Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1905-03-02


It was now about . o'clock, ai
night. Ny men and horses were
completely exhausted, neither hav-
ing been fed for g hours. | there.
fore. withdrew from the position &c
give them some rest. Capt. Moor
man, with two pieces, which had not
been engaged was left near the ground
ready TO take part in the engage
meut which was TO follow. Ali oi
the artillery Of Col. S. Crutchfield
having come up. and he being sup
piled with guns OF longer range and
heavier calibre, Capt Norman scos
moi alloiced che priuilege of msiag kis
guns. Officers and men did their
duty well. Breathed was ever ahead,
choosing the best ground for bis
guns Capt. bfoorman's battery,
though not actxally Engaged, was
close upon the advance.
(Signed.) r. r. BEcKHAM,
Maj. Comd q Stuart's Horse Artill'y
Major Beckham and the battery
were congratulated by the immortal
Jackson. who wheeling around on
his horse, used these words: Young
man, / congratulate you and the
brave men under you - No one can
imagine the complete rout aud con-
fusion of Hooker's troops. They
seemed TO have lost control over
themselves, throwing away every
thing that they thought would light
en- their load. Pile after pile OF
knapsacks were thrown along the
road, blankets by the thousands
were strewn in the wake of the fee
ing Federals; guns of all kinds
were scattered in every direction as
II they were the cause OF all their
troubles. | saw two batteries Of
Federal artillery that had been
abandoned in the panic-not a sin
gle man near the pieces. The horses
had stampeded, running between
the trees, and the guns were held
fastas in wise. Kitchen fires were
in full blast, pots OF cooking meat
were suspended from rude camp
cranes. On, We gods, how we long
ed for one square meal out Of those
tempting pots. But, none for us /;
the william was still pursuing them.
We could not st.p for one moment.
Hungry as we were, we rushed af-
ter The panic STRICKEN Yankees, fir
ing en- echelOn. The infantry. poor
fellows, that came up afterwards,
did justice to the feast. could not
begrudge them the banquet, for their
haversacks were empty. The guns
Of the battery were rushed forward,
and every Slight eminence seized, SO
that we could keep up d continuous
fire upon the fleeing Yanks. The
enemv oeiug engaged in q retreat
lad every facility for choosing good
grourd for their sr"llery, aud i'm
peding the progress of our men.
frequently. our guns were advanced
under perfect hail storm of grape
and canister, but the old battery
moved on steadily, apparently un-
conscious OF the deadly fire that was
concentrated upon it. In every case
our fire was directed against the
batteries of the enemy. All along
the road we could see the effects OF
the skill and craftsmanship of Joe
Morrow. AL. Hopkins, Harry Thorn
as and Seymour, our gunners. When
we reached a point about 1900 yards
from the heavily entrenched position
of Gen. Hooker on Charlottesville
heights, our lines halted and the in
fantry firing ceased. A desultory
firing from our battery was kept up
for a short time. This caused all
the batteries on Charlottesville
Heights to open on US. / was salts
fed, Major Beckham says that no
good could be accomplished by re-
plying to 80 or more guns, so I gave
the order to cease firing" We,
therefore, ceased firing and hugged
the ground as closely as II we had
been a part of il. While we were
in this position, poor Bill Evans, Of
Westminster. Md, was struck In
the stomach by shell, literally tear
ing him asunder. We lifted his
mangled remains as tenderly as we
could, carrying him back to an open
field near the timber, on the very
spot where Gen. Jackson and bis
staff mad stood wher the advance
began. At night, we buried his
mangled and bleeding body in that
lonely spot, far from home and
kindred on Virgipia's fair soil for
whose defence his life had been Civ
er. We gathered around his grave
paying the tribate Of our tears 70
the memory of our dead hero and
much loved comrade. The Rev. Geo.
FL. Zimmerman, an DRAINED minis
ter of the NJ. Z. Church, and one Of
the bravest men in that grand old
battery, committed his body 70 the
earth and his soul to the God Who
gave it. He and his brother. Ben
top, had but recently joined the bat