The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-01-21
McGREGoR's BATTERY.
Only Two Left-,A Plain Little
Story of Stirring War Times.

Story of Stirring War Times.
After Grant crossed the Rap!dan znd
had fought his way to spotsylvania
Courthouse. General w. H. F. Lees
division of cavalry. was ordered to cap
turs a brigade OF negro troops at Elys
aud GerInanna Fords. at that time his
command consisted OF Barringor's On.
IC1 Brigade, and Chambliss's Wa.) Bri-
gade and Pelham's old battery. COM
manded by Captain McGregor, one of
Peham's old officers. Barringer moved
down on the Orange side of the river
and Chamtiiss on the Culpeper side. we
struck the Culpeper and Fredericks-
burg road, between Stephenspurs ana
Madison roads and moved down towards
Elys Ford, and halted in the road uh-
til scouts came and reported that bar
ringer was in position. but that the
colore1 troops had been retired the day
before and only company or 50 OF
white troops were in their position, some
of the straylng colored troopers We're
coming In and sharp crack of car
bne told us plainly there was one Niger
less. After capturing the guards at the
ford. we started for the main army at
Spotsylvania We soon came across one
of Grants hospital camps and paroled
several hundred sick men. Passing on
we crossed small field of about four
acres, covered with dead Yankees. There
was n six-gun battery OF the Fourth
New York, men and horses all shot
down, horses with their harness on.
/ never witnessed such sight in my
life as that. Tho battle had been about
three days previous TO our coming.
do not know what troops struck the
Yanks so hard at this place, but they
did 1t effectively. After passing through
this field of dead, we came upon line
of breastworks In the edge OF the woods,
and there we saw two fresh graves OF
our men. We passed on to the right or
our army and took up position IN
piece of small timber and camped a
few days. Thomas Turner and some
others used to climb tall oaks and
watch the enemy as they charged our
works, only to be repulsed. The very
day before Grant moved his army to-
wards the james River two of our guns
were sent out few hundred yards from
our command to check any movement the
enemy might make in that direction. 1t
was cloudy. drizzllng, rainy day One
man of our battery, named King, offered
SO for n drink OF water. but did not get
it, The next morning the section be-
longed to was ordered to the same posi-
ton occupied the previous day by the
other section OF the battery. We were
only there short while before We got
orders to move at a sallop our two
guns to Stanards mills a few mills east
of Spotsylvania Courthouse, and the
other section to replace our new camp.
lii a short time we got news that three
of our men had been killed at the other
guns. The position we held at Stanards
Mills was on a small mound or hill, and
the pioneer corps had cut the pines
off and used them for rifle pits, etc.
BY some mistake in orders we had but
two cannoneers and one corporal to
work our gun. 1t was twelve-pound
Napoleon, the other French detach-
ment, three-inch ordnance gun. We
only had time to get well in place be-
fore we espied heavy line of sldrmish-
ers bearing down on us only about 600
yards distant. Just at that time Major
,Vonbrock, of General Lees staff. rode
up as McGregor gave orders to fire on
the advancing column of Yankees. We
cut fuses to five seconds and de-
liberately fired into their line. The
shells burst just in their faces and cut
a wide lane through them and their
column fell faces TO the ground we
had not fired many shots before We
discovered the shingles flying OFF the
top of the old mill just to our left.
We We're ordered to turn gun on the
mill and the first shell burst in the
attic OF the MILL We gave them more
pills before they got out OF range.
Now Major Vonbrock had noticed how
hard Thomas Turner and myself had
worked to get the gun In place when 1t
would recoil under fire, also the eXecu-
| ton OF the gun, He rode up 10 us and
| cnmplimented u.s. saying he. never saw
such execution In his life by two men,
ana told McGiregor lie should have pu,
/ that heavy gun behind the breastwork
and the light gun outside. Thomas Turner
sprung to his feet from where he was
/ resting and pulling his bosom bare, he
exclaimed; Major, here is all the breast
works we culpeper men want. We were
q few hours later ordered to camp, ant
then went ont to bury the dead and VS.
found the bodies Of our comrades, Kinl
ana Donald, dead, Williams, the LEAD
driver to the same gun, was wounded II
| the knee by same shell that killed In,
others. lie Was found In the woods Al
three were Floyd county mon. Our gun
ner. Bill scarboro, was from Tennessee
4 Bill Wharton was from Haymarket. Eau
Ieuier county, He was our forage master
Two of us now are living In Cuipeper
are all that are lett OF McGregprs oil,
battery