Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1904-07-29
enemy in check until be could get his
line of battle formed

| lOI SCb oiIC oCChSf tsS
passed through the village, our hors
8 on The run, and our boys yelling e
, Enthusiastically as they always did VIII
! going to the front. My boys were i
{ splled by the glory of battle, and wh
that feeling takes possession of me
all fear vanisheS. Lord WOlseley, tt
great English General, says: II ha'
never experienced the same unalloyt
and elevating satisfaction, or know
again the joy felt. as l ran for tt
enemies stockade at the head of asma
mob of soldiers, most of them boys lii
myself.''
| We all had that feeling that day, an
were inspired by one still stronger, fl
behind US were our mothers, wives, si
ters and sweethearts. AT home brigt
eyes were sparkling for us, and W
would defend them to the last"
There were some ladies standing i
a porch, waving their handkerchief
and cheering as we passed, as was usus
with the noble women of the valley
when they saw our men going into bal
tie. One of them cried out, ''LieuteI
ant, don't let your men make SO mucl
noise, they will scare all the Yankee
away before you can get shot a
them." We passed through the vii
lage few hours later; the dear womel
were gone, and the house they had lef
was riddled with shot and shell ant
filled with dead and wounded soldiers
We soon came up to Imboden. retir
ing before an overwhelming body o
cavalry, supported by infantry and ar
tillery, and beyond the hill on which
we took our position, the whole cOun
try looked blue, and behind them was
the smoke of burning barns. AL
though we were far ahead of our mair
body. we felt fairly safe. as We had
supporting us Capt. Opie's company
and his gallant men from Augusta.
We had hardly begun firing, before
a section of the enemies horse artillery
ran out and opened on us. They seem.
ed to be excited and fired wildly, but
my boys replied coolly and deliberate
ly. and soon silenced them. I have 1t
from one of Hunter g staff officers, with
whom l visited the battlefield since the
war. that we knocked them out com
pletely in short time. He said, Il
then put twelve guns on you and made
you leave.'' l replied. Eyes Colonel,
you did make it hot for us, but we did
not leave until we had orders to do so. y
Gen. Jones by that time had formed
his line of battle. His infantry on the
left, resting on Middle River, with a
section of Bryan 8 battery supporting
them. On the right was his cavalry,
including Vaughn's brigade, a section
Of Bryan's battery and a space of at
least quarter of mile in the center,
was defended by the boy battery and
two sections of McClanahan's battery.
The rest of the artillery was with the
cavalry. In reserve he held Col. Har-
per's and Gen. Harman's regiments of
Did men, boys, shopmen and GONZALES.
cents.
The enemy made their attack on our
eft, and gallantly did we hold our po-
sition for hours, time and again re-
pulsing the enemies attacks. But at
last they had to give way, but not un
til they had been worn to frazzle,
and nearly, if not entirely, out of am
and most of their officers
and many of their men killed and
including the gallant com
mander, Coz. Brown, who died On the
field. Before he died he sent courier
after courier asking Gen. Jones for
help. Why they were not sent have
never understood; for our whole right
was standing there all day long look
ing at the uneven fight, our artillery
in the center firing away and accom-
plishing nothing. Gen. Jones, at one
time. Was near my section, and l heard
q courier from Col. Brown tell him the
of things On the left. / have
heard that Capt. Martin, his adjutant.
said he did send courlers to Imboden
and Vaughan ordering them to attack
fha nnoYsl " On tho 1hft h,t fLono H.,
erals both said they got no such orders.
They must have seen a flank move
ment being made on our left, for the
troops who made it came from Hun
ter's left and had to pass in front of
our right wing. I know it Is not be-
coming in a subaltern to criticise his
superiors, and probably 1T does nc
good at this late day. but if there is
any explanation of the conduct of those
two gallant officers, who are now dead
1 think it is due to their memories
that it should be made. Gen. Jones
who was near, ordered me to follow
him with my section, which with Har
per's and Harman 8 regiments, be pro-
posed to stop the stampede, which was
getting serious. How vain the attempt
to rush untried soldiers through q
stampeding line of battle to check and
drive back victorious line advancing
Old veterans could hardly have stood
1t.
It was hard that these gallant men
On our left should have been left there
to fight and die alone when there were
SO many friends near who were anx
ious and willing to go to their aid.
We were soon surrounded by our OWL
flying men, and in sight of the Yankees
Our men began to give way. Jones
became desperate, rushed impetuousIy
to the front, followed by many of Har
per's men, right on to the Yankee lin,
of battle, which poured deadly vol
ley into them, killing Jones and many
others. just then Col. Robt. Doyle
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