The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-06-25
THE 0LD SD
AS TOLD IN HISTORY.
Colonel Arthur c. Cummings at
the First Battle Of Ma
ilassas. ss
i1assas
HIS PART I'M THE VICTORY
EDITOR Of Tho Times. Dispatch:

HIS FAM lit vICIUhI
------------.------
1,t,;t,, M. ,,,,,,.. 1,,-,,,o,.
Z s,,.. ~, ~ ~ li''l's. 80 pa.
s1r,-The recent death OF q veteran.
whose command played most important
part in ti,as9ilrst battle Of Manassas--a
purt not SO well known as II should 1 oe-
and q recently published statement that
two Of the guns captured near the Henry
House. ,yn,a taken Nv certain com.
- -. ~, ,,s.,..s.,... ,a,,a
pany q ne ne stohewa'l Drlsauf naYe
led me- speak TO you on the ques-
ton, Who were the real captors of the
+wn sn,s,,a a, SfS 7.h,t 81, sl,to thn
y. ~ s.1s,.1 20 W -, 49, -
minus E1I ot the ConfcderatcsF
From time to time, the credit Of taxi
Ing those two batteries has been claimed
bv varIons co,r, ,,ands Thesa ri,in,s
- 'tI ' ueso U t'
uUuo.iess, are true IN TINS, that at various
us, ~ SO oI-,tne CONNECT tney or parts or
hn s .s "ere ~ tne possession or direrent
,'.'ale OF .sConieuerate troops. But 1
p Propose 70 asnow that tnose two bat.
srles, Gritfins and Ricketts,, were first
sotaiW alsapled, captured and, as far.
as as any iurther use was made OF them
5py inc enemy. were practically destroyed
~ one regiment only-thc Thirty-third
virginia. x
On the lgthEof March, 1906, there passed
away at Abingdon, Va. an old gentleman,
who. in my opinion, next to Evans Jack.
son and the two commanding Generals,
Beauregard and Johnston, contributed as
much and narhaps more than any other
one man toFthe defeat OF the Federals at
IlrsL. MANASSAS. refer to Colonel Arthur
e. Cummings 1t was his good fortune
!, TO % be placed at that point IN Jackson,s
turned out, an effective blow could be
dealt; and he had the Intelligence and
good Judgment TO know when the SUI
preme moment arrived for him to turn
loose his rsglment--the Thirty-third Vir-
ginia-ror the bloody work that fell to his
lot. His regiment was the extreme left
of Ia ckson'a command and at that time,
CT Beauregard's army. The Thirty-t bird
formed an abuse angle with the line Of
At the critical moment, tust as two
Federal regiments moved to tha riphf
or the batteries Tor their s,,nport and
nrote ction, without awaiting orders firm,
a superIor,Yand some time before jack
brigade, Cummings threw his men with
the suddenness nd force o. n th,,nIar'
bolt upon McDoweII's right flank. deliy-
ering n staggering biuw that crippled
mell-nigh' incredible, aud from which it
never recovered .,a
What evidence have we on this point7
The best possible, think; cye-witnesses
from the other side, com petent and cred
i ! Me- ,or narrv cn,., :, ,r,,,,.rv :, NJ.
Dowelrs army, after relating IN his r.
port how Grfcin's and RicketVg's 4 bn /, r.i..
SO largely to the defeat Of
up TO certain point ,li.i
how. by MoDonaids order. ne mnysd
by him. says: I've were soon u;Ar lilo
gro,ira dss,gnn,ed, and the Two bat
Iari"a q, once opened a very er.c,vc
mr. nron me cneys lmrn ,,oW vs.
y" ", :. ,hrn,,nh ~ his ann.
cnv,lsN aash,ns .ntnus9 one y % n's ,sup-
yes-without doing my special harm, and
then says:"A few minutes after. regi-
mant OF the encmy's lnfa ntry,s covered ny
a high fence. presented lts s on on me
delivered a Eulli volley upon the batteries
md supportA Lieutenant Ramsey, First
!. ~. rYrs+ rt;,iarv WAS wounded and
e',s; = bar - men and horses ware killed
!. - Nv thia close ana we'll ,.1i-
rect et' voliey. The Eleventh and Four;
tenth Rasments insta ntly oroke ana
fed in confusion TO ne rear ast a nmor 20
spite Of the repea,ea ana sahntI. eIatf
and myself with the former. refused to
rntaN RES H.u They. seeing TIE guns aban-
donod their SUpDOrtS. ruSneu UPON lHelt
au VA = ,;,,,nn az tpe cannoneers who, with
t MT uit ne1cers stood bravely at their
lne, . o,, n,,.,rad them ten in number
These These We're en1 the or,v guns taken by the
ertnr'Y On me 1'A'' ..o,,, e,,n+o,n R,ck.
There Is no report from E ,rlpG ~ sent
etts. who was wounded, captuLLed anu ~ eotis
to Richmond Let US see what oaihtatti'
Griffin, who commanded the oth e. pa, PAL
tory, says. After narratlilg me , strVlces
Of his battery slenc1hs, Us d ne rao;.
battery ana orlVln ~, ,1es e,r
ment after regiment from the NEG; III
which no losses are mentloncd, ana lncn,
by order of Major, Barry, advancing 70
lows: The battery opened upon the enc enc,
my's battery amidst gaiia, I'M hfe re-. from IRON
his artillery, and continued nLlng 1or reaa
q half hour. It then cnangend pos ,"1'o ~
the right and fired Two rounus' Wien ~ ~
charged by the ne enemy o o lm!a nns.
ton This infantry was .sraRen no LOT , ON
Of our own forces. an oincer on INC helo
having stated that " was Ieg,nleilt sG ~
by Colonel He!ntzleman to support inc
battery. In this charge of the enemy
overy cannoneer was cut , down q, and d. q 2
large number OF horses n XII leaving
tho battery perfectly helpll9e;s n,:a4t., pot-
Lieutenant Kirby, OF Ricketts BAL
terry in his report says: Lett on the