The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-12-11

Tile Contest of May 18th at
spotsylvania Courthouse
Given in Detail.
PART PLAYED BY THE 49TH
What Pegratn's Brigade Did on
That Eventful$D ay--Tirst Sur
gcon to Fall on Firing Line.
CIV Col. /. Catlett Gibson.l

(By SOl. ssSdtlell.9 J 'llDitJl
On the evening OF the 11tll OF A1uy we
wcro marched to assist IN the repulse or
a vigorous assault on tho breastworlss
OF our left wing; reaching the point of
attack Just before sunset; rs We fronted
TO 20 into position, the dcud body of II
man was pointed out to us as that Of u
North Carolina surgeon, who had been
killed while dressing the wound of one
of his men. This was the first Confed-
/ eratc surgeon known by me TO have been
y killed IN line OF battle. although / saw
DR.. Alfred Slaughter, surgeon OF the rhir-
tccntll Virginia Regiment, wounded In an
attack We made on Sedwick's corps be-
tween Marye's Heights and Falmouth. We
were marched from our left late in the
night Of the 18th and 12th and slept OH
our arms that night; the sleep Of the
just made peaceful, in n woods On a loca- :
ton then unknown to us but subsequent
Information showed 1t to have been not
far from the headquarters that were Lees
that morn. and near to the angle that
was "bloody" ere night. a little after
dawn OF the 10Th I was aroused from 4
deep sleep by Frank George. one OF Gem
= cfal lIOrOOISi OTueIllcS, WtS AOiQt ny
Z. him that the Yankees had broken through
our works and captured Johnson's di-
vision; and when started to say some
& thing lie told me not to talk loud; the
enemy We're very close to us.
I Immediately aroused up two or three
men near me and told them to arouse
the regiment, ana tell the men to fall in
as quickly and quietly as possible with
z out any rafting of cantcens, as we were
near the enemy. 7 told Frank George
that didn't see how there could have
been any hard fighting near us that night,
as had heard no firing. He said he
had heard it, and that General Lee hid
heard 1t, and that the Yankees had GER
tainly broken through the center of our
\ line near General Lees headquarters and
had captured the whole OF General Ed
ward Jolnson's division, and that Lee
9 had sent him to me 10 tell me to march
my brigade as soon rs possible to the
captured works. / told him he had bet
ter give his orders to Colonel Hoffman.
= OF the Thirty-first Virginia, as he was
the ranking colonel Of the brigade lie
said he had no TING for such politeness.
them. ! asked him to take his orders
down the line, He said he could not do
Stt. as he had to hurry up another brig
nde. and that q staff officer was COM
ing up the limo to get the brigade under
arms. l told him II no would send me
a guido he could git as soon as he
chose. he replied that the staff officer
would be my guide The men fell in
line about as soon as could get mount
ed, and the staff officer came up few
minutes after and guided us towards the
right and then towards the left. and af-
ter we had marched some two or three
hundred yards and had come III sight
of the line Of unoccupicd carthworks 10
our left, he pointed out little farm house
some ten or twelve hundred yards dis
tant. and some four or five hundred yards
apparently In rear Of these works ex-
tended, as tho headquarters Of General
lee. Flo led us for some hundred yards
or more almost parallel TO these unoccu.
pien works, and then stopped, rather
closer than the regulations required, AS
thought to fine looking body of Con-
icderates, dressed in nice. clean uniform:
that contrastcd very strongly with Tho
clothing Of those of my brigade.
GENERAL. LEE IN FRONT OF Pc
GRANTS BRIGADE.
In the rear Of these well dressed troops
saw four mounted men among them
recognized General Robert T.. Leo ana