The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-07-30

regiments: then Wisters brigade, and
other troops OF tho Eighteenth Corps
under General W. F. Smith Still fur.
| Their west. across tho Petersburg Turn
pike and railroad. near a point close
TO Centralia, and partly in works
abandoned by the Confederates. was
| tho Eighteenth. or General Q. A. Gill
| tnore's corps. Our force, commencing
on the left. was composed of the afore-
| said brigades: west thereof Barton's
F.: brigade. supported by Hoke, cons,itut-
| ing Ransom's division. while 10 our OK
IRENE left were some dismounted
| cavalry OF nevnovants Fifth South
Carolina Regiment OF Cavalry, stretch
Ing out thin line TO tho river. To
the west OF Ransom. was Hoke's divis-
lon with Hogoods. Bushrod Johnson's
Clinsmsn's and corse's brlgades. Corse
| having the extreme right. near the
railroad. while Colquitt with his brig
ade sad Ransom's. was held in reserve
| II WAS o'clock in tho morning Of
| the 18th; consequently. still very dark
| when We fell into line. and marched
out from the woods in front OF Drew
| rvs Blum. which had sheltered us from
the night. Crossing Kingsland Creek,
'*e formed in line of battle 10 the right
OF the road. Perhaps two hours were
consumed. In getting the line formed
! loading, and getting ready for the
fray. Meanwhile. a heavy fog came up.
envelopins everything around us in a
! thick shroud. so heavy that we could
/ not see ten steps ahead. About $40
| o'clock. everything was ready, and
loud. ringing voice. 'Sklrmishers. for.
/ ward. march: second. the battalion Of
direction; battalions forward. guide
/ right, march" Forward went the line
having the Forty iirst on the left.
then tho s!xtie;h. Fifty-ninth and
| rty-third Alabama regiments. in
order named, TO tho right.
We, Kempe.s brigade, who we're IN
! the immediate rear. drawn up In sup
! porting position. could not see thing
We could not hear that the column in our
| from, was in motion. Hardly ten min.
| utes passed when General Terry, In
command OF our brigade. ordered his
| to follow Slowly. and In perfect line
! Of battle. tho brigade commenced its
forward movement. the seventh
on the lott of the line. the First next
| on tho right, then the Eleventh and
| Twenty fourth. IN order named. to the
right.
| Soon. single shots were heard. tell
Ing that tho skirmishcrs were at work
The AlaSamaians come in contact with
| two companies from the Ninth New
Jersey, posted al the Willis house:
which they drove off. Then. faster and
faster. tho shots rang out. and the bull
| let's commenced whistling through the
air. or rather the fog. Then, the
| steady rattle of musketry announced
where Gracie's men had struck the
enemy's main line 4 battery of four
brass Napoleons, Martins battery,
commanded by Captain D. A. French,
had been placed In position by Major
| Francis J. BogGs formerly captain Of
Company I. of the First Virgina). on
the brow OF tho elevation about two
hundred yards in front Of The enemy's
line. and Just 10 the riTh; Of our brig
ado This battery low opened. send
| Ing It's iron messengers over the heads
of Gracie's men, and. crashing through
the forest INTO tho enemys line.
| Our ! sade. by this time. had passed
the c'e, alton on which the Willis no..
Stands. and came to a halt abou ';y
- sixty yards in rear OF & Ala
bamians Tho bullets ir'~nled for
them. made gaps in o.. ranks. and
many OF our men We stricken down.
c. a. Wells. of Company I. fell here,
i mortally wonr''d. shot through the
body. Whit lying down he placed
himself Sc against me. using me for
a hrc2stwork. when the fatal bullet
cane. passing jus. over me. and
| through him. Hearing the sound. ]
| Jumped up. thinking was surely
| struck. Feeling nothing. and seeing
|
self on my escape. w. w Turner and
| Sergeant G. E. Craig. OF Company d.
Were both shot in the head. The lat
ter went Off with the blood streaming
| down his face. and. nearly reaching
safety in the rear, was again wound
ed. in the thigh, when. as he said, he
| forgot all about his wound in the head,
ana ran TIL he got to the hospital.
Lieutenant e. w. Martin, Company II,
was disabled for life Che suffered from
his broken leg until his death. which
| occurred few years agol, and others
were moro or less injured.
The position at this time was as fol-
lows: The Seventh on the left Of the
old Stage Road, tho First across It.,
| right OF the road. on the slope Of the
hill. Gracie's men had not succeeded
In d.slodging the enemy. their position
| being too strong for them. Only one
regiment. the Forty-Arst. on the left
| OF this brigade. had driven the enemy
from its front. They came In oontac.
with the eight companies OF the Ninth
New Jersey. who after brief con.
test. vacated the position held by th3m
on the asst OF the road. whereby the
right fiank of Heckman's brigade was
left open and exposed.
| MIR. T. Grimm, menlb or Of the Twer-
ty-third massachusetts,. In letter to
me- writes that Colonel stancil. of the
! Forty-flrst Alabama (Which was the
LETT of Gracie's origade), wrot him
that they, the Forty-first. passed up
, the road. and forced the enemy's right,
capturing portion of the Ninth New
Jersey regiment.
| General Oracle, seeing that ne could
not make Roadway. now turned to Cen
eral William r. Terry. commanding
kemper's. his supporting brigade. for
assistance. General Terry. in a con-
versation with me. stated, as to what
occurred, that General Oracle came up
to him with the request. General, let
i haNa ~