The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-08-19

So heavy had been the losses of the Sth that of the First Alabama con- scripts 800 were now assigned to us, and of these ie7 arrived in camp one evening while the regiment was on dress parade. Of the remainder a few were said to have deserted, and others hAd been detailed for hospital duty in Richmond The commanding officer ef the regiment noticed, as the regiment was dismissed from parade, that these new corners, still fin line awaiting or- ders, were greeted by the old soldiers as they passed with many terms of derision. He thersupon made short speech to the new men, iendeavoring to encourage them, promising that they should hereafter be on just the same footing as the veterans, pointing out that while they had each of them no doubt what he deemed good reasons for not volunteering, they had all obey ed the laws of their country in now coming to the front; that obedience to law was tEe very highest of virtues, etc. Finally, he told them that jest ing was a rart of camp life and that soldiers must learn to give and take, but that if at any time any one of them should feel that he ought to de- fend himself against gfoss Insult he, the commanding officer, would see to l it that the offended man should have | will only show that you mean to do your duty as soldiers. all the regiment | will welcome you and help you" ! The eonscripts were distributed among the companies; there was no 1 friction. and most of the new men made good soldiers. After the coming | battle of Salem Church the writer had thel pleasure of eomplimeuting them
 in a special order read out at dress pa-
 rade.
 The regiment did hard work in the | winter and spring of 1869 and '63 al Banks Ford. Our Brigade was here
 in the front all the time doing all tn, picket duty along that portion of thu line. but we were not without oul pleasures. None of us will ever forge
 the jolly times we. had around thu campfire. Card playing was of course | a common amusement, and this sEg- gests the thought that amid the plen- tiful lack of other things there always strangely enough. seemed to be a plen, i tiftll supply If playing cards in thu 1 Confederacy. Soldiers were sIngulaflJ
 unwilling to go into battle with play,
 ing cards on them. The pathway o
 every command going into a fight wa. | always strewn with cards. but once
 few days in camps and cards were agair
 abundant
 Chapter xi
 The Battle of Salem Church.
 General E. P. Alexander some tw,
 years since told the writer that b,
 knew of no instance in which So few
 troops had won a victory so importan las that at Salem Church, the result 0
 which was to save Lees army from ai
 assault in the rear by at least 5000
 fresh troops under Sedgwiek-an as
 sault that had it not been arreste' might have been disastrous to ou
 arms.
 To appreciate the importance of thi
 engagement the situation shoud be un derstood.
 The Rhappanhannock above Freder icksburg trends southeast. until l turns, half mile above the town, t
 the seuthward. From Federicksbur the plank road runs straight out in : westerly course to Orange C. H. O May Sd, Hooker who, with his army had all the winter confronted Lee froT Banks Ford twenty miles down tn : river, had already by a clever pas 7 moved the bulk of his army across tn river some twelve to eighteen mile above Fredericksburg. thus securing position to the rear of Lees left an clearer to Richmond than we were; an he had left Sedgwick with 30.000 me e still opposite Fredericksburg to eros 3 and attack Lee in his rear. if Lee shoul 2 dare to fight at or near Chancellors [ vile. Lees situation when he feun d that Hooker was to his left and in h 3 rear, was critical. But leaving earl with about 1000 men to guard the riN o CT. opposite Fredericksburg and below d and Wilcox's Brigade on guard fc
 three miles above. General Lee fa I swiftly moved with a portion of h r army to confront Hooker at Chance e lorsville, and had detached Jaekso - to make his celebrated attack on Hool - CTS right. Hooker had divided h - army into two parts. and Lee had q r vided his into three; one Early ar
 Wilcox, to guard the crossing ne; <, Fredericksburgs another under himse '- to confront Hooker at Chancellorsrill ,- the third under Jackson to swiH g around on Hooker's right flank. Tn g remarkab ble division of his forces WI el in the presence of an enemy who hs q more than two men to his one Jael le sons attack had been successful Hool 70 CTS right wing had been houbled baS 70 or his main body; but that main boo
 larger than Lees whole army. was