The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-01-19
THE RICHMOND vAysUNDAY, JANUARY

TILE TIMES -I5-D lisp GEL:
I.thc right Of The six-gun Federal bat
terry, With the exeeptlon of tlie e ,;sa
tTfe st Wig es IF 1s reE, ruee, f ,e
was tho flfti, in his DIRTY firsD rcgi..
ment from the right of this aforesaid
that tile men developed Il backbone anu
an esprit dc corps which, responded
with nlacrity and enthusiasm to CEN
eral Magruder's call for volunteers on
a memorable OCCASION. Information
had been received at headquarters tint
Just outside or tic main line OF fortl-
tications Mt Newport News was n gun
redonbt OF two or three field plocas,
supported by only q small body OF lhr
fnntry 1t was believed that By a
well-panncd and rapidly executed night
attack this Tcdoubt might be storned
md the guns captured. At any rate,
the scheme seemed so feasible tlint Il
picked body of men was formed, tho
volunteers being ignorant Of their des-
tination and being only forewnrnud
that they were composing II "forlorn
liope.'
AZ my memory serves Inc, these vol
unteers were taken from the following
commands. cit the rate Of six or eight
from each: Edgccombe Guards Char
lotte Grays. Hornets Nest Riflenen,
Orange Light Infantry, Lafayette Light
Infantry, Burke Rifles, independent
Light Infantry, Enfield Rifles. South
ern stars. BERTHE Light Infantry.
Chownn Light infantry, Stuarts and
N1ontague's virginia Light Infantry,
twelve dismpiintcd men Of Doutliats
Virginia cavalry.
After this lapse OF time my recol-
lection is lndlstinct. and I can recall
by name Of these volunteers only J. b..
Smith, II. NJ. Orrell. james r. Hose.
Theodore Wardell and j. w. Hurst, Of
my own company the 1.afayette;
Charles lfnigh, w. y. Kyle, Jarvis Lut-
terloll and JOHN 3. Mcclellan. OF the
Independent Company. All were killed
during the war or have died since ex-
cept ffnigh. Kyle ana the writer.
General NlnEruder placed at the head
OF this expedition Capt. r. 3. starr.
commanding Company Il, or Lafayette
Light Infantry, n man OF that stub
born. bulldog courage which is never
exalted by victory or depressed by de-
feat. All officer OF the Virginia cav.
airy, Lieutenant Goode I think, who
was thoroughly acquainted with all the
country OF the Yorktown peninsula
was selected as guide through the
woods and swamps to the scene Of
action.
The men were ordered to equip
themselves In light marching order
that is, without blankets or knapsacks--
and to cook ono ration. In the early
afternoon. In the month or August. the
command marched out OF camp. with 10
sound OF trumpet or tap OF drum. !
remember that the morning had been
mild and beautiful, but clouds gathered
in the afternoon, with threatening CT
heavy rain.
After proceeding from Bethel Church
for some distance the column wheeled
sharp off to the left, traversed a by
road for about half mile. marched
through piece Of dense woods, then
into an old field. overgrown with small
oak and gallberry bushes. and halted
The men were told to rest at ease, eat
their ration II they felt so disposed
and were cautioned to secure any
buckle or other piece OF metal which
might jingle in Walking; also, TO rub
wet earth on their bayonets and gun
barrels. In order to dull their CLINT
and shine. Then Captain starr and
the cavalry lieutenant. plunging
through the underground, disappeared,
and were gone so long that the mon
ate their rations, smoked their pipes.
and some of them were asleep by the
time the officers returned.
The command was called to atten-
ton and the march was resumed
through q broken country with thick
undergrowth, and the signs OF an APP
proach to tldewater. Once again there
was q. halt, and the muskets of eight
or ten men were replaced by axes,
with which to cut away any obstruc-
lions In the dash on the rcdoubt. On
tho right of this squad stood Charles
EIaigh, a stalwart young soldier, now
Major Charles Haigh, n gallant eX-
Confederate officer. and one OF tho
prominent business men 4of Fayette-
Vile. Dark night was now upon us;
but here and there through the OPEN
ings OF the trees the dim light showed,
towering through the gloom and stalk
ing OH behind us gigantic centaurs Of
the dnys of mythology, as weird and
terrible AS the famous mysterious horse
of Albert Durer. They were tho teams
and drivers brought along to carry
away the captured guns, and they must
have been larnessed in cotton or vel
vet and shod with straw, for they came
on as noiselcssly as tho spectres of a
dream.
And now. under thick darkness,
headed by our morning guide, Lieu
tenant Goode, we broke our way
through bush and brlar, splashed wa
ter, stole quickly across some open
patch of ground, descended into a
steep guley, then climbed a hill. ami
tho redoubt was right in front OF us.
Just above me, not twenty feet away,
l could see n sentinel, seeming to be