The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1912-05-24

lV,OOu men in the field and there
Is 10000 OF the enemy" Gen. Breck
enridge at that time was IL miles
away at Martinsburg. and their OBJ.
ject was to break our lines before
he could reach us they massed
their columns about s lines deep
and charged US. 1t looked as though
we could not hold them back when
we saw them coming. as our force
was weak. but could not see our
artillery moving them down and jus
then as they come. we were lying
quite with our small arms until the,
came within about 100 yards of us.
Then we opened with our musketry.
We moved them down so fast that
they turned and retreated to their
breastworks, They had pressed us
so hard that Gen. Pickett's division
Especially some of his men wayered
a little, and when they fell back to
form new line to charge us again
saw Gen Pickett draw his men
out in line, he folded his arms
turned his back to the enemy and
stood there and took them through
the manual of arms, and when he
got through he says Gentlemen,
wanted to convince you that you
we're not demoralized. BY this time
they had reformed their line and
started to charge us again. 1t look
ed to me like the force was double
to what it was the first charge. l
looked in the direction that Gen.
Breckenridge should come with his
division and | saw them coming
double quick. When they got to the
breastworks they never halted. They
went right over and charged them
with the bayonet and repulsed them.
They fell back and formed another
line and made one charge after an
other until dark We fought until
dark and we had lost nearly half
of our force they commenced flank
ing us on our extreme right. Gen.
Farley had to fall back 81 miles TO
Strausburg. but We saved our wag
on trains and everything We form-
ed a line OF battle at Strausburg,
and they came up. Our regiment was
in the extreme left That brought
them up against North Mountail.
Our regiment was thrown out as
sharp shooters, there was skirt
of woods that ran along parallel
with the foot of the mountain that
was very thick with underbrush. ]
noticed that the sharp shooters on
their side was getting pretty thick
in front of us. | remarked to Col
Cook that | believed theywere mass
ing their men right in that brush.
He told me to go up the side Of
the mountain until | could look
down and see what was going on
down there. l started and went
where | could look down on them.
Gen. Cook had massed his men in
those woods, and just as | got whore
l could see he charged our men
and drove them back to the breast
works. then was cut off, ! sat
down on the side of the mountain
and watched the battle. They then
charged our breastworks and drove
our men back about so yards. Then
/ saw our men turn and go back
and take the breastworks again,
the enemy doubled their force again
and charged, our men had to re-
treat. There / was by myself in be-
hind. the enemy, 1t was then nearly
dark. waited until dark and weat
down to the foot of the mountain
and concluded / would work my way
in front of them, did not know
where our men had fallen back TO-
| started along in the woods up the
valley and had not gone but a lit
tie distance until | came across a
Yankee soldier that was hid in the
woods l captured him and took
him prisoner. / went on little
piece further and struck another
one, as l thought. ordered him to
surrender and then he spoke to me
recognized his voice. 1t was one
of our n IN AS soon as recognis-
ed him we started on and we ca J.
.ured six Yankee prisoners befor.,
we got to our lines. We went along
tn foot of the mountain until va
saw ligh- close by house. couIt
not Tell whose men they were,
KIN W 1t was a picket light, left
the six prisoners in charge of my
comrade and | went to this house
and found out 1t was our plckets.
Col. Cook had reported to Gen.
Brady I. Johnson, our commander
OF cavalry that | was captured.
went on up to the camp, ! went up
to Gen. Bradley's headquarters He
was sitting by the fire, | saluted
him | said. Gen. have six pris-
oners." He sprang to his feet and
said, Col Cook reported to me that
you was captured"
w "