The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-08-27
PIEDMONT BATTLE.
TOLD n DETAIL
Story ST the Fight Which Made
Hunter, tic Hyena' Master of
the Shenandoah.
LEAVES FROM a DIARY

Interesting Lights on Two OF the
Marches Connected With the
Valley Campaign.
@ MA ------' o. a I5I1 ~ 20
Professor Milton u Humphrey, of the
University OF Virginia, has kindly FUR
nished the enclosed extracts from MS
diary, kept while he marched with MS
battery in tho campaign from Stauntoh
10 I,ynchburg, and from Lynchburg to
Frederick City In 1864. 1t gives EYei!
clint OF the activity Of n Confederate SOL
a,er,s lifo in that stirring time. 1t IS said
and hoped that Professor Humphrey IS
preparing the story OF his battery IN i 'l'%
Valley campaign OF 1854 Such a cornpo-
sition from his pen would be welcomed
~ all who take interest III one vi tne
most interesting periods OF Cohlcue'tl.'
victory and one OF the great achieve
49,, :. ~ 1y,r In which n great army Wa8
,a1a back nv Il force comparatively small,
but well handled.
y Very respectfully,
JOHN w. DANIEL.
PRELUDE TO THE BATTLE OF PIED
MONT.
Juno s. 1854
w.t., .,,otc,, hcrns at ChristiansburS,
N1ontpomery county Va, about the nfst
dny Of June. 1864. At this time Bryan S
rottery was still attached to McChus-
lands Brigade, numbered for duty one
X hundred men, consisted of six guns. on
the 3lst OF May the command took tram
Mt Christiansburg Depot and went 70
wards Lynchburg Nothing worthy OF
note occurred on the trip. We spent 1he
first night at Salem, and on June 1st we
vent 70 I,ynchburg June I'd we arrived
nj Staunton, In the Valley of Virginia
:June 80 we put out n new set OF horses,
with wagon harness tour battery horses
having not arrived yeti. and marched 70
the front. Spent the night near mount
Crawford and on the Attn we went mo
position and awaited the enemy, but no
came not: so We marched back towards
Staunton a few miles and cnmped Here
we turned the horses IN pasture, and u
being very dark and rainy. we spent near
" the entire night catching up the horses.
was on guard on this night Atrthls
time about thirty Mnrylanters were as
signed to our battery to make up lor inc
absent drivers. Brigadler- General VII
liam e. Jones was In command OF the
yorces, which consisted of troops from
every quarter. hastily thrown together
md altogether undisciplined Juno b.
1868. we met our horses and drivers
-,n,,ed ,n thc direction of Port Republic.
frho eneiuy, wider General Hunter, had
''''' BATTLE OF PIEDMONT
When we arrived at the junction OF
~oada nj Piedmont near New Hope, we
found ourselves face to face with inc
rederal army. Our troops were hastily
,hrown into line of battle. or rather
rremillin. The line was very Irregular
Dne we had no center. -FOUR guns VI
13ryans battery were posted on the eH-
Ireme right, Captain Bryan commnnalilS'
yThe other two guns-a three-lnch ritie
sergeant NJ. NJ RusR and brass
.,n,vc-nounder howitzer Uieutennnt
Giles A. Fowlkes commanding section
we're sent to the left to report 10 CAP
,.in McCalleghan. ] WIS with the How
steers. We put our guns In position on
+ha extremo right Of our left wing, aud
nm the right OF Marquis's Boy Battery.
'rhc position was very warm, ana INC
Roy Battery fled. We remained Tor I,
short space, and moved behind an pa
log house from the ehcmSs hrtlnTS'
md opened on an infantry brlgahc "h'Hi
was passing our right, nt y a's'"net .,
one thousand yards. The enemy shelled
The OLD log house considerably, and we
retired 10 a road by order of our Off
Ger. Ne remained at the road for some
lime and then General Jones moved us
to the rear center and then TO the left
rear Here we were placed, on Il rise,
with orders TO reserve our fire until our
infantry should be withdrawn to the
woods in our rcnr--but they We're never
withdrawn,
GENERAL w. E. JONES KILLED,
At This time The musketry WAS con
siderable, the artillery terrible. The ems
my had planted some guns IN close prnN
unity 10 our infantry, and We're eennis
terng them, While the most distant guns
We're Smelling with great accuracy an'
terrible effect Thus stood tho lines hou
after hour and anNlously lid we wal
for our line 10 be withdrawn; but 1t re
manned, and finally the mystery wa
solved by the announcement that Gen
eral Jones had been Killed, which wa
the case,
RETREAT
Thus after Il sanguinaTy conflict {
seven hours, our lines wayered and broke
the day was LOST, For reasons not her
Ia he. stated II fell upon myself and nus
10 withdraw the section. l@lmhered NJ
hpt lust then met with ionr officer
Being cut off from the right wing (whic
had only been engaged nj lorg rang
Ne were compelled to seek a way 10 II
.nacadalaized road ] put my horse
sn amhllance, the horse having brok,
AoWn aAd thus | had TO Walk and o&Hf
my baggage We passed through Stau
tOn and wens towards Waynesborp, ~
canped In the road Ecxt morning SIC +
IA Joiue1 the rest OF the command, and we
surprised 10 find That the rest OF our gu
had not been captured. as had been 10