The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-07-10
nway to Join Leo near Richmond. We

AWAY to Join Leo near i1lcl1nohdss WE
did not know where we were going. nor
cid tic second Ii, command Know, Tor lie
complained that 1T was kept a. sect FROM
Inn the soldier found by General lack. n.
ssoh In tho cherry tree answered, Don't
know TO every question asked him ~
the General. and referred to General
Jacksot,'s order TO Know nothing. Il Fl
5 When orders camc for us to go down
to Ashland, wn knew Tint 1t meant hard
fighting ahead. When this order came
yweawere iii Louisa county, and the IA IL!
road helped us Il part OF the wa y TO The
al,1aco where VIC were needed
We reached Ashland on the evening Of
tho 18th June, 1861; beevcs wore Tiled
and ratioi,s cooked to last us fer two
ttnSs, but as; tile wcntl,ei' was very warn,
tho beef spoiled oil the second day, and
5we s1,bsistcd on Iatiors& obtained from
tie slluvcrsackss of dead 1rederals until
the sever, days fights were over. i54
General jackson was behind time, but lie
reached Gninca's Mill for3the fight OF tho,
eth. Pile FIRST Virginia Battalion were
tho only troops OF tho Second brigade
#ui Jackson IS old division tlintg engaged iii
Rthc battlc;4tlic otlicr8part OF lie brigade
took the wrong road aud did not come
mp III time Nvni;were placed iii the cent
SCR or that division then commanded Ivy!
General 1vi1dcr. II was made known,
that oilr division would charge the ciie-3
my iii Their last position on HAT famous
Held rccollcct that one oil our llctt-5
tenants. General Wright, danced from
sjoy$whcn lie heard that we would charge.
1rc were formed IN line of battle, CAPS
frcrc knocked from tho tubes Of mus
pets, to prevent firing, and off VIC DASH
eff 5Fa44 S4 536l3 E}55I 3 -
Tho enemy occupied high ground TO the
Gust of$us wit1itlicir artillery and infali--5
Try IN good position; we had to pass up
Il long sloping hill to reach them. Tho
layonct WIS alone relied on by ns TO
drive the enemy from the field. On, on,
We dashed. knowing that rapidly was our
greatest safctysby tho capture Of their
runs and making Il quick test OF our
strength with tho bayonct So, sooll as
we commenced otr charge, the enemy
opened upon lis with all heir cannon
End small arms, but they saw that VIC
were IN earnest. and ran Off with their
artillery, leaving us masters OF tina Ibis;
ttoric field. v 55 III " I'd
Two OF our best sergeants had fallen!
Sergeant Everett, asEwcll trimmed non
commissioned officer In the old service
5Nns killed, and Second Sergeant John
Mcfarland severed ounded. a noticed
Mcfarland looked surprised hen he fell
and on his return from the hospita y, 8
inquired why, Ills answer was that
lie had been In every battle IN Mexico
fexcent3Sonc, &nrd n tl1ntt IT. was the first
bullet that had ever hit llrin.S
81 T am now unable o recall the other
losses. but recolect that two Of the
fGur3litter-bcarersy detailed for that duty
We're shot. v,
Tic fight s3llad been in progress for
some time before we reached the field.
How 1t was possible for tlle* Confederates
IT take the main I'LL, could not be UNI
3derstood by our generals on an eXallnint-
nions Il It's strength, and was not known A
10 us untilsaftcr, the war. Genera1 "A. r.
3lJill.s division had fought the enemy SO
long as 10 make their guns hot, 3sandS
s.,ust at that.s time Generals Hood and
whiting came up with their brlgadcs.
with cool guns, and carried the hill ;Athc
enemy could not load their guns. ana
General Longstrcet says that I'LL s5lnen
deserved tlleB credit of tho &5vict ory,g rs
tncy stayed there and forced the enc
.my8to heat their guns; Of course. Fl s
guns could not. be used better than those
o. the enenlyss. Our sunset cha rye ended
a glorious victory&to Confederate ARMS.
,ihc battle#ofs Gaines's Mill was another
Test of the stcadiness OF the ressular b bat Il
TALON, for they charged up The hill AS
down III ranks, the space wa s closed as
&c nothing had happened This was re-
marked upon By General yYinder. who
was III command ofsthe division, and rode
but little way behind us, Captain David
son, OF our battalion was never known
10 resent a personal affront. Some two
or three Of his Brothers, who were CAPS
5tains, had been killed in battle, BIT IT.
was generally thought that&he conldAnot
stand fire, but hos led his company up
the hill, keeping them we'll dressed un-
der q heavy fire Of artillery and nlusket-5
.ly. No man could have made a better
exhibit of gallantry, and when we Sad
routed tho enemy, and driven their guns
from the field, he* salt 4 II 81
Had he known Tint he would have been
lis much frightened as he had been, hcs
would mo tg lltrvc5 entered the SRI, co.
saw him OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES fighting
3with5the greatest spirit and courage.
We had to wait for II EbIidg go a to cross
tho Chicahomlny;tl The IederalsSnot want,
ing our cornpan ny. hi d burned the county
bridge al tier pa sslng tho south side.t.l In
Il short time we Followed, n and on the.
evening or Juno 3oth 83wc were checked
at the White Oak Swamp by General
Franklin, and failed to be- a + Fra yser's
farm wherc VIC were eX pee ed. &C ner;l
Jackson had cxerrcd himself actively for
two months, and want OF sleep had well 'tl
nigh cxhaustcd him. So Long stree g 4. had
10 fight the battle. The 1st Of ] uly found IND
us at Malvern Hill, w1cre 4 the y enemy.
had concentrated their forces aS on on 81 2
plateau but little way from James
River, where they had 3glnboats to help
them In their land fight. Our brigade
was held as a reserve, but suffered very
much from being held still under nc y q
dcurcning roar or artillery Will huge
shells in scarcli8of ns: NO had good luc en-
tho monster things would & tear trees g y Q
pieces toBthn front or us. behind rs ana
10 tho right and5lcft Of ua, but not OF one
struck our ranks; finally about az o'clock
al night we were ordered into battle, We
vent upon tho fighting field.
had never before snci, SO many. dead
and wounded. and ns6it was dark we
Ind to y, careful MOTTO walk upon ne
wounded. The firing OF great guns ma
almost ceased and VIC could not near
the firing or small arms; hut there was
ono thing that We did hear, y w WIS
Inc gronns and cries OF the wounhea'
mad been on many battcflclds and rfan
horrible pcn pictures Of the same but mo ?
sounds OF the distress that l heard that