The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1908-07-16

| of us from cross-road. but as hurried
] ly turned back out of sight. As twi-
| light paled into darkness we were
! marching up a slight incline near the
village, when from the top of the hill a
challenge with vociferous accent greeted
] It's: Halt, Who comes there" Being
in the lead. l answered: 'Erfendsi' The
! challenge was repeated and the same
| answer given. when with greater vigor,
! IL possible, the challenge was again
| given and we answered: Grew of the
Gen. Jessup!" and the next instant
from across the road came the yell:
| Surrender! Ready boys. fire!' For
! tunately for us, their aim was errfng
| the bullets WhizZed over our heads. but
| they were so near we fairly tasted the
powder. We charged them and they
| skedaddled over the fence away thru
| an open field. We did not follow. it
was too dark, but proceeded to the
| outskirts of the town, stationed our
outposts and pickets. barricaded the
! main street with wagons. buggies
| boxes, barrels and every conceivable
thing we could secure. leaving a port
hole" in the center for the use of our
le-pounder and awaited the coming of
daybreak- In the meantime diiligent
search was made along Pagan Creek
for boat or craft of some kind where
by the party could be safely transport
| ed away from the impending danger
! The only navigable thing obtainable
! was a riciety old scow by which two
expert seamen of the 99th y. Y. were
dispatched with instructions to report
| the situation to the blockade COM
mander at Hampton Roads, or to hail
any United States vessel within reach
and secure the desired assistance as
coon as possible.
Nothing of Importance disturbed our
vigilant picket ard during the night
but as the ear,s) dawn enabled US to
distinguish objects at distance. from
our station on the loft of a carriage
| house, peering out thru an open win
dow we could see the enemy marching
up the road from the direction we had
come the night before. and nearing the
outskirts of the village, they fianked to
the right and left. their advance lire
soon reaching from Pagan Creek on
| the south, in a Semi-circle, to the
swamp on the north. We sent for Maj.
Lee, who, standing at our side, inquired
/ how long they had been marching in
that manner and the probable number
of troops that were massed against us.
We made answer that we had heard
them before we could see them, and
| there were possibly thousand or
more, as they had doubtless been re-
| inforced during the night. With his
| field glass he soon discovered that we
/ were surrounded and he felt assured
the number estimated had not been ex-
| aggerated.
He gave orders at once to fall back
to the end of the main street, near to
the steamboat landing. where on the
high bank of Pagan Creek, overlook
| ing the country. We again fortified the
street using the m aterial we had gath
cred the night before and all we could
secure on the way back. Here We again
established our heroic 12-ponnder,
posted the men on the right and left as
fCnnyaniQnt command a tho hnlIgpe
and other building would permit. and
awaited the anXiously looked for help
| from Hampton Roads. or the antiei-
pated onslaught OF the enemy.
a Flag of Truce.
About 9 o'clock in the morning a
horseman bearing flag of truce came
riding down the street and, nearing our
| foTtification, asked to see the comman-
der. Mai. Lee approached. him in an
swer to his inquiry and he handed the
Major a piece of paper He read IL
over very carefully. and returning to
where the cannon was located, stood
upon the caisson, and after the men
had complied with his request and gath
cred about him he said: II have note
here from the commander of the rebel
| forces and will read it to you. LAS near
! as can remember, il read as fcllows) {:
Headquarters 4th n. c. Brigade. C. s.
I A. Smitnfield, Va, Feb. /. 1864.
| ITO the Commander of the U. S.
Troops.
"Sir: The troops under my m
mand greatly outnumber yours. I have
| you entirely surrounded. To resist will
cause unnecessary bloodshed and per-
4 haps destroy the town. Under these
| circumstances. will you fight or surren-
render? Very respectfully.
i "Sturdeyant, Commander"
i Mai Lee folded the paper and said:
I'VE know the statements made herein
are correct The force against us
greatly outLumber us, and we are en-
tirely surrounded. With this knowl-
i edge. and under the circumstances, i
have concluded to" and Just here
the boys caught sight OF "Old Glory
coming our way. about two miles down
! Pagan Creek, and every man shouted
FIGHT,
The truce messenger put spurs to
his horse and in less time than / can
tell it they opened upon US with shot,
she'll, canister and musketry. Our
men were as true as steel and the little
12-pounder did most effective service.
We held that largely augmented force
at bay until the gunboat Smith Briggs
from whose flagstaff we had seen "oId
Glory floating. neared the landing
, when the brave Capt. Rowe shouted
;; fof his men that they might get on
board and man-the guns. which has
been previously referred to. They fell
back. rushing down the bank in a vain
effort to comply with the Captains re.
quest
Lieut.. Harris and the writer were
near the extreme right of our line dur.
ing the fight. out being most interest.
inSiy engaged at the time did not OBJ
, serve the rush for the gunboat until we
were the last to leave. Passing by Tho
howitzer, Harris stopped and said
Look in the caisson, Emery, and II
, you find any ammunition let's give the
Johnnies farewell shot" / found Z
| shot and shell: we drove them botf
! home" and showing aside the block
ing that had been used to prevent the
: gun from rccoiling. Harris pulled the
/, lanyard, and, while the double header
went whiZzins up the street, the can.
! non recoiled down the bank, which We
quickly followed, and, desiring to pre-
vent It from falling into the hands Of
the enemy. ran IL over an old whar
q it was at the end of a 40-feot rope
with which IL was hauled by the mel
the day before, light stick having
been fastened to IL for convenience. ant
this, acting as q float, made the secur.
II ing Of the gun by the rebels an cas-,
= matter after the surrender. Feb IL
n 1854.
V We were Immediately formed int,
: column or tours and started on a forced
= march for Ivor Station, distance o
e about 35 miles. on the Petersburg ant
o Richmond Railroad. where we arrived
= the next morning in time for an earl,
e brealSfas.. which we did not get. as {
. stock train of ''empties" came along a
= al early hour and we were ordered