The National tribune., 1906-09-20

So gallant was considered the con-
duct of the 1st Md. in this battle that
the following order was issued:
General Orders. No. so.
Headquarters Ewelrs Division, June
IL. 1862.
In commemoration of the gallant
conduct Of the 1st Md. Regiment on the
jth of June, instant, when led by Col
Bradley T. Johnson. they drove back
with loss the Pennsylvania Bucktail
Sifies in the engagement near Harrison
,urg. Rockingham County. Va author
ity Is given to have one of the captured
oucktails (the insignia of the Federal
'eSimenD appended to the color staff
)f the 1st Md.
BY order of Maj-Gen Ewell.
James Barton. Assistant Adjutant-
General
(Gen. Bradley T. Johnson. in a letter
lated July 8, 1898. to First Serg't VIM.
l. Rauch. stated that the regimental
lag to which the trophy was attached
vas carried at the battle of Cross Keys,
Turing the rest of the Valley campaign,
he Seven Days battles. and till the regi-
nent was mustered out on Aug Il,
1862. The flag and the trophy were then
PRESENTED by the regiment to Mrs. John
;on)
Had the Confederates realized the
;maliness of the force with which they
:ontended. surely this order would not
lave been promulgated. AS to the actual
'trength of the Confederate regiments
lrobabiy no more trustworthy informa-
ion can be obtained than that contained
II the following letter from Col. johns
';On. it
THE Woodlands, Va, Amelia Court
House. Aug. 8. 1898.
It. II. Ryan, Esq
MY Dear Sir: Your correspondence
with me is very interesting. After So
ears l learn for the first time that you
lad only part of four companies-104
nen. l had 275 men present in ranks
the 1st Md. and the 5Sth Va. must
ave had 200 or more So you fought
i've to ore. Our loss was II killed, so
Wounded and three missing (70) in all.
, game fight for you, and L heartily
congratulate you on il.
This shows how little we old soldiers
;neW of what we were doing. l have
'lways thought that you were almost
yterminated~ for l saw no one reach
he other side of the field after you
,roke that covering. Anyhow, it was a
pretty hard fight all around.
You put three balls into my horse.
nd would have killed me dead sure If,
Shen the second ball struck him. he
lad not thrown up his head and caught
he butt intended for me-
Good luck to you and all the old
Bucktails. Yours.
Bradley T. Johnson"
(Thomas H. Ryan was a Corporal in
%. c. Gen. johnson always exhibited
Ieen interest in the doings of his some
iine opponents until his death. Oct. D.
1908, and only unavoidable circum-
;tances prevented his attending some of
.he Buc,.tail Reunions. He had the en-
10. hi tC-r
produced in this volume, designing that
he money obtained from the sale of
copies should be devoted to the erection
- a monument to commemorate the
Marylahd line The receipts proving
very slight. this plan was abandoned.)
Thus at the lowest estimate the bat
talon had engaged five times its num-
Der, and was conscious during the en-
tire time il was under fire that not only
were other regiments within call OF
their opponents, but that at any mo-
ment the enemy could obtain support
rom artillery and cavalry. The desper-
a ateness of the combat and the accuracy
If the battaiion's fire are attested bv the
10 ct that Gen. AshbyS horse was shot
moment before he himself fell victim
to the Bucktail marksnan. Gen. john
sons horse received three bullets, ana
-wD successive color-bearers OF the ISL
Md. dropped badly wounded. Nor did
ne Bucktails suffer less. A newspaper
reports that he saw at
he hospital one man who. though
in three places. had been
brought back. A wounded officer, in
reply to an inquiry. told him: why,
,ou see | was told to deploy some men
a, skirmishers and fefore we hao
noyed 30 wards we were breast to breast
with a whole regiment Of rebels. II was
M use. of course. to fight. but as for
retreat. 1 knew the Colonel would no
hear of It, so we went In.