The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-08-05


 vision. had been routed. and here tSe writer was ordered with q detailS of zoo men to look after and gather up the wounded on both sides. Casey had now saw in camp indicated clearly how complete the surprise was. Men had dropped everything where 1t was. Pots were stiil swinging over Ares now eoffee. clothing and other parapherni- Ia or camp were promiscously scat tered; still standing. here and there, were suffers tents filled with canned auors such R srea. onsss. ysgssty and 1a diers had of late seen only in their dreams We exulted of course in all these evidences of success. but 1t soon became painfully evident that our vic- tory. even at this point. had not been won without great sacrifices The Federal wounded were more numerous than ours. but though we relieved hun dreds of wounded Federals. we came also upon many poor Confederate who sadly needed our help. A brother-in- law of the writer, George Cook, of the 6th Alabama. lay dead on that field, but II was Fortunately not for me to find his body. We were not examining the dead, only answering the piteous cries i of the wounded that came up to us from all sides
 Atss o'clock in the morning we fln- ished our task. The writer, taking
 
 little tent. Inside was a man sprawled out. occupying nearly the whole space. Lying down by his side I shook him and said. Get furtherl'' He was dead found close by.
 Early next morning the combat was renewed Our brigade, Pryor's, was ordered forward. the Sth Alabama in front. There was heavy firing. appar- ently some half mile away We halt ed for time in road, listening to ! the sounds of battle and awaiting or2 ders. The writer sat upon his horse close by Company c. My friend, Cap tain Leonard Summers of that com any placing his hand upon my knee. looked up into my face and recited, with pathos still ringing in my ears: "A soldier of the Legion lay dying at There was lack of woman's nursing, there was dearth of woman's tears But a comrade stood beside him while his life-blood ebbed away | And bent with plying giances to hear what he might say.
 The dying soldier faltered as he took that comrades hand,
 And he said I never more shall see my own, my native land;
 Take message and a token, to some distant friends of mine,
 For was born at Bingen--at Bingen |
 Tell my brothers and companions. when they meet and crowd around, To hear my mournful story in the I pleasant vineyard ground, That we fought the battle bravely, and when the day was done
 Full mandy a corpse lay ghastly pale be- meath the setting sum
 At about this point the recital was interrupted by the order, "Forwardl' and within twenty minutes from that time poor summers was no more. While the right flank in quick time towards the sound of the firing. with no skir-
 mfshers or fiankers out. and during the crossing of boggy branch, which necessarily scattered our files, a body or the enemy. who were in line close by our right and whose presence was not suspected. suddenly poured most destructive volley into our ranks. This was from the side that was properly the rear of the regiment. The off, I cers and file closers were therefore all | between our men and the enemys line About forty of the regiment, includ- l ing Captain Summers of Co. C.; Cap | tain Loughry, Co.,. T.; and First Lieu tenant Joshua Kennedy of Co. H.. fell at the first volley from the enemy. The regiment thus surprised fell back lu \ disorder, some 100 yards. and here rallied and made a stand. and facing
 by the rear rank repeiled the enemy
 fn repeiiing this attack the sth
 was materially aided by the 14th Ala bama regiment which had been fol.
 iowing us and waa now on our right as l Whsn the enemy opened fire upon pr Major Herbert was at his place on tht
 right of the left wing of the regiment
 end was therefore between the regi. 1 nent and the enemy. By the same vol
 ley that killed Captains Summers ani 1 I4oughrY and Lieutenant Kennedy, the
 Majors horse seemed, to have been in. l 1ured; at any rate the horse would not
 move when the regiment fell back tc
 the left. but for q time stood still. sufficiently recovered from the shock oi ! its surprise to begin firing, the writer was between two fires, and thus got 1 the credit from some of the cores | pondents of Northern papers. to which l he was not entitled. of being voluntar- 1 fly out in front of our lines. The writer of course. used his pistol freely while as the horse wouli move he turned and rode rapidly in the direction from which the regiment had corne. to get out of the cross firing; had not rid- fin the thick bushes when my horse made a. long stumbling fall. When regained my feet thought I was dered them to stop Struggling @ and get into line" The fact that they were dressed in blue did not keen me from thinking that they were In Casey's camp. our men had almost everyone Of them supplied themselves with blue oYercoats: and the air too. was now thick with dense smoke. ouirer printed letter from its war cor respondent. dated, 'Battlefield. June 2. 1892" in which the following ap- peared referring to my. capture.
 Regiment, was taken prisoner at this time. Ills horse had been shot undAr him. and as he fell he received shot in his side. He sprang to his feet, several of our men In front of him, mistook them for some of his own req iment.
 but they corrected his mistake by pre- senting their bayonets and demanding linn to surrender, which he did with all the grace and finish that an origi- nal Secessionist. as he afterwards in- formed me he was, could do under the
 I do not print the whole letter of this correspondent, because he makes the absolutely nntenabie statement. when the fact was that by reason of our having out no skirmishers or fIankers, the eneny's opening volley took the regiment by complete sur The loss of the regiment was ls1. killed, wounded and missing.
 Lieut. R. R. Scott of Company H, and Lieut. Jno. McGrath were among the the roll of honor for Seven Pines among the men was;
 ed.
 Private J. B. Fallen, Go. C. CornoraI Eli Shortridge Co. D.. killed.