The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-05-31

sixth Regiment OF Virginia Volunteers,
Wise's Brigade and first went into quar-.
tors about half a mile north of the old
Ntar'.hall Reservoir SUBSEQUENT orders
sent the command to Yorktown, where u
was coated when Mcclellan approaoned
and where 1t became engaged IN some
slight skirmishes. It was at Gloucester
Point, Just across the river from York;
town, when the order for retreat came.
The brigade moved to Hanover Court
house BY forced marches For several
reasons the retreat Is notable IN tnls az az
count. In the haste and CONFUSION ti ~,
was no time to gather provisions. lhe
people along the route were very KIND 20
the troops and fed them else they @onla
have persisted ana escaped the pursuing
Yankees only by succumbing 10 munger,
an enemy almost as t,nwelcome. at Han
over Courthouse, Mr.. Chestcrinan was
met by his father, who brought ciothes'
food and tobacco to the young soldier-.
which were greatly wecome says Mr.
Chesterinan himself, ana fnade ivy a'0
my mess mates happy
The war progressed with varying Tor
tunes for either side. The commanu NJ
which Mr.. Chesterlnan served snv q
good deal Of hard fighting at different
points In the field. The Blues were at
Battery Is when the raiders almost got
into Petersburg, having ridden through
8
Wounded Near Petersburg.
June IL, 1864, In an ont field near Pc
tcrsburg, the Confedcrates were charged
by the enemys column several times
The southerners, who had but rev tools.
were throwing up breastworks Win tI .'sit
bayonets and tin cups, and 1t was ,nis
operation that the Yankees desired 10
check The troops held on until nearly
shutdown when the left, where the men
were three or four feet apart. 30 1e"
were they, was forced. All thereupon fell
back, but upon the arrival OF reinforce
menta advanced again to their old posi-
ton. Mr. Chestcr,nan was wounded IN
the right thigh, and 1t Us recorded that
Simon Hexter and Henry Kelly went
OFF the field with him man standing
near was shot In the head and his brains
splashcd over Mr. sterman's face ana
remained there until lie got to the hospl-
tai in Petersburg. s R4sI
The wound. at first apparently slight
proved more serious than 1T seemed. II
was much aggravated when MI. Chester
man reached Petersburg. to which place
he had to walk from the field, assisted
by Kelly and Hexter. 1t grew rapidly
worse, and the injured man was given
permission to go home. After many veH-
atjuus delays, he was brought to Rich
mond For several weeks he hung be-
tween life and death, but skillful medical
treatment finally brought him to recoT-
cry. In November, 1861, he went before
medical examining board. sitting at
seahroook's Hospital. now Sea brook
Warehouse. at Seventeenth and Grace
Streets. and was retired from active ser
vice. and ordered to report TO Major
General James l.. kempcr, headquarters
at the Richmond Female Institute. re
was assigned to duty as aclerk IN the
war Department. and wes for ti'ne
In charge OF the department Tor the re-
oeption of supplies to be sent under nag
Of truce to Confederates in Northern
nr,sonsy Later. he was with Mr. t.
~. Hoennlger. and vised the letters
which came from the North to Federal
prisoners here and also those to go
North. Nothing detrimental to the Con-
fcderate cause was allowed to be Writ
fan md II written. the letter was de-
stroyed.
Recalled the Evacuation.
In the words OF Mr.. Chesterman him
seif preserved in private records: ".
~ was in this duty and still using .tr,y
crutcbes when came the fearful night
Of the evacuation. We were all terrlpiS
frightened. The blaze of the burning dis
trict made the whole city hght as DAY
the mob sacked the stores; the authort-
ties threw into the cutters all the Whls
kew they could find: magazines exploded
and agitated the earth with the fierce
ness OF the shock; the men were an
nut IN duty Except the crlpples), and
the women and cIlildren were all IN tears.
Never shall l forget that night; II al
most made my hair turn gray. could 90
nothing hut await the result. Next morn
ing saw the United States troops as
thew marched up Clay street 10 the Wes.-
ern confines OF the city.
After the War
After the war, Mr.. chesterman. then
about twenty years of age, began NE q
= business man. The surrender at Apo
mattox occurred in April. 1885. in the
sn,,,,,,er Of that year, Mr. Chesterman,
still somewhat of a cripple. entered upon
The career that extended from that POM POM,
through the dark and lerrbie Heal da Wn , Of
= nav hope and a new South, TO the
present time, when the darkness OF , Inc
cloud has been reft. ana d N Inc tbe South
nc hard and cruel past Is only memory;
Through it all he lived. as MS record Mn M
show a part Of the lie OF me eo M unrv
nnn earnestly and Professionally interested
in ali that made TO the better rms heI and
the upbnlding, Of the 1. .nhh brn i'e ''iu '''
ASIDE from the interest r would orul-
,a,.Iiv command as marking the beginning
az this long and nop!e career, llis ~ o.
venture in business Is notable for other
and nd different causes: Itplunged him into
the r,pheaved life of the city still ground
h ter the Federal heel, and It brought
MIN into immediate, close and intimate A. :,
lives like lurld spot in RIehmo nd h jife
nd nd 'traelc death still linger In the minds
~ many of the older residents.
O q WAS was in the summer Of 1865 then that
M Chester1nan first met Henry Rlves Pol
iard During the war he had been con-
nected with the Examiner newspaper as
news editor, and since the !, cessation t6 81
Journal He esst abou tbd for n1 the whe an5
e M,a'rf began to send out a prospectus.
Young chesterman was ENGAGE, a. as Ia a
sort Ht Of clerk in the office. Many diftlcu vi
fins arose, and the newly launched bark
was about to sink when Pollard secured
mare NOR reliable and influential support. He
had certain transactions With one Thomas pa
day. and finally ANNOUNCED with iaun, MY
eaness that he had a m nnt e. ms
ed The money was shortly 4, forth hSnltsr
man, III always suspected-indeed. knew