Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1904-05-20
FORTY YEARS AGO.
Gen'i G C .Whart0n's Recollection Of the
New Market Fight May Is, 1864.


& battle of New Market, written in re
2 ply to Capt. Il. C. Morton, who com
manded a company Of West Virgin
! ians in Edgar Battalion, which was
actively engaged In that occasion will
D be specially interesting at this time as
the anniversary of the battle the 18th
OF May has just passed.
The writer Gen' Gilbert G. Whar-
ton commanded the left wing of Gen'l
Breckinridge's army in the engage.
ment referred to and was on the firing
line from first to last. His observa
tions referring TO that part of the line
In which he was engaged do not include
the operations of the right wing of the
army commanded by Gen1 Echols and
refers only to what he himself was
eye-witness to.
| Radford, Va May l, 1904.
Capt. I. G. Morton,
Staunton, Va.
| My Dear Captain and Old Comrade:
L will depart from my usual custom
and write down certain facts as l saw
them at New Market. l regret
to say l will have to rely
chiefly on my memory aided by
others who we're present. with me on
that occasion, all of my official papers
having been sent at his request to the |
late Judge (Major) Mclaughlin few
months previous to his death-the
Judge writing 10 me that be was pre-
pairing an historical account of the |
battle of New Market as we'll as some
other battles in the Valley. Col. j.
Stoddard Johnston also furnished his
official papers, neither of us have been
able to get those back-so Col. Johns
ton Informed me some months ago. l
enclose a rough sketch which may as.
sist to make my account understOod-
and l will merely state here that as
was in the front line from "start to
tinish'' think 1 saw as much of the
battle as any one.
On the morning of May 18th, 1854,
the day of the battle, as we marched {
down the VALLEY Pike" my command t
was in front, the command consisted |
or the potion of my brigade 1 had {
with me, viz: the 5lst regiment com {
manded by Col. A. Forsberg, the 3Oth
Bat. commanded by Lt..Col. j. Lyle 6
Clark, the 62nd regiment, Col Geo. Fl.
Smith, cavalry regiment which be- I
longed to Gen1 Imboden's brigade but 7
Was at!that time dismounted and which |
had been assigned to my command a t
Few days previously. As we were a
marching a long the pike early that l
morning Gen I J. G. Breckinridge, rode @
up and Informed me he wished my b
command to occupy the ground On the t
left or north Of the pike, and that he 4
had ordered E1gar's Battalion and the t
Cadet Battalion V. NJ. l. to report to t
me as he wished ME to take command +
OF all the forces on the left of the pike. /
When we reached a point or ] of a |,
mile from New Market l filed my +
brigade including the 81 regiment and e
took position ON g. ridge, my left ex b
tending to some thick cedars. | dis r
patched an aid Lit Roache) to tell Col. Y
Edgar to take position on my extreme n
left and about 200 yards in rear, also
sent to Col. Shlpp to place bis corps of
Cadets on my extreme right and about :,
200 yards in rear. making as it were
second line In Echoison AS all the
field officers, by order of Gen'l Breck- =
inridge, were dismounted, l could not
take the time to give more explicts Or :,
ders in person.
After [ had placed my command in
position .and while waiting for the =
troops on the right OF South of the
pike to come up and get in line, went
down IL front until | could see the r
general position of the Federal line-I :,
saw distinctly the battery at or near
the church insthe edge OF the town and !;
also battery on a point near some
cedars, this l tookstO be the right of .
the Federal line. From the position !,
IJ
sloped down to lane with high rail
fence on each side and also small ,
stream both extending in southerly
direction from the town of New Mar ,
ket. | returned to my command and
passing, told the men when ! gave the
order to advance they should rush >
down that slope without regard to Or
der jump over both fences and stop un.
til could reform them, they to avoid
the fire of the Federal batteries which
was over our heads. Soon thereafter
l receive a message from Col George {
w. Patten that he was ready to pro- t
ceed, sent. a message to Col. Shipp
and Col. Edgar to conform their move
ments to mine and Immediately gave
the order to advance which was done
as l had directed, in consequence, the
enemy fired over us and did not lose
man. A shorttime after had taken
my command down to the lane, at the
foot OF the ridge upon which had first
formed my line, rushing down without
regard to order, until we reached and
crossed the two high fences. Col. Ship
with the corps of Cadets marched
down the same hill in beautiful order
as tho going to dress parade, present.
ing very handsome appearance, but
unfortunately the enemy's artillery |
had the range and did fearful havoc with |
the splendid boys, one shell killing or |
woundDg six cadets-Other casualties |
following. The Cadets acted. splendid |
ly. closing up ranks land moving for
ward in beautiful, military procession
and order. In the meantime l had
L thrown nrward NV sk kirfnishers nndar