The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-06-23
TUTLILER ON THE
BATTLE OF NEW MARKET

racks in Lexington. Va. TO join the
tarmy of General John c. Breckenridge
a, Stanton. forty miles distant. We
were all delighted; we had pcttioncd
1.-THE Governor of Virginia to let us join
the Confederate army. and he had Of
fcred our services to General Lee, who
said he would call for us when need
ed; so when General SiEel started his
.march up the Shenandoah VALLEY.
tGeneral Breckenridge was sent with
puch troops he could collect to
drive him back. These consisted Of
h.cholrs and Wharton's brigadcs. Ed
Ear's battalion. Imbodcn's cavalry and
the Virginia Military Institute cadets
i am going to give my rccollections
Of our march ana the battle OF Now
Market. 80 you must excuse me II 1
ana little personal.
Tine fret day we marched to Mid
way, twenty miles from Lexington.
snd the same distance from Stanton.
turnpike my feet wers solid biiaters
or the bottom. go az every branch I
woslid take of my shoes and battle my
fees. in the cold water. then would
have TO run aad catch up with my
COM any.
A,t Midway. ss We had no tents. we
tmpi'ovised rude shed built of poles
and leaves; then we built nice Are
in 'front.'. After II frugal supper We
laid down on the ground and were
soon asleep. About o'clock, how
ever there was fearful thunder
4 AI hts I.arS 1T
rain. We were soon awake and found
that we were thoroughly drcnchcd.
took off my shirt, and after wiring
Ing all the water out OF Il I could
l.cld II out in front Of the hre to dry,
hut IA rained so hard that Il put out
the IRE put on my Wet shirt and
decide that war was not near SO
pleasant as l had ina gincd. We had
Campod near Presbyterian church.
20 VIC opened a window and climbed
through u II into the church. where
We fo'hnd nice cushions In the pcws.
We soon slept where many q good
followed o! Calvin had slept before Us
The neat morning carly we were
the march again; the pain from my
nllstered feet was cNcruciating. but I
was too prou jto era wflsh" and ride
in the, ambulance, continued to
battle shcm i'll the cool wnter OF the
branches We crossed. At last
+'hIileh our camping pttNtf hDOIl one
mile SOUTH Of stanton. As il had
stopped raining We soon laid down on
mother earth and slept the sleep OF
worn out. weary boys The next day
we Joined the rect OF our little army
and wepe assigned TO Echols brigade.
Kidding Cnhcts.
In order TO get our proper place IN
the marching column. we mad to pass
come Of the regiments Of old soldiers
and thsS' jeercd us considerable. sing
ing Rocky bye baby" and calling Us
new Is SUE" etc. As we marched
alons or the 18th shall never forget
the superh looking form and regular
1nridge. as ne rode past us on beau
tiful ba;y mare He had a long
rnusts RI n and wore sof; hat. he rode
Tnagnifics and was es'ery inch a
Ecldier. He greeted us. smilinEly. and
rode on towards the head OF the col
Nnn. H.a was the Prince Rupert Of
the Confederate army. That night We
camped about twenty miles from
stanton On the afternoon of the
14th We went into camp nine miles
from Stanton. On .he afternoon OF
the l4th we went into camp nine miles
from New Market. II was here that T
first saw a. Yankee prisoner. who. with
one or two others had been captured
Joy our cavalry scouts. At about /
o'clock A. NJ. Of tho 18th Of May We
were awakened out OF a sound sleep
by the corporal of the guard for fear
of making too much noise. II was
drizzlinE rain, and the night was very
dark: we hastily got into ranks My
classmate. chum and roommate. A. H.
II. stuart. Jr of Staunton, was in
the same ctnnpany-Company D.
We knew that IN a few hours we
would go ti,to battle. &C we promised
each other that IL either was killed
In iIlrel tho fpr
father and mother OF his fate Dear
noble Stuart; ] never had dearcr
friend, and there never lived n truer
boy, nor moro gallant soldier He
was my aga, but, although he had a
very boyish face, he was six feet tail.
We hickman ed him Legs" when Cen
eral Hunter afterwards attacked Lex
ington Stuart was sick. so I took him
to my fathr,rs house. who lived at
the time In Lexington.
a Federal officer took charge OF our
house and told my mother he would
have to go through every room in the
house. Stuerte uniform had been HID
in the garrett My mother preceded the
officer into sruart's room and sat down
on StuarGs feet as he lay in bed, and
passed him O nas q young boy. He
went to his hpple in StGunton after the
Yankees left. He died of typhoid fever
at the University of Virginia d year
after the close, of the war.
But to resume. Captain Preston, in
the darkness. prayed that we night be
spared from harm during the fay, but
that we should under ali circumstances
do our duty.
We began tise march I'm the mud and
rain. About g o'clock we deployed to
the left of tho road and halted when
opposite New Market / looked down
at the road lending into New Market
and saw number OF our negro cooks
snd servants walking into the town.
Just at this Time the Federal batteries
shel1ed 1t. and J. never saw such n pre-
clpitate retreat. as our negroes made.
This would have suited the father of
Polk Miller. When Polk Joined the
L. -