The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-09-17
BOY SOLDIER on
The BAT1LE|flE 4.
THE Men Who Fought and and Died
Under Jackson at Port Port
Republic:
UPS AND DOWNS OF A DAY Y
And the Hard Fighting the ts- Rock
bridge Battery Had
to Do.
UPS AND DOWNS OF a DAY,

! /.
rho night between the days Of the Stll
aud Mn or June, 1862, found the Rock
bridge Battery under the command OF
Captain. afterwards Colonel. Vs.. foase,
n,vouacked lust outside iof the village OF
port Republic between tho two rivers. 6
While there had been no serious fight
ing in which the battery had been en-
Eased, vet that Sunday, June sth had
been a strenuous day.
Early in the morning, with the battery
,,orses grazing in field and the men
either returning leisurely from nath'hs
IN the river or resting comiortaDiy on
tie grass by the edge OF the woods We
vera startled by some shells coming from
..cross The river in the direction OF our
own wagon trains; some falling IN the
field among the grazing horses, WINE
Jew wilis,Ied over our heads anu teii IN
.r The infantry encamIEncnt in the woods
,eb;n5 MS. The cry at once was that
captain Darlington was unloading his
guns the battery OF Captain earring
tor. being new one that had just joined
,he army: and we supposed that he was
firing off MS guns because during The
,.ret.eding days Of hard rain they had
f1econe sufficiently damp TO make their
usefulness quite uncertain The men OF
f5r battery were denouncing his careless
aess in anything but mild terms.
had s.rollad out into the field where
Tfe gins we're parked when | saw
horsernan 3-sio TUNED ont TO be General
Jackson himself, riding rapidly and some
VIVA. ungracetIlly DOM the hill. His
flrst inquiry was for Captain Poague
and being directed 10 him, he at once
ordered out the battery, while sim
:lar order was sent 10 The infantry
caInped n our rear. Then followed the
scene in which General Jackson silenced
the doubts of Captain PoaGue as TO
whether the gun at The bridge was ours
or the enemy's By ordering 1t TO be
brought up and Oh the failure to obey
the order directed the shot which was go
successful.
AS fas, as we could gather the horses
together We harncssed them and sent the
gums off one by one. The battery soon
opened rapid md effective fire upon
the retreating Federal infantry beyond
the river. General Jackson sitting for
come time on his horse between the guns,
ard as we were cut Of, rifle range il
was but a one, 'sidad, affair.
Before we ceased firing the boom Of
cannon and the rattle of musketry from
the Cross Keys battle field near us and
In our rear as we were then fronted.
were plainly audible. and We toox 1t for
granted that before long our guns would
He called on for service there. Such
~ns not the case. however, and all day
long OF that Sunday wa remained on
guard on the river bluffs SO az TO pre-
vent a recurrence OF the surprise OF the
morning which came so near being SO
tn iIu A ,1n rlf Iva mt.
terry crossed on the bridge at the juno
ton of the rivers and passing through
the village. bvouacked in the field be-
yond. and there with the principal part
Of Jacksons own division and tho wagon
and ammunition trains we spent the
night.
The two battles at this point were the
elimination OF the Valley campaign, and
the exposure to the weather deprivation
OF food ana of all other comfarts with
the constant fatigue OF the never ccas.
inG marches, had told on many of The
delicate youngsters, who. however. hat
kept UP with the procession. In the list
was the writer, and whom on the night
of the sth of June, he was selected FOL
guard duty. he protested to the sergeant
that IL he had to stand guard that night,
he would not be tit for service in The
morning. There WAS no getting ont OF
It, but tho kind hearted sergeant prom.
Used mo duty at the corn post ana 4
bring out the relief. Even this amounted
ct least to a chance to sit down anC
maybe u nap in The night; contrary d
course, TO all military rule, but one OF
those concessions sometimes made in tho
nsyny 10 the overtaxed demands on nn
man endurance IN such q capaign as wc
had just passed through,
remember that The night was bright
and pleasant and as from my post
looked up at the stars and then dow
al tie scattered. smouldering fires an,
the sleeping figpres that covered III,
plain, the thoughts of u nineteen-year
old boy. far away from Home and Gu
off from all communication with hi
people and expecting q hclctnattle II
the morning. can readily be imagined
Awaiting myself of tho friendly promise
OF the sergeant, ] had sat down on
bag Of corn, and suppose i must hay
dropped 70 sleep when | was arousct
BIZ 81 queer noise close To- me ] sprGn.
up at once and taking by the hilt III
sabre which had rested across my knees
] started for the direction from whlc
Inc noise came, Ii Turned out 70 b
the surgeons horse, a noted foraggr
which had gotten loose from lts picket
and was making a fine meal with II
head FAR down Ia Il qUarter-iiIied barre
OF flour. The hard breathing OF IN
horse and his greedy efforts 10 get Q
tho flour sent litlle Volcano OF whit
dust out OF the harTsi and around ia
horse'A head. This received notabl
accession VIXEN ] struck the horse
sharp lick with the flat Side OF the sabre
and win q loud Gnprt liz eStlicated III
head from the la!IEl The same uU!S