The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-09-17
DANIELS DESCRIPTION
OF FIRST MANASSAS
Valuable War Letters Just Brought to Light.
Vivid Pictures--Th Lame Lions
Sensations in Battle.

, GROUND behind our battery theld) OF
eight pieces to support II.
The IRE upon us from the from, now
became a perfect storm. Rife. cannon
balls. she'll, min.a and musket balls
came upon us like hall piunging into
our ranks and %wounding and killing
our men every moment.
one shell which struck near me ex-
ploded an! instantly killed five Of
my brave comrades. Such scenes as
these became frequent. but We had no
order. and had to remain lying with
OUT nrinS "A gun. The Yankees now
ous up Il battery 10 our right
nank' thus exposing us to a double nre.
Two hours passed away and yet we
were but as a target for the enemy.
we were now in a most perilous posi-
ton. The enemy now brought up nine
pieces as Sherman's battery on our
left. supported by 5000 infantry. among
which were the New York Fire
Iuoaves and four regiments OF reRu-
lars.
I now heard a command which made
my heart rejoice-the colonel thunder
ed "Twenty-scventh. risc.' We rose
as one man. The battery on the left
had just commenced to work. Charge.
Twrnty-scventh,' AWAY we wen. like
a whirlwind right up TO the mukzies
OF the guns. Voliey after voiley pour
cd upon US. whole regiments airing at
once. and every step ! took as ran
onward I recognized the shastiy or
muti,atcd co~untenance OF some fallen
friend. whose warfare now was over.
y blood ran cold. but a strange
calmncss and thirst for revenge stole
upon me at each repetition Of the
dreadful scene. We ~bayonetted the
runners. shot down every horse and
then commenced upon their infantry.
which o~utnumbered Ms by our to one.
] commenced upon them with my nfIe
q had taken one Into the fight. al
though. being an omcer. I was not en-
titled to IT. Their LONG lines were
not more thar l2o yards distant. AZ
some phases OF the battle I was not
farther than thirty yards or the Zou-
|, ayes.
We stood thus under a perfect storm
nf balls for 6vo hours and a half, at
which time. thanks to God. the enemy
wavcred. broke and ran. During tho
n-ht with the infantry eight balls
piercnd my clothes and was shot
down three times. falling each time
upon a pile OF dead and wounded men,
both Yankce and Southern.
The hrst time I was shot down was
BY \ ball which srazed my forehead
and Knocked me senselcss. but inflicted
no injury: second by p ball which tore
q button from my coat. glanced, bore
nr about an inch of skin and hesh
from my right breast and paused on
third. BY a mimic ball. which went en-
tirely through my left leg. Just. below
the hip. making 3 hole that youocould
put two fingers through. shot some
seventeen timeR, and. having lain
Fensoless on the Geld for a long time,
was scarcely able to hobhle on when
the victory was won. am thankful
that I was permitted to strike o blow
in our holy cause. and had los, q
limb Il would have be-I cheerful
resigned. am now Vt home and aIio
to sit ur In a chair. or walk gentI.
acrofs the floor. out the doctor Is still
required to dress my wounds and 1t
Will he several weeks before they are
entirely healed.
To show you how hot a IRE we were
In. ! will state that our regiment took
800 men into the fight. One hundred
were killed or are MANNED and multi
lated. No regiment in the army lost
so severely.
Write me a long letter at once, and
give me an account of what you and
Walter have done since you went home.
How is Walter? Give him my love;
also remember me to Jim and Bill May.
owls and Hugh Brinkley. when you
iook upon 1t as your sacred duty 70
write Immediately. am a wounded
soldier and you ought to be patriot
enough to aid In besuiiins my weary
moments.
With much love to you. my dear
Mike. and with the hope that you Will
write me as soon as you finish this, /
am. YOU true friend.
JOHN w. DANIEL
Direction: Care OF John NJ. warwick,
LyncfrourE. va.