Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1904-05-20

, flank. l placed myself with the lie
company of the 5lst regiment al
moved forward as rapidly as posslb
IS the whole command on my right mo-
II ing forward-on emerging from
8 grove or collection of large trees "
! were met with columns of infantr
and rapid fire of grape and canniste
: from the battery in,my Immediate fror
| which was. as supposed. the extrem
: right of the Federal line and on th
, edge of a very steep bluff, rocky an
rough. extending down to the rivel
fortunately for. those of US who wer
charging the battery, their firing wa
= too low, the ground, a wheat field hay
ing been tramped over, was very mud
J dy and soft. The balls when striking
the ground did not ricochet but threw
up much mud, at times almost Dlindinl
us and covering US from head to foo
with mud, with the left company o
the 5lst, we captured the battery, tw'
guns. the horses were shot and th'
mel running back through the brusl
and ON the bluff, made their escape by
forcing the river near Genl Gilbert
Mems house, ,as learned afterwards
AS soon rs the battery was captured
directed 1t. Tate, who was in com
mand of the company, to file to the
right oblique and take the enemy III
flank and rear, just as l gave him the
order Capt. Reid of Edgar's battalion
ran up to me and said that Col. Edgar's
battalion was cut off by the bluff, at
the same time saying there were some
Federals down the bluff, told Capt.
Reid to request Col. Edgar to move by
the right flank and go to the assistance
of the center of my line (the right OF
the 51st and the 3Oth battalion) as from
my position. 1 could see that l had
turned the right flank of the enemy
but that the center and right of my
line was hotly engaged and seemed to
have been forced back little or had
not kept up its alignment with the left
of my line, as Lit. Tate turned to give
the command to turn to the right and
fire obliquely, ,he was stOt down by my
side. l then gave the command my.
self, which was promptly executed,
with good effect. In few minutes the
gallant and daring Edgar had turned
his battalion and coming up oppOrtu-
nelly reinforced and added fresh uni
pence to the troops WHO had been so
hotly pressed and the line was res
tOred, moving forward with rapiditY
and courage, broke the enemy's line.
In the meantime the cadets had glori'
ously rushed up in face of shell and
ball and filling a gap on the right OF
the 62nd, captured gun that had been
near the church and aided naturally |
to the splendid result. In the mean
time Col. George 8. Patton, with his
front 22nd regiment, and the dashlng |
Deverick, with his battalion, had come |
up and forced back the FederalS eX-
treme left. Then the route Was gen.
eral except the small body that escaped |
by crossing the river near Gen 4 Mems,
the whole force led rapidly along the
Valley pike and crossed the ridge and |
pushed on to Mt. Jackson
After following the defeated and flee
ing enemy nearly a mile east Of New
Market, GenI Breckinrldge ordered |
halt to reform his line and supply the |
men with ammunition and had to wait |
for the ordnance wagons to be brought |
up. AS soon as the ammunition was
we pressed forward again,
the enemy seeming to be preparing to
make stand on Rude's Hill, and did
fire few shots. but before my skin
mlsh line got within ] mile they disap- |
peared and when We reached the top
of the hill their rear were near the
bridge and beyond our pursuit. Thus
ended one of the most decisive and
important small engagements OF the
war. For the time being it. relieve d
the threatened invasion of Southwest
Va, and the upper Valley and enabled
Genl Breckenridge to take his CON-
mand to the assistance of Gen Lee, at
Hanover Junction, which he did by
way of Staunton and the Va. Central
r r now the G. & o.
The gallant Edgar, with his equally
gallant men and officers. not only rem
dered conspicuous and material assist.
ance in the splendid victory at New
Market, but oil many other fields toI
my certain kno Wedge.
In regard to the guns captured,
can only speak positively about three;
two captured as before mentioned on
the Cedar bluff and one captured by
the Cadets near the curch, but l re-
ceived q short time ago letter from
Capt. Bruce, who commanded the
company on the right of the colOrs of
the 51st, complaining of the injustice
that had been done in the accounts OF
the battle at New Market. He said
that soon after emerging from the
woodland and gaining the wheat field,
the whole of the right wing of the
51st, 30th bat, and cd regt., received
fearful and CALLING fire, that a por-
tion of the troops had to fall back to
the right or rather checked up, some
were ordered to lie down, that he NOV
ed his compay short distance back
to fence and continued to fire and
| that there was some little disorder
arising from the slightly wounded
| going back and those badly wounded
| being carried off the field, but there
was no disposition to fall back or leave
the field. While thus hotlY engaged be
| notioc1 on.ninO n n from tho loft ap6