The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1907-04-04
Stories Emineny Worth Telling Of Experiences and Adventures
in the Great National Struggle

but knew nothing of the results, but
the whole brigade escaped capture by
the smallest margin, for five minutes
more and we should have been in the
very midst of Jackson's Corps.
1t being dark as pitch, We moved
very slow and cautiously. After long
time, it seemed to me, we came to the
edge of the timber, and could see dark
bodies of men on a ridge beyond in an
open field, but who they We're We did
not know. We halted. and scouts We're
sent to ascertain, and while we were
halted there Gen. Barlow with some
other officer stood not far from me, and
l heard one of them say TO the General.
IF they are rebs, what shall we do?"
The General answered, Il will form the
brigade into columns, and l will charge
them, and some of us will get thru
From what 1 know of Gen. Barlow
/ fully believe he would have done that
very thing. But we found they were
our own men. We then moved on to
within a few rods of the line of battle
and lay down, and we were tired enough
to lie down. This was the second night
had not shut my eyes in sleep, being
on picket the night before. and so anx-
iOus about the movement of the enemy
never left my line of pickets a mo-
ment.
The moon was just coming up to
make little light when we came out
of the woods We had hardly lain down
when the ball opened again, by the en-
envy opening on our line, and right here
there was one of the greatest displays
of fireworks l ever beheld. Grand it
was and awful. The shells from both
sides passing almost directly over US,
bursting and crashing in all directions,
and the crash and roar was deafening.
+. l. ,ny-
make the least impression. as far as
could see. and this onslaught did not
last long But here was where and
when Stonewall Jackson was wounded.
Now, / wish to ask Comrade Carney
how Gen. Barlow and Gen. Howard
happened to be riding together. when
Gen. Barlow was at least four miles
from the place where he thinks he saw
him? There is great probability that
the comrade mistook some one else for
Gen. Barlow. While the General or
any one else was ordering About
face" / was with Gen. Barlow down in
the Wilderness. l do think that our
Generals, all of them, may have made
the great mistake in thinking that Lee
was on the retreat, and from such a
standpoint were careless. But from my
hearing the work the night before, /
took a very different view of it, and
was not surprised when ! saw the sit
uation the next day; and ] have none
too much common sense, either. But
if Gen. Barlow had been in his position
of the day before when the charge
came, they would have had far diff
ferent reception, to say the least. They
would not have found us with guns
stacked. They had every advantage
that they could have asked for. Now,
l wish to ask the comrade of Co. G,
33d Mass, IL he remembers the first
artillery shot that was thrown at that
regiment? I shall never forget it. 1t
was on the march to Charlottesville
Our division, the Second of the Eleventh
Corps, had the outside rim of the
wheel on that march. / had served in
the three months troops in the 9Th
Mass, and We went thru the first Bull
Run battle, and had had some expert
ence in artillery fighting. We were
marching down the Plank Road, and
coming to place where the road made