The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1906-09-16
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CHAPTER XVI.

rrom August, 1894, TO March, 1895.
The following contennporaneous ac-
ooarnt II given in a letter written py
Captain Pagan to his sister. OF two
battles one being the Battle OF Pop
lar Springs, Church. august Fl, 1864;
Petersburg Aug. %. 1854.
Dear Sister:--For the past week we
have had stirring times and this morn
1nx is our first day of rest Inc
weather has been miserable RAINING .
| The roads are almost impossible. we
veturned last nigft from another
bloody engagement.
m last Thursday General Malone
with C1ingmans. Colquitts and ms
brigade, cooperating with General
J Heth. commanding Davis's. Walker
and Archer's brigades or his DIVISION
lattempteds to dislodge the enemy from
| his position on the weiden Railroad.
The point held by the enemy Is dense
wood. with gallberry swamps heavy
raiu fell during the entire day of the
! engagement. BY a flank movement
General Malone succeeded in captur-
ring 500 of the Yanks and General
r5eth 1000, making 1900 men ana
lnfnety-six officers. among whom was
tRriraffer General Hays, and several
co1onels and brigadiers Our loss was
very light Not having enough troops
we were unable to follow up our sue
cess. and night came IN ending bril-
liant AFFAIR on our part
During this engagement Wicoxs 8.
F5arris's and wright's brsgades of this
a. vision were on the James River. re-
fpeIffne .he attempts OF the enemy TO
leffect a Judgment there. On the night
iof the Goth these brigades returned TO
THIS point. worn down with marching
land fighting, having been exposed to
hdrenrhing rains for several days ana
nights. In the meantime the enemy
tntf1I held possession OF the railroad.
Yesterday was Sunday. and to us a
bloody day At o'clock In the morn
anx wilcox's, Harris's, Finnegan s,
sPerrins's and rights prigades of this
division worn out and drenched with
rain started on flank movement
around the enemy ON the railroad
,Taeood.s South Carolina and Scaless
North Carolina. with part of Thomas
Georgia brfgades accompanied the ex-
lnedsfiou. All unde- the command of Ma
ljor General Malone. About IL M
l4his force was In position near the
Poplar Spring Church, on the Vaughan
road. which makes with the railroad
AN obtuse angle The command ad-
tyanced in fine order, driving in the
Aenemy's pickets, capturing about fifty
fof them. The enemy's picket line was
Mortified position. The command ad-
@auced through an open field ard when
within about 500 yards OF the enemy's
works he opened on our command with
agrape and canister. The command
pressed forward and reached the enc
smy's works The FIRE poured on our
ranks was the most severe or the war.
THE enemy were in three lines strong
" fortified with scores of guns in po-
Asition. Finnegan's and Hagoods bril-
gades In front, LroKe IN confusion.
which created a panic among the sup
porting lines. Soon the entire line
gave way. and the enemy executing a
flank movement succeeded in captur-
1ng nearly all of Ffnnegan's and Ha-
goods brigades. Every effort was
made to rally the men. Brigadier Gen
era1 J. e. c. Sanders, commanding
wilcox's brigade. was killed, also Cap
tain shaun, assistant adJutant general
of Finnegan's brigade. The troops af-
ter falling back beyond range rallied.
but their loss was so severe that the
attack was not renewed. Our loss was
between 1900 and 1900 men. We ac-
,complished nothing. General Heth at
tackled the enemy on the left, captur-
ing about 400 prisoners. Such bril-
liant" movements as these will so de-
iplete our army that Grant will soon
take Richmond.
Sanders then a rtudent of the Uni
verstty OF Alabama, left II when tn.
war began to come into the army as
a captain in the 18th Alabama He
had risen to the command of his reg
tment-at Spottsylvania after Perrin
had fallen led the brigade in thu
charge for the recapture of thu
salient For his gallantry he was