The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-09-20
Groveton.

GroVeton has but two dWellingS-One a new cottage, the other the old house at which Longstreet took his breakfast the day of the battle in 1862. A woman was killed and a child wounded in the house that day. The buildings yet bear marks of cannon and rifle shot. The people of the house had just been to Sudley church, and with the Methodist preacher were at dinner. On my inquiry if I and the boy driver could get dinner, l received from the hostess the usual Virginia in- vitation. Certainly, sit right down." There was an abundance of chicken ap- pie sauce. etc., but when l came to pay the bill l was mortified to meet her re- fusal to take anything from a confeder- ate, but I compromised by leaving some thing for the confederate cemetery. The name of my hostess was Mrs. M. E. Do- gan. born at Sudley Ford where McDow. ell crossed in '6l on his flank movement and moving to Groveton after the war. She owns tEe surrounding land includ- ing the old railroad cut behind which Jackson's men fought for three days in
 62 On her land some northerners had erected a monument inscribed, "To the patriotic dead who fought here" but somebody has carved "confederate" be- fore the word dead. Giving me partcu- lar directions as to wire fences and gates, I left the good woman-so typical of the splendid Virginia hospitality, the remem- brance of which yet warns the hearts of men who fought with Lee.
 After a time. with much opening of gates, I came to the spot where I was wounded in August. 62. There was the little branch flowing over stones, the hills, the bottom the gulley where l lay after my hand was tied up. and In the distance the crest over which Toombs' brigade and the Washington artillery charged. All was correct but the Chinn house where lay in the portico Through another gate I went there and the clever Virginan informed me that the house had been burned since the war, and the handsome new house faced in a different direction. l found the well which had been filed and knew my bearings per fectly then. When we came near the field from Manassas Gap in the morning, our brigade was thrown out to oppose Fitz John Porter and with the skirmshers I lay in an apple orchard beyond the crest overlooking the battlefield for anout twenty-seven hours. Rosser brought up his battery near the house. and about p. m. of the last day opened on the ene- my near three-fourths of mile distant Out of the house came a pale woman carrying an infant screaming as if the 
 | came a succession of children from two | to fourteen years, all screaming. Fergu- son and I. throwing down our guns, took up some infants and ran to the rear with | them. The poor woman bandaged my l hand that night. but I can find no trace of her now. The house was afterwards burned
 Charged Pope's Left.
 From this point we charged Pope's left. and Rosser kept two of his guns con- stantly in front of us till We struck New York Brigade near the Chinn house. My brigade, after was wounded, chased the enemy nearly mile to the Henry house until dark over much the same ground that Kirby Smith traversed when he so opportunely appeared in the battle of July, 1861. Of course there has been some clearing done in places. in others the trees have grown much in forty one years but the stone house, the pike