The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-07-16
FIGHTING THAT
WAS CLOSE BYU|S|:|
One Who, Was There Tells About,
|. the5Battle Of Drewry's s
Buff
MANY ERRORS CORRECTED.
q Few Extracts From tic lin
incnsc Volumes Known, as
.a War Records; -

| E:Fyy ar ltcCOrdS, NJ III Il
Herewith All article Of Captain John
w. spmpter. " sc!hra,Iansburg, who Il
we'll knownkin9 Virginia ns Il railroad
man, ana las formerly connected With
the 5Railroad commissioners onlce In
richmond n. a58 i
The war records, vol. 49, part 2, con-
taln,the reports OF the heavy battle OF
Drcwry's Bluff, and show that he Is
right IN Ills declaration thatit WIS fought
on May 1ethr 1861 On ragcs 200
.2n OF tho volume above referred
to General Beaurcgard's circular
order OF battle for the 18th May
/ is quoted IN his report Of tho engagement,
and On pago POS appears tho list OF
casualties iii Ransom ffokss, and Col
quits Divisions. Ransom's Division,
commanded BY Major Gcnl. Robert Rnn-
som. was composed of Bartons Brigade,
under Col. D.. B. Fry. GrnVess Brigade
under sBrtB-Ger'l% Oracle. kcinpcr's Brl-
gade under Col. William r. Terry, OF the
Twcnty-fourth Virginia Infantry. Hoke's
old Brigade Under Lieut-Col. afterwards
Brig-Gcn' ~ Lewls's, and battalion OF
artillery, under Lieut.Col. Lightfoot.
The casualties III all OF these com
mands appear except In Kempcrs Bril-
gnde
On the next day May nth, 1864, Ken-
per's Brigade was transferred to tfoke's
division IN exchange. Bushrod john
sons Brigade, and kcmper's Brigade.
under tho new arrangement marched
through Richmond displaying the colors
It had captured the day before. It np-
penrs that Brig-Gen'l. Hickman ana some
four hundred OF hls men were ca ptured,
but not his brigade as d whole. There
is no retfxt IN the war report from the
commander Of Kcmper's Brigade (Co1.5
w. r. Terry) It's Immediate transfer md
movement to the nortl1 of the James. Is
the probable oattse Of This deficiency, and
we discover no statement Of lis casual
ties.
The battle#of May 10th. 1864, nj
.Drcwry's Bluff was tho eliminating and
we'll designed execution Of I'cdtleRnrtl's
well conceived plan that bottled zip But
lerRthe btsterer The plan ysns so we'll
made that hut for the failure of t;cnI..
Whiting With his division to execute
Bcnurogard $ Idea. Butler would not only.
have been bottled. as he was. but much
moro seriously damaged, perhaps de-
stroyed There seems TO he tho differ
onccaof opinInnEoni this point.
General Reattpegnrd says OF General
l,Gl1so,r and lits division In the battle
of the 10th May: q
Ransom mood at 4:45 a. M being
somewhat delayed BY a, dense fog which.
1asted several hours after dawn, and oc-
casioned some embarrassment s = s.
He was soon engaged. carrying ats AZ
NJ. With some loss. the cneny's line O.
III hts Sfront. his troops
moving splendidly to the nssaultannd cap
turing five stand OF colors and some 30.
prisoners. Tho brigades most hcavi-
~ engaged were Gracie's and KEN
per's opposed to the ohem%.s isbt, the
former turning his flank. tsce War
Records. Vol. 36, Part 2, p. 201.o "a
Major General Robert Ransom says In
his report:
S8''trhe conduct Of the troops throughout
was unquestionable. but the briFndes
OF General Oracle and Colonel Terry
{ Kemper's). deserves special notice; also
the regiment OF Colonel Lewis which he
so CALAMITY led at doublo-duck against
the enemy. it has been impossible 70
get reports from subordinatcs.H ana l
wish this mcagre outline may answer
for immediate requirements. (Soi. 3D.
Part Q. War Records, p. 2l3.)
General funSultl duN's VII tS'>''S -
that "on taking the brcastworks, five
stand of colors. one brigadier-gen
and about 400 prisoners We're captured;
As the official reports Of the battle
st Drewry's Bluff of May 16. 1865, 40 NOT
state what particular part was taken ny
tho brisadcs Of Ransofn's Division. other
iran q few references OF tho major-gen-
erai commanding. the differences s,., be- ;,
tween Gracie's men ard those OF Coione'
Terry cannot be settled by theaA reports.
sumpter's account is from SOL
der Of worthy service, and from q MN
whose testimony is known by all VINO
w mnaw MIN to he reliable. There are
Gonbtlcss officers and men sun living
who were participants In the nc,ion Q,
Komper's brigade at forewry's S ~ 1 amd
ono Of them Colonel Maury, or lhe VEL WI
~ Virginia. is now living IN hitn-
r - where he is we'll known. q s'ate-
,ment from him would be welcomes, Cd,
4vt1O CAPTURED HICKMAN > i'l ''l
$3.50 GADE?
Editor Of The Times Dispatch: ,oo,
IL