Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1909-12-24

orlcge at Falmouth. When found thai
my company had gone back went back
also, and when 1 got to the bridge from
Falmouth across the Rappahannock the
oridge had been set on fire bv our
soidiers and it was burning in a number
OF places. but picked my way across.
the last man that ever crossed
that bridge. When 1 got back across
the bridge the Heathsville Guards had
gotten across the river and when 7 pot
over l saw Major Henry DeShields
leading his horse with a wounded Yankee
soldier sitting in the saddle. and this
was the first wounded soldier ever saw.
Inc next night Capt. John Stakes. of
Go. A., from Wicomico, Northumberland
county, took four men whose names 7
can't now remember and went up the
southside of the Rappahannock until
they reached ford and forded the river
and killed some of the yankee pickets
and reforded the river and got back to
the army safely.
In day or two after this our reci-
ment was ordered toward Richmond
We went into camp at a place called
Stony Hill, but staid there only a short
time before the regiment was then nut
on picket duty along the Chicahominv
river. We continued this duty until we
were ordered to move, crossed the
Meadow Bridge" and the first battle
our regiment was ever in was the hat
tie of Mechanicsville, and ours was
the first command that fired a gun on
the Confederate aide in that fight.
From this time on our regiment was
almost constantly engaged, until
McClelland crossed the James river
after the battle of Malvern Hill
After the Federal army had crossed 1
walked along the shore of the James
river and saw their armes stacked on
the shore, where they had left them in
their hurry to cross the river.
The next general engagement our
regiment took part in was the second
battle of Manassas. At this time, and
while the army and our regiment were
In Maryland. / was sick in hospital in
Lynchhurg. the only time l was unfit
for duty during the whole war. re-
joined the army on it's return frum
Maryland. After some time our repi-
ment was in camp at Camp Gregg. We
were ordered from there to Fredericks-
burg. We reached Fredericksburg the
18th or 18th of December, 1862. and
were posted on Marye's Heights. That
night every man was ordered to 'rav
on his arms" and by sunrise we were
ordered to fall in line of battle. Soon
after we formed line of battle we saw
a Federal soldier ride from towards the
river carrying white flag. AS soon as
he came with the flag we were ordered
to stack arms and was told that it was
signal that they wanted to bury their
dead. got a pass from nv CAPTAIN
and went down to where they were
digging the trenches and throwing the
men in. After this hattie we went back
into winter quarters and staid there
until the spring of 1863
Our regiment was heavily engaged in
the battle of ChancellI rsville, but l was
not with it in that engagement as had
been detailed to guard the ordnance
train.
Our regiment remained in the region
between Charlottesville and Freder-
icksburg until the army moved to cross
the river on its way to Pennsylvania.
We went to Gettysburg and were en-
gagged there on the second day and were
ready to charge to support Gen. Archer,
but his command was badly cut to pieces
and the General was captured. Soon af
ter this our brigade was reinforced and
we charged, and succeeded in getting
on hill and were ordered to lie down.
where we remained until reinforced.
While we were on this hill a sharp
shooter, who was posted near an old
house, kept shooting and seemed to be
trying to kill Col. John NJ. Brocken-
hroqgh, and he was coming so close tn
him that Col. B. said, ''boys. kill that
d-~-yankee," and Dick Savin and
myself both dropped ON our knees, took
aim and fired at the same time. The
sharpshooter fell, but I don't know
who killed him.
On the 3rd day at Gettysburg our
regiment was in action; we charged
when Pickett's division charged ON that
DAY, being on their right and supporting
them.
After the battle of Gettysburg was
over our regiment came back with the
array to Virginia. While the army was
falling back towards the Potomac one
nighta strong picket was posted to cover
the retreat of the army. A number of
men were detailed from the 10th for
this purpose, and ] was one of them.
Lieut.. Ben Stewart was in charge of
the picket from the 10th Virginia, and
We stayed on our post until nearly day
when Lieut.. Stewart told US we had
better be leaving there as the army
had been gone since early in the night,
and we left and followed the army.
We went to Williamsport and just as
we got there the>last of Stonewall bri-
gade were in the water fording the
river. When three of us-Lieut. Stewart,
w. N. Cundiff and myself the
river, all Of the other pickets of the
10th had been captured. While we
were fording the river squad of Fed
eral cavalry rode down on the hill at
Williarnsport and fired on US. but did us