Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1909-08-27
,ext instant the leading Captain struck

at Breathed tremendous blow which
Breathed managed to ward off, Che
showed me afterwards the deep nick it
made in his sabre and then Breathed
thrust his sabre clear through the alb
domen of this Captain, and as he was
sinking down, the little captain push
ed ahead to thrust his sabre through
Breathed, who being unable to pull his
sabre out of the big Captains body to
ward off this thrust, let go the handle
and threw himself to one side of his
saddle to avoid it, and did SO, but in
throwing himself to one side, Breathed
lost his balance and fell off his horse:
his foot for moment or two stuck in
the stirrup, fortunately, however, his
boot pulled off, and thus saved him
from being trodden to death by his own
excited horse-then as the determined
little Captain (who had to turn his
horse around in order to get at Breathed
who had fallen off on the far side of his
horse was leaning over to make a
thrust at Breathed on the ground while
disengaging his foot from the stirrup-
at that very moment Scruggs the cou-
rier and Gen. Rosser came upon the
scene riding swiftly, Scruggs up the lit
tie valley, Gen. Rosser to where Capt.
Grady and were, and (Rosser) halted
along side of us, and then we three,
Gen. Rosssr recently said that we were
the only Confederates presently saw
Scruggs shoot the little Captain with
his pistol at very close quarters, as he
was trying to thrust his sword into
Breathed on the ground. The names
of the Federal officers killed were. l
presume, Capt. Goddard and Capt.
Hodges, or possibly 1t. Davis, as their
official report states that those officers
were killed on the spot where they
fought.
Although it has taken so long to tell
about it, the actual fighting between
those four men did not last more than
minute, perhaps.
Every one will very naturally think
that Capt. Grady and 1 ought to have
gone to Breathed's assistance, and /
have often since then been very much
inclined to think so too; and if we had
done so, there would have been no nee
essity for labored explanation why
we did not, but frankly acknowledge
that it never occurred to me at the time,
that ought to go, neither did it seem
to have occurred to my friend Grady,
nor to Gen. Rosser, at least when he
first came up and saw the overwhelm.
ing number of the enemy twenty-five
yards from us, and not until he recov.
cred from his momentary establishment
and saw his courier Scruggs acting
with such splendid heroism and the
enemy not disposed to do anything
did it seem to enter his head to s'get ir
it" and call out "Charge" That ring
ing word "Charge," broke the spell
that seemed to possess the beholders OF
that notable combat and thereupon the
"Charge" was made-the enemy nc
doubt thought there were troops behlnt
us under the hill or within calling dis
tance-and we were soon engaged il
pursuit, for, when they saw "thei
champions dead" they utterly los1
heart and fled, hoping in some way tt
reach the main body of their army.
We will not prolong further this &C
count by telling how their last flag, {
guidon, was captured, the circum
stances of which only one of our officer.
and a private and six or seven Fedora
cavalrymen know.
Since I can so rarely avail myself OF
the privilege of speaking to you as
have tonight, permit me, before clos
ing, briefly to say, that it ought not te
be very difficult to divine why old Con
federate soldiers love to meet together
and are never weary of talking about
incidents of war which ended more
than 40 years ago. 1t is doubtless on
account of the satisfaction they have
in recalling one period of their eXis-
tence when they lived, moved and had
their being, in the exalted atmosphere
of uncalculating and unselfsh devotion
to duty. And this leads me to remark
that surely there must be not a few
soldiers who have been encouraged by
drinking from that well-spring of deeI
satisfaction and sweet content over
duty performed IN those far off years
to "gird up their loins and endeavor to
quit themselves like men" in one OF
another OF the many fields Ct the bat
tie of life, in order that some glad day
they can say with fullness of joy be-
longing to battIe-scarred veterans in
this conflict, 81 have fought a good
fight, henceforth there is laid up for
me a crown of righteousness which the
Lord the Righteous Judge shall give
me at that Day." and that over the
river under the trees on "Fame's eter-
nal camping ground" they may hold
sweet converse with one another, and
tell of victories won under the leader
ship of the Great Captain of their Sal
walton.
Rev. Mr.. Hullihen was on Stuart's
staff as aid-de-camp, until made cap
tain in the Adjutant and Inspector
Generals department, and assigned to
LomaX's characterization.
Do You Get Up
With a Lame Back?