The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-07-17
EXCITING ADVENTURES
AT BLOODY MALVERN HILL
"reminiscences Of the Famous Twelfth Virginia
as 1t Faced the , Fiery Pha] l41 Of Mclelan's

tected brow OF the hifM. we could ris
and fire. then drop dovyTGn, reload an
4 fire again. This continuEsed until dark
then the n1usketry hrinWg ceased, bu
| the enemy continued fAheir artillery
| sending shells ScreaningM with blazin
| sabots far over our heas%ds. milo o
more in our rear, making va niagniflcen
pyrotechnic display. "A
About 5 o'clock this n ceased, an
nothing could be heard bug the Eroan
and screams of the wountMed from al
sections OF that bloody baNttlefleld A
intervals could be heard anN order ,ivel
by some wounded officer in Yhis deliriun
no doubt repeating the l9ast rationa
command: Forward. Guffde centre
! Charged
others called aloud the Maine of the,,
regiment and the names OF Ajome loved
member Of their family. \ Near
o'clock three comrades askHsd me Ia
Join them in an effort to Yrecover a
wounded member of our color guard
who was severely woundtsd on our
advance over the crest of tb1e hill.
In our front the enemy's lanterns
were thick as lightning bIgs In o
meadow on warm summer might car
ried by guards searching for and car
ryiug off their wounded THEIR front
line was barely over fifty yaiads dis
tant
We passed our picket line, fbut had
no lanterns and only found OUR com
rades by calling in low voice. We
were without stretcter. e.nd had
only an oil cloth to place beneath him.
and In the dark it! was no easy Job.
but when we attempted to car try him
on the pain was SO intense That he
shrteked in agony. Put me do,.vni Put
mo down." Our endeavor TO paci,fy him
attracted the attention OF the before
mentioned humanitarIanst ~, and they
fired volley from several guns. but
"ithout Injury to any of US. Our
picket line instantly resented the ar
front by returning tho fire. and Quite
nervous anxiety arose in our rninds
as to the probabilities of night bat
tle for the firing continued for al
least ten or ffteen minutes. When II
ceased. we were forced to leave our.
comrade on the field and make our
way back into our lines as best we
could, for great caution was necessary
to prevent our pockets from hring a, |
US as We approached. crawling stealth
ily and In a low tone calling out. |
Twelfth Virginia! Twelfth virgin,a!'
TT was an intense relief when safely
within our lines. and for while our
nerves were at such tension that
bodies.
On one night, at some distance. sig.
nails were rapidly moving up and down
on what we supposed to be trees
trimmed up for signal towers, but next
morning the signals proved to be from
their gunboats on the river and ac-
counts for some of the terrible shell
explosions, while the afternoon battle
was raging.
Finally, odd Morpheus" put us to
sleep amid the groans and shrieks OF
the wounded from all sections. and 4,
about o'clock we were awakened by
heavy downpour of rain, followed nv 1
a rapid fail of the mercury
We were literally drenchtd, and to /
add to our anxiety and discomfort
when day light dawned, we could see
long line of cavalry about 100 yards y
distant drawn up apparently pretar- G
ing for charge. In less than halt an d
hour. however, they about-faced. and I
followed their retreating army to
their gunboats. leaving US in posses
sion OF Malvern Hill. with a large nun t
Der OF their wounded and killed q
About 5 o'clock we were narctad q
through the mud and cold rain baol to n
q convenient place to prepare wIat1 h
ever we could secure for breakf,st n
While doing this we ran several isis "
from the falling boughs, now aflen h
with rainwater. that came crashing ~ "
the ground. caused by the she'll Of the =
enemy splintering them the ireyious =
afternoon.
a gill OF whiskey was issud to each =,
nan from our commissary apartment =,
and in our chilled and we condition :;
proved very beneficial, asst was n ena -.
grade, captured from theanemy's 1,os " ~
'ital stores few days revious ~ ~