 to have devil OF q row soon.
Tickett's division waH massed behind u
&hill in our rear. about three hundrt
Yards on. and having to pass there r
member seeing tho men lying down. soH
having collected small piles OF stone
A front OF their hcadu. Poor followsi mo
#sof them were lying down forever with
sa tho next few hours.
n Tho great cannonahs commenced at
4 o'clock and that and Pckett's chnrt
have bee1, 30 often Described that vi
n say nothing OF It here, except that
u Colonel Alexander Was com1nitted II
command OF this artillery and on him d
4 yolyed this duty Of giving the order 4
ri Picketts Advance, which charge WI
n made through our limo Of guns.
A1~pHIt PErKYr"S CHARGE.
6sAHar I1cketta division had made !
nflarRs Colonel Alexander was posted I
~ tfn elevation about four hundred var
In tho rear ~ +, Rogers house,
FL tic Br9nlttHburg road. where no had
"a good View Of the field. and was vi
n I'M as performed tho additional d..
~ an aida on thoHs days, General J.
rode no and commenced 10 talk 10 Col
mel Alexander, a loud cheering arc
ss IN tiie snemys lines, which were III
4 nysI half d Iriie distant,
a.-.ssl Lex tsRnsd to me ana sa'