The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-01-08
Graphic Account of@ One VI, Vt ,t tl1c
Most Wonderful Of All All
ia Battles.
q NERAl LEE IL THE REAR {: y 4
The Story as R r clated el .1 by pr; Dr.
W'illianlS Smith. s 81 Ran Ran l.3
.5 @dolphS-Macoil,- s,55

(Edited sbysTohrl w. D aniel.)


president 81 tho Rnnd oli,i- College
ssystemO III sFs,ssi si8f sll i,33s S3 I, III
~ On the eighth and ninth our re-
the Forty ninth Virginia, was not no s4 IN ac-
ton but was we'd from polln1' to po on
and on the tenthSwo we're an the third
and though not chilled OF, to SUPPORT, y
front wero under heavy ling On me Ia
AFTERNOON sc the eleventh we were me- rem!
"a vigorously to d now ttion On the q g
rear 81 the loft side OF the saliei, t, which
was L, lie rechristened the next day assi
tho t'blooty5 angle. We stopped worn 't'llS
ana ~ IN ~ plowed fold and @tn a
few minutes this part ,1lar part OF ti e,
regiment was e g = e
fora }tIt,.y we were ava enetl inarcieu
uufetly to{ the front and pc hind t -
front line Sof battle tri the 4 q
think bri i, -, Ivy
va where the enemy. s, 7 J,
had brolser$ through our lines and nag 51I
been driven Sout &by a counte cha 81 IGIt5
was said to have been done ~, the 1ighIs
wall sprinklad wi til tie erenlys dead, and
about a score were pllecigtlt e'ne l ~
ou' tW FsafHfs; FOR il nH1Is cHATcf y.
we were told to expect a. charge from
the dense pine woods Just in front of ~
possibly some hundred yards away. II
was so thick that nothing ~ IL coqllitd 4lbe
seen, N and we Simply " wnited WI th guns
cooked in I'll 1t should deliver w It's con-
tents. Cartridges were torn and caps.
laid out Eve Ind nluzzle -1ondin l.s1t cid
irihes) that&no time should he lost IN re-
loading; we could n It hope for I nofe tnan
ty2 shots before j. same 70 g hsstiOol
nets. Personally the boy volunteer was a:s
.better6ofr for such work for having been
wounded i'll the hand in ;nr earl nc tfonf
50 as not to be able to load an Enfield, he
mac secured a breecf- ing Sharp $ car
iibine from the cavalry, and could count on
four or five shots before coming to close
quarters. ; 81. ;5.s III 6i35 IA z; LIZ n
-wphen} on our right, perhaps some q i've Or
six hundreds yard away, We +, ,heard tne1
* ankee .FIussa! lussn! hussa! land then
a5rattllng tire OF small arms, lasting but
q z quarter of an hour a t most. Why
3don't the,- come on? hey gave y q up
easy was our thought, when to OH mr.
prise wo saw our mon running from q 1 the
trenches in the salient on n E.
emotion was surprise and am azeme!lt that
our troops had lost 50 easily, there had
been no fight, I, ] - !. :, n
Z Our next was alarm at the situation
#forsy eterans as we 5;yer q we Z ould see
the seriousness Of che disas ter. Is seemed
that q whole corps, 53nlassedS on a. division
front, had broken our line right II, tho
position that Would cnfllade both sides!
and with small advance take our forces
in the rear and compel 5the IRE treat Of
Lees army and that too at 5d.ty nreak,
with all day to- com pie tie the disast tel, and
turn tile retreat into ii rout. gs, Tho situa-t
ton prcd uced alarm but not fear. q t was
"a great energenc y ~ 9 pc pr 1nptly an ~
heroically met. Our o flcers Were &tno Z
wanting. In IA few minutes our brigade
was thrown almost Stogright angles to the
breas tworlSs we had been set to defend,
and marching TO the right made, with
SGordons eeorslansss WHO were on x our
1 Il, an ileur3m destiny. the thin line
stood confronting sthe Is m assing enemy
IN our trenches only some two hundred
yards away: obscured a. they were, It is
cases by tire contour Of the land, but
ready to push. forward to tlc3 capture
! Of the parked reserve artillery ananll-ji
milton just behind MS. q. M ts
GI1NERAI. r. p: LEE APPEAR rs .5
General lees headquarters were but Il
short distance away and % few minutes
would decide whether the grand army OF
Northern Virginia.. which had sent 50
many Federal generals h to-, defeat t, would
fan beforeatllis frs strong attack of Gem
ieral Grant "A morne nt later noticed ~
quiet officer ride In front OF our line Tie
WAS a large man on an iron, cray horse
and Ind come up wi bout ret inue event.
think, without a single sta r. officer or or
derby II was only when he turned his face
towards lis ana with asilent gesture OF ex-
tended arm pointed towards the enemy that
we recognized our itloli1cd Lee. Alrendy
the bullets s. were g y piping past, aimed
Johnson's division. that had been over
whelmed lii the trenches. What If one
should kill Lee? '.G ct In front Of him;
keep the bullets off. was tho instructive
III y LEE no ID RE AIR.
Just then from t he right General J. ;f3.
Gordon came dashtnE down the limo. At
tho sight q Lee he refined aupi his hand
b hts fargotten. Gencra Lee this il no
place for you, 10 back, General; we will
| drive them back. These men are Virgins
will not fail ME now Will YOU boys Then
| rose the oft-quoted shout General Lee
| to the rear! Lee to the rear! 81 Go back.
General I'VE cant charge until you. 80
lsba cis. /" I'VE will drive them back, Cen
l$eral, Some one got hold Of his bride
l3nnug back through tho line Of tho Forty
ninth Regiment Les {wtls led, The whole
kscene was not fifty PAGES from whore J.
stood and stands out like a glorious pic
l8ture to-day. M f 5{ N
Forward" cried Gordon, ma the line
stepped off with the steady tread of q
\ dress parade, There wns no shout, no
l3I saw the stern faces and set teeth Of
iimen who have undertaken to do n des.
operate deed ana do not intend To fan. ~,
LEES EYES UPON THEM.
4 With tho freedom OF the volunteer. II
\ said TO those next me; Pass II down The
\ line, boys General Lee Is looking 1T us. y
nAse,;,,and ,depending upon us too" and
i the silent limo moved ontwlth long swift
4 strides, In q few moments we marched
| down into the bottom then rising, parted
4 the, underEroWth, and were llpor them,
1 gpacked thick as 5blackhrds IN our
4 3trenehes, "a fearful volley wrought havoc
nnd started those In advance 10 get hack
to theirtllne; Those behind, soeing these
returning became alarmed. Without
\ papsinN 70 reload, we rushed upon them,
\ 80 qliirkly, indeed, thai we did not
4 give them ilmcto nun Many surrendered
4 upon demand; some gave MS the bayonet,
lavish these va had a short, stern arsl,-
Il menl, using chiefly our dubbed guns
4 My gun being too short for such use and
8quite handy 70 Load I gave my stubborn
. opponent, who refused to surrender, the
~ tilo lenden conten,s AT short range and
a passed on AFTER finding that no was be-
4 SDrd the Hsod 81 assistance from me- Al
we rushed on hundreds threw un ,licil
Il hands and said,r'tl sliirendern hut W.
n could not atfDm to send men back frGn,
the charging limo With prisoners unc
would sag; Throw down Your guns anl
III SO 10 the rear Many Hdid so. lnans
Nal I 4