Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1905-02-09

A
1st, End, Bird and Sth Va. cavalry. "
Il. F. Lees the 5th. 9th, 10th and IStl
Va and and Va. and 2nd &C. We
Jones, the 9Th, 7th, 18th 17th Va. ba.
talon and 35th Va. battalion ofya. cav
airy. Col. T. T. Munfora OF the and Va
who had 90 nobly commanded Robsre
sons (now Jones0 brigade since the 2nd
Manassas, was transferred TO The bri.
gads OF Fits Lee. Col w. e. souss took
the Robertson brigade. Col. W. H.F
Lee was promoted to . brigadisr. Stu
arts commana then consisted OF 4 br,.
gades OF cavalry and 3 batteries of horss
artillery. The Pelham batssry Of 8 gun,
was divided the latesr part Of November
BEeathed and McGregor were made can.
tains, Breathed taking all the MARYLAND.
ers and q lew virginians with ARuns anS
MeGregor 4 guns and men from the OK.
treme Southern States. Hart'ss. C. hat.
terry joined US about this time, giving
Major Pelham three kgux batteries Of
horse artillery.
On the 7th OF November McClellan was
relieved OF the command Of the army ol
the Potomac and Gen. Burnside was an.
pointed in his place. This change gave
US q much needed rest, 40 Burnside was
very siow in his movements. The FeSe.
raj army moved slowly towards the Rap.
pahannock river In front OF Frsderieks.
burg. As usual the always vigilant ssu-
art was in his front disputing his I'D !
vance. w. Ell. +. Lee guarded the lower
lords on the Rappahannock, while Wade
Hampton and Fits Leo picketed the riy.
er above. We were on the move contin.
uously, watching sheenemy % movements
night and day. During ehis time the bat.
tie OF Fredericksbarg occurred. Des. IL
to 16 Hampton went on the expedition
TO Dumiries. Fits Lee still guarded the
lords oil the Rappahannock. w. H.F.
Lee extended the Confederate right 20 and
as far as Massaponirr To this point
oi the line Gen. stuart gave his partieu.
lar attention The horse artillery was
as follows: Breathed was
with W. Ia. +. Lee; McGregor with Fits
LIE and Hart with Hampton. The ar
tlliery camp was on the plank road about
4 miles from Fredericksburg. Thuysdav
morning we were startled by very heavy
nrIng on our left. The fog at this time
was very thick. About y q. IN. the fog
lifted and the enemy began 60 bombardths
town from Falmouth hill, using gum oE
heavy ealibre. ThiscannonadiLxc n contin-
ued during the whole day, the horse ar
,.iiery not being engaged. The next day
things were al the same condition. Fits
Lee joined Us during the night, having
marched from the upper fords, meeting
us near Hamilton's Crossing on the Rich.
mond, Fredericksburg and Potomac X,
Ii. The next day we took position near
the Bowling Green and Fredericksburs
road, on the east side Of The X. X. and a
little north OF the crossing. W. H.F.
Lee and Fitz Lees brigades were drawn
up near the crossing. The Whitworth
gun was placed farther back on q knoll
that commanded the plain In our front
While l.. this position the log arose and
revealed the enemy advancing in heauti.
ful style, forming lines, planting bate
ries and SO on.
Major Pelham, with the Biakeiy and
Napoleon guns of Breathed' . batter had
moved forward about a hundred yards
in advance of the original position. The
enemy came on in dense masses, adyanc-
ing IN q straight line towards us. Pei.
ham, with his two guns, were exactly ON
their left fank with no support what
ever. lie opened on them at once eaus.
ing them to halt, aud think Of what they
were doing. None Of the infantry bat
teries had opened an yet. Pelham alone
withstood the cannonading, until he was
ordered TO retire. We blew up a eaisson
belonging to one Of the snemy's bat
teries. Gen'L X. e. Lee Expressed his
warm admiration for Major Pelham's
conduct"
John Esten Cooke, in his Surry Of
Eagles Nest, describes the death OF Jean.
a young Creole, a member OF the Napo.
leon detachment. IL Ia beautiful and
worth reading.
The enemy's heavy guns kept up q eos.
stant fire from across the river. Gen1.
Stuart remained with the battery where
he could see plainly the movements OF the
enemy cavalry. When theenemy again
advanced, Pelham, at a signal from Stu
art, threw his two batteries-Brsathed
and McGregor-into position, to the right
Of the railroad, opening an enhlading
fire on their left fank. The SIGHT began
then in earnest. Alter firing in this po.
sition for some time, Pelham was order.
ed to advance his guns. The fire at this
time was terri6c-shell after shell burss
in our very midst. IL seemed to me at
one time that the God Of Battles would
most certainly destroy US. Weadvanced,
sending a murderous fire into their ranks
while A. T.. Hills light division hurled
them back towards Fredericksburg.
Night coming on. We kept our position
on the field-Sunday we were up before
day. Everything was quiet the enemy
lay in full view and in reach Of our guns
all day. Butnot shot was fired by our
batteries. Monday, the same program
was carried out. Gen. Stuart, in his re-
port, says: The gallantry and eflc en-
ey Of the services rendered by Major John
Pelham and his brave Horse Artillery In
tine hattie have been considered worfhv