The Snyder signal. (Snyder, Tex.) 1887-????, 1913-04-11

portant responsibility of holding our position to
attack in turn. Many Yankees were killed and
wounded here. while not one Of our men re-
ccived a scratch up to this time. Had the posi-
ton been taken the ford would have fallen into
the possession OF the enemy, and they would
have been master OF the entire field. The fire
which met the advancing fcdcrals at every effort
was the most deadly ever witnessed by the writer.
Our ammunition gave out three times, but tor
tunately our men were enabled TO replcnish It
,uring the lulls in the fighting The sharp
shooting on both sides, in the intervals OF at
tack, was splendid. Men were killed at almost
every shot by the sharpshooters. Charles lay
lor, one of the best shots in Dukes brigade, and
ono OF the braves soldiers, killed Yankee at
every shot on the line OF the sharpshooters. As
his rifle cracked, the dust on the breast OF the
Yankee would ilv and he could be seen to fall.
Sometimes he would shoot them through the
head and they would fall as dead if their heads
were chopped off He would always aim for
the head when distance was not too great. On
one occasion ne shot Yankee Just above the
right eve and the ball passed around to Just
above the left eye The Yankee Tell and iloun-
dcrcd like a dying chicken. There were other
sharpshootcrs almost as fine as Taylor but none
superior
Every officer and private in Dukes brigade,
ON this occasion. claimed the distinction of hav-
inc killed at least one Yankee. They must have
done so. for there we're more dead and wounded
icdcrals buried here than there were men IN
Duks brigade.
About 4 o'clock Colonel Napier, who was
commanding the extreme lett advancing ana
swccpinp down the line, drove back DOW
ri Yankees Immediately confronting his own
litdc battalion. and struck the flank OF another
moving to attack the right OF the position. but
coming suddenly upon line OF white and negro
troons which rose suddenly from ambush ana
fired ON his men, the line halted. The COMBAT
ants fought here for while, with dubbed guns
and the negroes. icrociously used the' guns
as they would mauls. Several OF our men were
knocked heels over head by buck negroes whose
ewes were as big as saucers, so TO speak an'
whose strength came upon them IN proportion
One very large negro, dressed from head ~
foot in bluc and brass buttons, seemed 70 DC sur
nrised when first stumbled upon and exclaimed
Oar dev isw His eyes almost popped rom
their sockets He cooked his gun as he ran blck-
ward but was killed with pistol by an officer
Lefors he could fire Soon alter this the most
sor;o,,s charge OF the dav was made upon our
rioht and center. The enemy came IN two lines
each 200 or l. 800 strong The front line swung
f;rst ono end foremost then the other as It came
~, At the double quick. and Dukes line facing
I'm the right and left massed alternately al inc
threatened point. This time the tederals came up
so close 10 our men that they could sec INC"
c,cs Their repulsc was chiefly due 10 the cXer-
~, ~ the men Of Captain Lea and Colonel Wy
rbcr They had approached so closely that 200
- then, were shot down I'm their tracks imne-
diatelv in front OF our lines, and when thcy ueu
tbcv continued i'm range long that our men
we're enabled to fire at their backs three une.
before they could reach shelter. Thus they lost
heavily and fled from the field in disorder.
The enemy fired too high and our loss was
,nrprisinglv small
Receiving reinforcement OF sixty men lu''
Loforc shutdown. Duke sent II 10 get IN the en-
INV. rear and attack but nothing was done
on account Of the timidity of the officer IN com
mand. ..,
marched back 10 Marion. Marching then Sou''-
81 through the gorgcs Of the mountain. Duke
cached Ryc Valley fifteen miles distant by
morning From Rvc Valley Duke moved TO ne
main road again. striking It az Mount Airy tnu-
teen miles from Marion. Here General Brecken-
ridge learned that the enemy had marched ,or
rertI, bv 10 Saltville. General breckenndFe
1rdcrcd Duke to collect details from all the hri-
-. III men who were least exhausted, AMI
H. most serviccable horses. and follow the en-
,,,,. ,s closely as he could. relieving the small
detachment at Satvc, II the garrison held out
nrt;I he arrived He accordingly marched with
400 men. arriving at Scven-Nlile ford a. night
iall on the roth He halted until oclock a.
night. and then pressed over terrne t"au' T,u
-,7.bcd tho vicinity of Saltville at daylight The
r;gbt was bitterly cold. and the men were 60
,biIled that thcv were scarcely able 10 SIT on
tbcir horses Passing through lyon Gap IN
d;cstious were that Saltville had indeed iaUen
Still IL was necessary 20 make sure ana puh'
moved i'm the direction OF the southern detenses
cb,rtI,. aftcr,yard the enemy was sighted. u
-, stir,,,isb ensucd in which four Yankees
go killed and VIC lost one man. The Yankees
.,-,,r IN arms when they heard the firing. and
Az. saw that the force was too strong TO attack
successfully nv charge. Scouts were then sent