The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-08-27
observation-disclosures
|. At THE HORSESHOE ||. j }. | | !: !.

Captain Old Gives a Graphic Ac-.
count Of This Memorable
Engagement. #
Captain William w. OLD. tho eminent
lawyer OF Norfolk, Va. served us aide
dc-cailp Of MuJor-Gcncral Edward John.
son, nnd after the capture Of his CHIEF
ut the Horseshoe. May IL, 1864, With
fieuternnt- General Ewell, and after the
lntter's ssltlgnlcnt to command IN Hloil,
irond, he WINS With Lieutenant Gcierhi
EARLY until August, when General Join-
son, being exchanged, he attended that
officer to his nov assignment under
General Hood. ID.
Captain Old wns severely wounded
while serving tnGthe West. and returned
disabled to his native state. Hc was
held III great esteem. not only Tor MS
gnllhntry, but also for his sound juds-
lnent. and WIS greatly distinguished as
Il staff officer Few men have such "a.
millnr and accurate knowledge AS lie or
the "ovcrland catnpnlgn' from tho Rap
ldan to its elimination ut Cold 1lnrbor.
and he has contributed In tho enclosed
nrtlco Il valuable account of some OF its
movements.
General Goft1on's statement IN his
book that General Edward Johnson was
surprised OH May 18th ls erroneous. ana
both General uorlon's and General John-
sons reports OF the battle show TINT
there was no surprise. The trouble was
accustomed. BY the withdrawal Of the Con-
fcdertlto artillery and by sloWncss IN
sending back to position whom the enc
n,y's plans OF attack had been discovered.
Captain Odds interesting paper explains
how "thc Horseshoe" sometimes called
"thc Bloody Anglo" happened to DC
formed and fortified, and furnishes other
valuable data which Will enllghtcn tho
historian.
Very respectfully,
JOHN w. DANIEL.
Editor OF Tho Times-Dispntch:
Slr,--I have read with Interest and
pleasure -Four Years Under Marsc Rob
CRIT" by Major Robert stiles. It Is one
OF the best IL not the best contributions
to that class OF literature which attempts
to give those who were not In the army
some insight Into the suffcrings. vlcis-
STUDIES and endurance Of the Confederate
soldier, that has been made by any one,
ana those who know Major Stiles would
never accuse him of exaggcrating the
picture lie was drawing, while his COM
ltdos In The army can truthfully corroho-
rate all he has said in that respect Inc
fact IL Major Stiles Is one Of our Con-
fodcratc heroes ,nnd should be ranked
as SUCH and every Confederate soldier
should read his book. There are some
slight inaccuracies In the book. such as
the statement that Jackson had lctt tne
Valley and was lowering over McClel-
nm ,ssleft flank and rear just before tho,
battle OF Sever, Pines (pnge 92) but
do not propose to refer to these, rs they
ara unimportant My purpose Is, apart
from expressing my qualification III
reading this book and my admiration OF
the author to call attention TO what nc
says in regard to the fact, 80 often re-
ported. that two trees were Whitfield down
by bullets in rear Of our lines At the
"Bloody Angle" on Mny IL, 1901. lIc re-
ters to this fact OH pages 2G2-3. ana
though he quotes whnt Colonel Taylor
had written on tho subject In his -Four
Years With General Lee he seems to
doubt tho fact simply because he did
not happen to see these trees himself,
and his doubt, considering his position
on the lines, would have some weight
With the general reader.
WITH GENERAL JOHNSON IN THE
HORSESHOE.
was on Major General Edward John
sons staff as ade-de-camp during that
battle, and was with him at the angle"
until Il moment before his capture. I
was sent for General l1vnns's brigade,
which was about q quarter OF mile
to our left and rear. for the support
OF Rodes's and Johnson's division In
case another attac!. such as was made
on Rodcs's front on May 10, 1861, should
occur. lIvans's brigade was IN Gordon $
division, and us / started for the bril-
9. az. LIT raj
and when told him my mission, he
urged me to 60 for the brigade, as he
had no staff officer with him. After
General Johnsons capture l reported TO
General Ewel, and was with him on the
18th carrying his orders, and continued
with him until he was relieved from the
command of the corps and General Early
was placed In command
On the morning Of the 18th or 14th OF
May saw the trees that were Whitfield
down. l think my attention was called
to them by some OF our men, and OK :.
umlned them carefully. Later IN the day
reported the fact to General Ewell,
who at that. time was with General Lee
and some other general officers. When
/ did SO General Lee, seeming to doubt
what I Ind reported, In his quaint way
said captain, can you show us those
trecs?" replied that i could, II he
would follow me, and, leading the way,
/ guided General Lee and the party to
tho trees.
DESCRIPTION. or THE TREES.
They were two oak trees. standing near
together, and in rear Of Walkers (Stone-
walD brigade, and the Louisiana brigade,
which Joined the Stonewall brigade on
it's right. one Of the trees, fourteen or
sixteen inches in diameter. was Whitfield
down by the bullets about four feet
from the ground, as II u souge had been
used, and in such manner that tho two
parts or the tree above and below the
break presented the appearance Of two
cones, not entirely symmetrical, how
ever, with the apex Of one resting on
the apex of the other, before the tree
fell. This tree had fallen prostrate-it
was literally Whitfield down, or, ! might
more properly say, gouged down by
bullets
The other biz was about the same size
or that already described, perhaps &C
cording to my recollection, Il littlo smal'ef
ana this was also gouged by the bullets
very much the same as the other, pu
III NtsflN a N