The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-04-22
JOHNSON SBR|CADE
At S. [ \ \ 4
Possibly Some Of the Most Des-
perate Fighting Of the
Whole War.
COULD HEAR ACROSS LINES.
So Close Together Were the OPP
posing Forces--D[idd d Fear
ful Fighting.
COULD HEAR ACROSS LINES Ne $
(Edlted by JoHN w. DANlEL.)

{Edlted by JOHN w. DANlEL.)
The most desperate situation was in
during tho whole war was at the battle
OF spottsylvnnia- My brigade had been
In reserve. supporting the line wherever
Nh attack was threatened. was behind
Longstreet's corps, as McLaws front was
thought to DO tho point ut which the
attack would DO made. Suddenly g fierce
attack was made on Ewell's 'front.' the
brunt Of It falling on Dolos and Dun.
iel's Brigade. III IL fow moments Dole g
Brigade was driven out Of their line OF
works. "A courier came In hot haste with
orders for my brigade to repair to that
part OF the line. I was already in mo-
tlon and hastened the brigade by order
Ing them to double quick. rode on
ahead to look over tho ground before, tho
brigade came I found General Ewel
very much excited and entrcatlng me to-
hurry UP tho brigade. When reached
the point I found General Leo and the
nembers Of his staff The General wns
looking very calm and quiet and pointed 1
out to me tho line Of works occupied by
the enemy We were not two hundred
yards from tho enemy, and the bullets
were whizzlng uncomfortably close, When
the brigade came up the line was formed
as speedily as possible. Tho men refused
to move until General Lee, who was
present and greatly exposed, retired.
We then charged tho line Of battle re-
covered tho works and estorcd the line
Of battle.
RACD FOR A FLAG.
Before the charge was made we no
aticed q u. 8. flag floating from the
breastworks In front OF the right Of our
line. Two officers of the brigade. Major
Brooks and Captain Joseph F. Johns ton,
my aid-re- Ca mp, sc emed Mt the Same mo-
iment to have been inspired with Il de-
sire to capture that flag, and being in
front Of the line OF battle, the whole
brigade and the General commanding
must have seen the race. Tho contest
was SO close that both reached the
obreastworks almost at the Same Instant
Just as Captain Johnston reached out
his hand to seize the coyeted prize his
foot stumbled, he tumbed into the ditch.
and Brooks had the flag.
The line OF battle being restored. and
Dole's Brigade having reoccupied their
position, my brigade was recalled and
took position In rear OF the line. Major
Brooks brought the flag he had captured
to the commanding General, with request
that It might be sent to NORTH, Carolina,
which General Lee did with very com
North Carolina.
All this transpired In the forenoon. It
was little past twelve o'clock when an
assault was made on the line occupied
by General Edward Johnson. The enemy
had concentrated a heavy force In front
OF the Stonewall Brigade and stretched
over It like an avalanche. Just in front
Of stonewall's Brigade there wero woods
of virgin forest with thick underground
Into the woods line after line OF the col
umns that had pierced tho line Of Stone
wallis Brigade poured. I moved with
utmost rapldity across an open field to
the point of attack and entered the woods
with brigade, perhaps not exceeding
six hundred men. My brigade had hardly
entered the woods when at a glance l
saw the situation. In front Of us was n
line of battle. and not twenty steps from
my line. In rear Of that could see
other lines. saw at once that we were
confronting n, division.
IN VERY CLOSE QUARTERS.
Tho lines OF battle were so close to-
gethcr that we could hear tho commands
Of their officers. A furious fight began
at once. In rear OF our line was an open
field n quarter OF n milo wide. 10 UNI
dertake to retire across that field In front
of such an enemy would be destruction,
yet 1t looked like slaughter to stay there
and fight. While I was debating what
to do. an officer Of, the line Of battle In
front Of us. seeing our small force, walked
up within ten steps Of our line and called
upon us to surrender, Igremember Cocn
Garrett, OF 9TH N. c., with an oath cried
out, "Shoot the ID rascal" and no
was instantly shot down. The fight stIll
ragged. a few moments later another
Federal officer came In front OF tho
brigade and demanded the surrender. lie
met like fate. At this moment l
thought I saw some confusion In their
lines, whether from the steady fire of
my brigade or other causes know not.
4 At any rate determined to take adyan-
tage OF 1t. Selling the flag Of my old
regiment (23rd N, O. and springing to
the front. commanded the brigade. to
charge. They rose with n yell and dashed
towards tho line OF the enemy, which to
my establishment gave way and we fol-.
lowed them through the woods, recap
turing tho lines from which Edward
Johnston had been expelled q few hours
before. We occupied the angle. as It was
called. In endeayoring to discover the
place from which a heavy fire was poured
into our lines, was shot in tho head
and had severe scalp wound which me-
cesstated my retiring from tho field, ]
do not remember at any battle during the
war that there was q closer and hotter
fight In such close quarters
II. D. JOHNSON,
Brigade General Confederate Army,
Birmingham. Ala, 1906
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