Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1904-09-02
YANKEES" RECOLLECTION
OF New Market and Piedmont.

The letter which follows, gives some
very readable "reminiscences OF the bat
ties of Piedmont and New Market by
an Ohio veteran who fought on the
Union side. He replies to Staunton
veteran of the Cunfederacy, who had
written him for some information. The
letter is written in very commend
BILE and farternal spirit, and is honest
from the writer's point OF view
Newcomerstown, O., Aug. IS, 1914.
W. s. Kerr, Esq.,
StauntOn, Va.
Dear old Confederate Comrade-Y our
favor of Aug. 10 was as surprising as
it was pleasing, and have pleasure in
greeting you as my comrade after
lapse of forty years. No matter what
you thought then of the Righteousness
of your cause, you must realize now,
dear brother, that our life under
common flag is much better than were
each living IN a ''foreign country
separated only by Masons s. Dixon 8
line. l am fully convinced that the
civil war ended as God Almighty could
have wished it to end, and that your
destiny and mine-my brOther-is one
in National sense.
You inquire if was in the battle at
New Market ? Yes indeed, old COM
rade, and it was there 1 was wounded.
We made our last Intellectual stand at
Rude's Hill In plain sight of Mt. Jack
son, and it was there that l was
struck on the knee by a fragment of
one of your bursting shells. had
jnst been reproving one of our captains
for, what seemed to me to be, cowardice
when this piece of shell tumbled me
over. The boys carried me across the
low bottom between Rude's Hill and
Mt. jackson, and we burnt the bridge,
if you recOllect, just after night fall,
and resumed our retreat up the valley
to Cedar Greek.
If you can remember the final line
of battle, about p. m. of that Sunday
l can describe to you our position. |
My regiment, the 1st W. Va, inf, oc- |
cupied the east side of the pike, our
right resting on the pike. We stretch
Ell down toward Smiths Creek, the
54th Penn. inf. at our immediate left. |
Your people fianked us on the left,
doubling the 54th Penn. back on my
regiment, and causing us to receive al
CALLING fire in the flank. In falling
back we had to cross ravine or de
preston, extending down from the old
Bushong house, and while we were as
cending the opposite bank to get up
on the level plain again, we lost lone
man out of every six" in killed or
wounded on this little slope. Your
infantry were within $50 feet of us,
and your artillery was pushed up SO
close that it was veritable slaughter.
Two of my regiment-Maj. Burns and
another were promoted on the spot
for conspicuous courage-or what
seemed to be such by Gen. Thoburn.
1 appreciate very much what you
have to say about the battle of Fled
mont. 1t was the most bloody minor
battle of which l have any personal
knowledge. My little wound at New
Market had healed nicely, and / was
ready for duty on the morning of June
5th. The sting of defeat weeks ear
lier, was still. ranking In the breasts
of our boys, and we determined to give
you the worth of your money at the
Piedmont circus. The right of my
regiment was near the high bank of
Middle River, and in that position We
fought the battle. Tue slaughter of
your people behind the rail piles at
edge of the woods was the most sick
ening sight witnessed during the war.
| Many of the poor fellows of whom you
spoke-thO5e old men from StauntOn-
were lying there. One old fellow who
had been severely wounded had not
fired shot, he was a Union man at
heart, and had driven pin into the
/
tube of his gun. There must have
{ been a half dozen loads in his gun. He
died during the night, although Gen.
Thoburn, who was doctor did every
thing in his power to save him. Just
at our left lay the body of Gen. Jones
at the foot of a tree, where he fell.
lCol. Waddle placed guard over the
body until it could be removed, which
was done during the night.
Should opportunity ever offer, and
trust it may, I'll talk with you about
our experiences at Staunton next day,
and of those further experiences along
the route to Lynchburg.
l am admonished that l muet be
wearying you with this long drawn
out letter, and begging your pardon
for its length, l III bring it to a close
! by telling you that live 30 miles from
Cadiz as the crow flies. l have many
friends there, having graduated at the
! Normal School six miles from Cadi
; after the war. and before going to the
University.
Some of these days I'll meet tha
: brother of yours, and then I'll enrol
him on my list of friends-lf be wi
: let me With the highest respect,
| am, your brother,
JOHN T. DUFF.