The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-08-14
THE THIRTIETH VIRGINIA
AT BOYDTON PLANK ROAD
Gallant Company Commander Writes His Recol-
ections-of Hot Encounter Near Dinwiddie
Courthouse and Of Other Scenes.
BY ROBERT i. KNOX,
Lieutenant Commanding Company c.

nding Company c.
ordered to fall back and make their
way back to General Lees army.
carried into that fight AZ men. I
was in conrmand OF Co. c. Thirtieth
Virginia Infantry. Corse's Brigade My
company was the largest in the reg,-
.ment, so 1t was sent out on the skir-
Emish line. When we got out there I
found Lieutenant-colone Grayson
Tyler was in command OF the skirrnish
carried in torty-three men. I lost
twenty -hveg.at Five Forks:
!. Morgan Cox. orderly sergeant.
captured; died In prison at Point
Lookout.
2, John Smith.
Il 3. Robert Smith. nephew OF Gov
5ernor Smith and Miss Hooe, wounded
early in fight; shot through thigh.
.. BENJAMIN Owens. killed. son OF
Rev. Mr.. Owens.
s. julius L. Lee. captured and car
ried to Point Lookout.
s. Willie Graves. captured.
Z. ]. Melville Johnston. captured.
/ 8. James NJ. Coates, captured: here
now.
Q. Ashbu1y Jones. captured.
10. John r. Luckett. captured.
IL. j ohm ]. Brookes. captured.
IL. Peter Anderson. can't remember
exactly.
IL. Thomas Colbert. captured.
~. William Dornin, captured
10. John H. English. captured.
now.
y. J. Thomas Patton. captured.
IS. Thomas Smith, captured.
~. Ned Towles. captured.
| 20. John Jett. captured
Il. James Murphy. captured
e. Newton Beckwith. captured.
% Richard Burton, captured.
-. Alexander Coppase. captured.
20. Jack DCnavant, captured,
So you zee lost there TWENTY-FIVE
| men altogether. and lost three at Din
widdie Courthouse fight the day be-
fore:
Charles a Gore. captured on our
right: littcr-bearer.
Robert Smith. captured on our
right: ter-bearer.
My brother. Alexander B. Knox,
wounded.
Charles a. Gore is one of our police
men here now on disabled list.
But In the next battle. which was
Sailors Creek. Ewell's whole corps
surrendered on our left, and NC knew
nothing OF 1t. as we were again light
Ing Sherkdan's cavalry.
M had again the largest company In
our regiment. viz. eighteen men. and
was sent out on skirmish line early
In morning. was on the skirmish
line when the cavalry charged us
again. and then we were ordered to
fall back, and asked what our orders
were. and was told to rally at second
line OF fence. It was in rear OF the
3Thirtieth Virginia Infantry. Gen. Geo.
z. Observation-Disclosures by seven or more
cayalrymen.. and our boys saw it and
turned around and emptied every sad
and raised his hat. and I never saw
him again. There was a price Of $685..
900 on his head heard.
Towards night I was captured, sur
rounded by cavalry, and taken to Bull
King. where found General Corse,
who told me he rode right into the
Fifth soips behind us: General Hun
ton, General Seth Barton. General
5Custis Lee. General Ewell. General
DuBose and the Fifth Corps was near
Is In our rear at Sailors Creek. The
fences were deer fences. very high,
and a rider on top.
picket duty, nothing to eat and no
time to cook even the ears OF corn
some of ,pur men had procured. We
were separated from our men; they
under one guard and we under an
other, and were taken to washington.
D. G., and got there the very night
Abraham Lincoln was killed by Booth,
and the crowd assembled around the
Old Capitol to burn US up. and we sent.
a delegation to Colonel Wood and asked
him to give us arms to protect our
selves EIe said: Give you armsl
Damn you. you would go through that
mob and get across the High Bridge
so quick 1T would make my head
swiu,," or sbma such talk; but he said:
,.".No, 1t is ray business to protect you.
I have ordered g, brigade in from
works around Washington And sure
enough they came. as the mon was
bringing up wood. coal. boxes. etc..
to burn us. 9s3s 5
Sheridan's men could not drive us
at Five Forks. and General Warren
was court-lnarttaled Tor. what Sher.S
idan himself failed in doing. The
day before we had him on the run.
and I never knew why we were
stopp ed.
A Sound Doctrine Snccintly Stated.
Y $lts (Fronn Lyme hburg News y 5,s g;l4 n