The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-05-21
RECOLEECTIONS
OF A PRIVATE
Scenes in Alexandria in 81 Battle of Dinwid
die Courthouse-The Fighting Seven
teenth Virginia

pa Dominion ana bearing the I'm
mortal legend sic Seinpcr Tyrannis.N
/ joincd them on the spot Thursday,
| April .6lh. opened bright and clear,
and nj an early hour We were drawn
up III line in 'front.' OF what wns then
Known as Fishback's Hotel but now
siylcd the Shredder House. Giles Cook,
senior. leading member Of tho local
| hhr. ana lawyer of County manner
AMI eloquent Hpccch, was chosen 10
| present the collars in the name OF tho
ia"lfs which he did In such a happy
manner ihat The company and tho great
|, consourse Of citizens which crowded
The SQUARE chcercd him Ia the echo.
CAPTAIN l;obcr; ~. Simpson. than VINO
no kniEhtlicr soldier ever drew n sword
ana who afterwnrd became lieutenant
colonel OF our regiment. tho Seven
tesrth Virginia. dying June 9th, 1854.
from {, wound received May.ITth, 1894.
~ l'rewrS's Bluff. responded In a
speech so replctc with cloaurncc and
ph thos that he stirred the company 20
| INC widest enthusiasm. while the look
erS on were moved with a sympati,y 80
profound that II could nnd no vent
save In tears. | "
Befcrc taking my place In the ranks,
| my rather, Rey. Jumes spilman PETTY.
| known 10 our older citizens as a local
! preacher of the Methodist Church and
q man OF such hoiy life and cha ricter.
lhat. Ike Ennch OF old ne literally
"alked with God summoned me- as
was his wont when any al his children
LEFT the parental roof. FOR parting
word Of prayer and Ribl4 reading
70 my anaxement he opened AZ tic
| 'lht Psalm. Intending To Ell read II
through hut at the NTH verse his
vote hrokc, and with his arm around
my neck, he knclt 10 commend INC in
prayer 70 Coz. Here again hi4 voice
lnl'sh MIN, and With inarticriln,,. an
| .u,nsE' winch only the ear az the In
| hniie One conl'i hear. he pleaded for
| ny s7fe'y as VIC rose Ia our feet.
eacn with his arms about the other ~
t"niiort hiin. | said: Father. lie les
son you haze rnad is rrnycr which
| mas becn heard ana answcted. for r;od
has implanted In my soul the convic-
t'pn mat ] VIII not fall in this s,rur
| III may he Injured hut 1t viii be
hothinH more than possibly wound
In The left arm. ana / viii live TO crec,
you again when the war Is over
strange rs II may seem, this predic
non came literally true. and on J',i
gay, March 81, 1865, Just nine DAYS
uftore Lees surrender. at the battle 81
! plnwiddie Courthouse. Virginia. i r,.
| ceived bulle, in my left arm. whicl,
oth mol break a ifone and was cut out
1 W "A rod
sun have that bullet. ana cherish 1,
as q priceless relic.
We left for Alexandra about noon
! The drum and fife discoursinr martial
music 70 the tune of ',TheN Girl I,ert
| hnhind Me- and the crowd of Mothers
"iFtfra wives and swcethcarts franti
caiiy waving hands and handknrcbiafx
with Scarcely a dry eve IN ali ,hn
I .hr9nE which from every point of
| NahtaSe witnessed our departure 10,
ne seal Of war What befeli us in
1,'enanhria viii form the subject OF
another charter. ana shall now ,.La
nr The story of the battle of pinwiddio
courthouse. whose recurring anniver
sery today suggested this random
recital ' ' 'i'ii'i"
me DAY Of the battle opened with a
emu and dreary settled rain. which
| seemed TO penetrate to ones marrow.
rs We laN by til roadside. near peach
orcna rn Generals Lee and Pickett. and
Priiiiaht galaxy Of officers. of vary
me degrees OF rank all OH horse
back. held a proiracted councII az war
IN iill view OF our company At its
conclusion we fen INTO line. and moved
| 'nrwatd IN search OF the enemy. con
H':s' ms pf Sherifan's troopers dismollnt
ca We soon got intouch with thom
ana Grove hem steadily back. thcir
pian aprarcntlv being 10 "firc ana fail
','t ~ toward o'clock r. NJ they
.i''ge determined stand. their limo cS-
tending along tho crest of a hin croyr
cd in the centre by typicaI virt,,ni.
mansion: our line paralleIing theirs.
ana running through meadow. thc.
mouse being between the firjn. lines
lruhdeniy they caescd firing and while
VIC were wondering what il meant N.
; lheN sun stood their ground. what wc
TOOK to he grandmother and grand
amer ana mother with children of
lender age. even to q babe In arms.
rushed harehcadcd into The rain ma
ran screaming with terror to n neariv
WOOD, When we realized the meaning
o. inc temporary truce. ne choered
ouI iahkee opponents most heartily
ana said to each other: Bows n
seems pity 10 shoot ut such n mag
unanimous foe The tide of battle roll
cd onward. however, and we found
onrohives pitted against strongly
posted force near pinwiddie Court
house. While we lay behind an oid
worm" fence, awaiting tho moment n
charge, engaged In conversation With
Lieutenant Sam Paul. OF the Aitx-
andria Rifles Company y, OF our reg!-
ment. the Warren Rifles being Comnnny
y, Lieutenant Paul was deyout
Christian, and the leader Of our Y. NJ
Z. ~. praying band
AS wa talked OF war; and wond-
cred when i would end cavalryman
rode by With he body OF an officer
Colonel Shaw. OF the Fifth North Caro-
INA cnvalry-thrown across his horse,
INC mead at ono stirrun, and the feet
at nc other. What a sad sight, re-
marked Paul: II nevnr Witnessed ono
like 1t hcfore."s To which + asscntcd.
neltnerlti Of us having fought
much with cnvnlry--among whom
TINS was frequent occurrence
half-5, an hour later, as wo
wero in the midst OF q terrible cha .ge