Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1903-08-08
Gave ORDERS TO the Enemy.

Gave Orders to the Enemy.
After the battle with Fremont at
Cross Keys, Va, and the complete
routing of Gen Shields army at Port
Republic the morning following, we
rested for few days in Browns
Cove. From thence we proceeded
to Staunton, Va, where we had been
promised a few days rest by Gen.
StonewaH Jackson
We arrived there on Saturday, and
were happily arranging for our COM
fort when we received orders to pro-
coed to the reinforcement of Lee at
Richmond, as quietly and rapidly as
possible.
Our guns (of the Baltimore Battery,
Maryland, line) were placed on
freight cars and our men mounted on
horses, proceeded in the direction OF
Richmond as directed. We finally
arrived near Richmond, on the Me-
chanicsville road, in the rear of Nc
Clellan's army.
1t was there 1 witnessed a council
of war between five of our generals.
all mounted, with maps on the POM
mels of their saddles, namely, Gems.
Lee, Jackson, Longstreet, Magruder
and Pickett About dusk we ap-
preached so close to the enemy's line
that we fired four-second shells in
their midst. Darkness coming on, we
ceased firing, and lay about our guns
all night.
The next morning early we took
ldetour to the left, and about 9 o'clock
we planted our battery in a skirt of
woods where we had plain view of the
Federal forces. Gen. Bradley T.
johnson, commander of the Mary
land Line" with the Maryland regi-
ment of infantry, were in our rear as
support.
We were soon ordered to open fire.
While seated on my horse taking note
of the premature explosion of some
of our shells Caused by the inferior
quality of iron they were made of,
which allowed the flash from the gun
to penetrate them), a soldier mounted
on a magnificent horse rode up to me
and exclaimed, stop this f1ring!"
looked at him and replied: Il guess
not" Our horses were rubbing their
heads together, and l stroked the
beautiful horses name.
The rider was in his shirt sleeves.
So was 1. His shirt was flannel, like
my own. His trappings were Federal.
So were mine, from the horse out.
who he was. When the guns had
fired another volley he yelled out at
me: 81 tell you to stop firing. You
are firing at our own mem" 1 re-
piled: IF you. have any orders to
give, there's Gen. Johnson below
there; give them to hint" He i'm
mediately rode over to the general,
his fine horse stretching himself out
as his rider and the general con-
versed.
While observing them and expect
ing orders 1 heard the general ex-
claim: well, who are you anyhow"
With that the soldier wheeled around,
struck spurs to his horse and simply
few across the fields to the Federal
lines.
The remarkable part of this Incl
dent was that no one on the generals
staff or in the regiment or myself
had the presence of mind to shoot at
him. 1t was a Federal officer, and
probably the first to convey the news
to his army of jackson in the rear"
1t was a remarkable escape on his
part He could not have done such a
thing premeditatedly, knowing that
he was within the enemy's lines. His
innocent ignorance is what saved
him, so there seems to be Providence
that controls under such conditions
I would certainly like to meet him,
# he is living. and break bottle
with him, as he had my forced con-
gratulations then, and has had my
heartfelt congratulations since.
That engagement was the opening
of the "seven-days' fight below Rich
mond."