The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-02-10
MINES nsPATcn: RICHMOND VA SUNDAY FEBRusY ID 1907

wants battery approaching toTour MS 4
sisthnco. Il took position TO tho right
OF the Plank Road, and IL was With
much satisfaction we snw its,sliclls en-
plodinE; In tho midst Of the enemy. In
order to barricnde the roadway move
eiIectually, u number ofIralls 8tlitcli
from " fence Just Outside thef lil,es
4 had been placed In aud across II VIII
Eon drawn across the road ut tile upen.a
Ing through the works. Through tho
gap thus made la the 5disnnntling u
the fence soitlc or the ehemy's cavalry
lad ridden ut the first attack. One
man wounded by our fire was unable
t. control his horse, which sprnhg for
ward vcrsthe ditch intp our midst
Lieutenant George VI. Scott ordered
him, with vehement Language, ecvs-aa
eral times to stop and surrender. which
The poor fellow, who was shot through
both arms, was too hGlDless to do, At
ltngth4he was hiought&to. DOUBTLESS
this was the dark horse which Wales
Hurt was leading when ! met him, rs
before related. al&S
4 IN order to prevent tho recurrence OF
this break. Young Archer witliSa few vol
8unteers went out and patched up the dis
ninntled fence MS well us they could
This was done In full view ;tnd ,eusy range
OF the enemy. The enemy having thrown
out q line of shprpshooters in our front.
where they had ample protection behind
tho bushes and fences, kept our men busi-
~ employed. With one or more OF these,
Professor Godfrey Staubley (wllo was one
of the few who had q riae) who was
stationed q few feet from mo bes tde the
wagon barricnding the roadway, Kept UP
a ,Sindgo duel until he received his death
wound.
We very shortly noticed the enemy rum
min NH rs nj, ,,nO
we'll known, and has been Well described,
what the results Of this movement We're;
how our mon ut the Rives' salient had
to ,stund q murdcrous fro, upon them on
their flank and rear whilt facing the
enemy In front. 1T proved 9 bloody
angle for those devoted men who held
that position. Mr.. John T. Friend was
among the first to fall. He had behaved
with great GOODNESS and bravery. he was
shot dead by Il man stationed behind
tree in Rives' yard.
Others showed no less bravery. II was
Informed that Mr. w c.. ;Bannister. who
: was very deaf, on being summoned to
surrender. either not undelsta nding or
showing fight. was shot dead. Mr., lanes
Kerr, d staunch and TRUE nanSy III llp& had
already done good and faithful &serpice,j
determined, to- give them q parting shot
before he retreated He got down on one
knee and. taking deliberate aim. fired
into the Yankees who We're clustered like
bees in Mr. Rives front porch. Forum
ately; he escaped with only q slight wound.
But the enemy having gotten completely
around kept. pouring In such merciless
fire that one after another fell Until four-
| teen were killed outright or mortally
wounded and the earth that day was
crilnsoned with tho life blood Of some of
| the noblest and purest OF the citizens of
| Petersburg
The fight had now assumed such char
| acter that Major NArcfer ordered us to
| fall back. had scarcely gotten twenty
| yards from the breatworls when l re-
ceived q shot in my right wrist. Being
exposed to the fire which wss sweeping
| across the field from our left, took re-
| fuge In little ditch near by. The tide
| Of the battle swept by.
T caught Major Archer's ego for a 1not1i-
ent as he stood to the last, giving orders.
Events succeeded each other rapidly and
in few minutes all was over and the
| enemy in full possession The firing In a
! measure having ceased l got UP to make
| my escape, but hearing some one roughly
] ordering me to halt looked around and
| noticed two troopers short distance off,
! who covered me with their carbines. Up
| to this moment 1 supposed I was the
/ only man who had fallen into the hands
! of the Philistines, but was speedily de-
ceived was marched downtto the low
ground that lay between our camp and tile
,breastworks and there found quite a MIN
Der of our men. some wounded, Leuten-
ant 6. v. Scott among the latter. having
dreadful wound In his face, having been
shot through both checks. Among the
| wounded was a Federal trooper shot
| through the calf or the leg. Including
killed. wounded and captured our loss
was Just about one half Of our force en-
gagged.