The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-01-26
STIRRING EVENTS
AT CLOSE OF WAR.
Operation of tic Ordnance Re
serve Department OF the Army
Of Northern Virginia.
TRAIN OF "a WAGONS.
Instructed 10 Move Surplus Am
rinnition 10 Dunlop's. and
How 1t Was Done.

IlNM II WAS l8lltSt
Tas sesSewsas IS an interesting nar-
sssfre 81 events AprEl SO. 1855. by
aesssEss; Packard. formerly lieutenant OF
x.ssessS, On sssnsnss ass;S ~ LINN, Snasg 81
ca sr-sa i. 1885. the Ordnance Rs
xs-rse Department OF the Army OF
Ss-sssrH Virginia wss sctii occupying
Sss WRITER quarters sssar Lippsncott's.
ssswsss the RsshNsora and Petersburg
Tsrnrsss and the woodpeeser Road.
ah@9s hals mile souta of Swift
Cresk- II. consisted of the reserve ord
Rance train. fcrty-tour wagons. under
rrr charge OF the field park. twelve
te-Sss aags ezttery wagons. under Cap
tain George Duftey. and OF the forage
train Of four wagons. under Captain s
~ Soniaers- who Was quartermaster OF
the department..
Captain E. NJ Coistcn. who had been
in charge of the train up to about Feb.
ruary I. 1885. but who had been made
assistant 10 the chief OF ordnance.
! Lieutsnant-Colonei Briscoe G. Bald
win. sill remained with the train and
messed with ME. together with Ord
nance SerEeants Robert s. Burwell and
Eyerard Meade. We had another SER
seant named Lazenby. and there were
several ermaster-sergeants OF
whom the chief was George Apperson.
On the morning of April .. 1865. we
had several dispatches from Colonel
Baldwin informing us of the disaster
on our right, and instructins us to
prepare to move. We had a very large
amount of surplus ammunition in Il,
log store house. consisting of artillery
ammunition. some piles OF mortar
shells and about 1900 pounds OF pow
der in boxes. We were instructed to
& move our ammunition. over and above
what our wagons could haul, to Dun
lops, which was then tho terminus OF
the Richmond and Petersburg Rail-
road. and to destroy all stores not
s needed in field use. Accordingly dur
ing the day we shipped the surplus
ammunition to Dunlop's and threw the
mortar shells into Swift Creek. Wc had
s also sent some ammunition to the
Pocahontas and Upper Pontoon Bridges
4 for the use of troops. After dark the
e train started OIL the retreat Colston
and remained about our old quarters
until about IL o'clock at night. waiting
for Burwell. who had gone TO Peters
burg TO bid farewell to some OF his nu-
merous lady friends. We saw to the
burning Of the huge sling-cart. with
twelve-foot wheels. which we had used
In moving heavy guns during the fall
and early winter
To niow Up Ammunition.
e5 About midnight We mounted our
horses and rode down to Dunlop's
where under later instructions from
Colonel Baldwin, VIC We're to blow III
the entire stock OF ammunition there
collected. On arriving there we me
an officer of the quartermaster's de
partment with similar orders as to thu
auartermaster's stores. AS lie had ];
force of men. and VIC had none. we ar
ranged With hin,.for the proper pilins
of the boxes of powder. so as TO de
stroy the huge pile of miscellaneou
stores. I took a ham from the pile
which / strapped behind my saddle t
be placed In our wagon later Abou
o'clock we rode on to overtake tn
train and about an hour later we hear
tremendous report, which Indicate
III that the quartermaster had success
M fully carried out his instructions. A
intervals during the night as we rod
along we heard the explosions whic
x followed the destruction OF our flet
In the James River. MANY times dur
ing the night the sky was lit up frol
;& these explosions, and the earth SCENE
~ to tremble under our feet
Some time after daylight on Monda,
the Sd, we overlook our train and pro
ceeded all day long without speGi,
Incident Captain sommers, who us
from West Virginia, had his fa,ni
# spending the winter In Petersburg, Il
gether with his father-n-law. JUDI
G. n. Camden, of West Virginia.
They did not wish to remain in p
tersburg. so. In his special wag,
We're his wife. two young children wi
a nurse. and Judge Camden; there we
also with them inthe ordnance WACO
black-coated Baptist preacher q
quite q pretty black-eYed Miss r., "
was trying to get to her home SON
where in Southern Virginia. Befe
4 Fundown Captain Sommers insisted,
the ground that the animals were tr
on going into camp near the house
a Mr.. Cox. which was not far FIR,
the coal mines In Chesterfield coun
Colston and objected to this on 4
ground that 1T would leave us behi
the troops with which we had he
moving, but Sommers persisted, thir
Ing. suppose, Of the fatigue Of
family more than that Of the ar
mules.
Next morning, Tuesday. April .th.
made an early start. and by hard DR.
Ing succeeded In two or three hours
catching UP With the rear guard of
army As we had no armed force VII
ever with U.S. We should have fallen
easy prey to the enemy IL their p
533SsS gss suit had been close. Nothing of ii
;s#5 nent occurred during the day, 1
about. shutdown We went into camp n
Amelia Courthouse.
4 On Wednesday, April 9Th, We star
/ about s o'clock In the morning. un
orders to take a road northward II
Bs:s Amelia Courthouse, and at point So
sSSt@ Ave miles distantt TO take n road dive
sss Ing to the left. colston went over
sss see Colonel Baldwin and get his
ders. We had clear road, no tro
IN; being ahead OF us. About 40 o'cl,
suppose, was near the rear of
| train attending to the Issue of s.
u cavalry ammunition to Iienter
gI Downman, OF Wickham's Brigade,
ss lieutenant Blackburn. acting ordns
rfiieer of INitz Lee's Division This
\ ing done I went forward. and at
fork OF the road before lncntions