The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-07-09

Lees army, and, under command or Ger
crnl Lindsay Walker, marched OH another
rond several miles nwly. On the after.
noon$of April Stl. ths body OF artillery
turned Into nh old field OH tho side
OF the road ind went into park, ana rn-
tons wcrc issicd For SOHO days we had
lived on pnrchcd corn, and what we coull
forage, and that was whatever the cpun-
try people had for, God bless tlcM, they
| gladly gavC lib the best ana the lust,
they had III the house. What Ind hap
| pcncd IN tho commssnry department. wo
| never knew, ana didn't Inquire, but SIRE
| there woro tho rntlons, and such rich
| food corn meal, bacon, black-cye peas,
"a combination to make an old soldiers
mouth water even now. What IL tho meal.
wae yollow, tho bacon little rancid,
the pens somewhat weovl eaten; these
| pcoulihrlties Would add flavor to tho
| feast. Beyond tho field In which the arr
| Hillary WIS parked tho ground descended
and through the bottom ran a email
stream OF clear water. III n fcw minutes
fires were burning along tms stream, and
| dinners cooking. With happy. hungry
eyes We watched the boiling bacon and
peas, and the corn pone baking. Great
innd joyful were otlr anticipa tons, but
that was all the good wo got out or 1t.
iNc never tasted tho dinner Suddenly
N
gone further into the woods came run
ming back with the startling cry, "The
Yankees arc coming" In less than
| minute We were flouble-ouicklng up tho
hill, and across the field to our guns
When We got there one Of our Incss,
Bean" Barnes Henry C.), declared he
would have that pot OF peas II the whole
OF Grants army were coming, and away
nc sprlnted at Il lively pace Boon to re-
appear with the pens, but such are tho
fortunes OF war, when nearly to us ho
stumbled and In catching himself spilled
most or the pens. An exclamation Of hor-
ror went up from the company. There
was sympathy for Bean" (Marse Robert
didn't have n Drawer soldIer), and n fee,-
Ing OF personal loss for tho dinner.
though had We known IL there was TO
be no time for eating that day. We had
made our last camp fire: cooked our last
dinner and had lost It.
The cry, the yankees are coming.."S
was not false alarm. Soon they ap-
penred In considerable force, poodly
part OF Shcrdan's cavalry, ana charged
with much spirit across tho field. When
iairly IN range and very close range 1t
was, our pieces, about fifty In all, that
had been hurriedly thrown into position.
Numbered, and as tho smoke lifted the
enemy We're seen flying back over tho
hill. oncc out OF sight they quickly re-
formed. and soon came at us again: and
again the Garth shook as they were swept
from tho field. But undauntcd, they
reformed, and charged again. ana viii
ike result. 1t was very pretty and
Tost unique. Cavalry against Artillery,
with no infantry on either side. Towards
night the Fedcrals were seen 10 be NOV
ing around upon our flank, and our
pieces were quickly limbcred up and
hurried. one battery after another. into
the main road. My recollection is the
Howitzcrs were the last ordered off the
field. Number stuck fast III mud
hole. The two horses thcrc should have
been four, at least} could not move 1t.
In obedience TO the command. "Cannon-
icrs to the Wheels" the boys put their
shoulders to It; but It did not bulge.
think 1t was Lieutenant John Nfnmo
who then gave tho order to double load
with canister stand by her until the
enemy were upon U.S. let them have 1t,
and every man save himself MS best he
could. We did not have long TO wait
When they were almost within rod of
us We blazed away. The results were as
tonshing. both in our front and rear.
The enemy were checked, and the gun
bounded out OF the hole hack on the
horses. who, badly frightened. galloped
Off with 1t. and tho boys. with a wild
yell. after them. The piece came into
the road just ahead OF n Confederate
wagon train. ana soon caught up with the
other pieces. An hour later the Federal
cavalry had captured the wagon train.
and 1t was In flames.
Night set in dark and driZzng. We
marched for hours. Then came Il loag
halt. The head of the column turned
and we marched for a long time in an
other direction. Another long halt and
a rumor down the line that nc had lost
the road. That an army should lose
the road began to look suspicious More
marching. hating. countermarching ana
daybreak found us not very far from
where we had fought the evening before.
During the morning the men were called
together, and an officer read n message
from General Lee to the effect that II
he succeeded In breaking through the
enemy's lines he would form n union
with Johnston. and If he could not he
would surrender; and that II we could
not join him we could consider ourselves
5honorably discharged. and were at lib
erty to return to our homes After >.,s-
mantllng the guns we sorrowfully dis:
banded. Sixteen OF the Howtzers started
on foot to North Carolina to join john
ston. 4
For the purpose Of foragnlg ~ divide
at Lhcolnton, N. c.. tho day after John
ston's surrender. The want Of horses
made it impracticablcHto4 attempt to join
Kirby Smith 50 tho next thing was to
get back to Richmond And here. arose
a difficulty. The Federal officer issuing
paroles and transportation objected 10
us when no found we were not properly
u part of Johnston's army. IT. began to
look as Il we would have 10 foot it again;
but finally we were pnroled and fur
nished transportation, and home we wen.
to Ola VIRGINIA, riding sometimes ! IN box
IT Is n matter OF regret aa well os
surprise. to me that I cannot now RECALL
.he names or our party think twelve
of the. sixteen who started on the trip
succeeded in getting to Lncolnton. n. c.
Baron" Steine edmond CD. who died
n few months since, was one, but my
recollection as to theirs is so hazy that
1 fear to attempt to name them. One
reason for writing s the hope that 1t
may bring responses from some OF them,
who will addsto the incidents ! have
mentioned, and. perhaps correct them for
/ was but boy then and 1t has been
long time ago. and write from mem.
DRY. not always a safe thing TO do.