The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-01-11
ALBEMARLE VET
BRAVE AS STEEL
Splendid Record of M. +
Clements, Who Resides
Near Ivy.

Editor Progress: AS the men who
made history fifty years ago are fast
passing away. think wo men OF tho Il
younger generation should preserve, as
fl, as possible, a record cf their per-
2onal adventures ~
Amongst the "old boys with whom
it was my pleasure to go to Gettysburg
last summer. was VI. F. Clements, whose
home is now few miles from Ivy, OH
the Batesvillo Road.
Mr.. Clements was born in Fluvanna
County on March 10, 1898. He enlisted
III !. company organized in Albemarle
County called Ifolcomb Guards, J. J.
VIM captain. and formed part of tho
s'eventh Virginia Infantry, c. 8. A., and
served till Sleridans raid. Just after
tho battle OF Drewry's Bluff no was In
the breastwor ks and five Federal sharp
ghoCtcrs got in q large tree which
overlooked these brcastworls and com
ucnced killing the Confederate SOL
dlers. Mr.. Clements crawled from tho
brtastworks into field OF scrub pines,
where, after n while, he was able to
locate the sharpshooters by the smoke
from one OF their rifles. These Fed
crai sharpshooters had nailed somp
ricces OF board against forked tree
ant had built n platform. from which
| th,y could overlook the Confederate
breastworlls.
Mr.. Clements discovered that there
We're five men in this tree. He shot
one who fell out. The others under
| took to carry the dead man away, when
he shot two more. and the two remains
ing ones ran away.
| The night before this Mr.. Clements
vas in advance OF his company, and
eupDosinS they were going to camp at
| Il place where they had formerly camp
Cd. .ccing n lot of mon around a camp
fire, he thought they were members OF
iiis own company. He walked up to
one of the fires and found to his sur
Prise that the men were Federal SOL
diets He did not speak. but walked
| directly through the camp into the road
ard then followed this road to his own
company. Before he got to his own
, comp he remembered orders had been
| Liycn to shoot everything in front, he
| got down on his hands and knees and
crawlcd close enough 70 hail his COM
| rides. who recognized him and he got
In safely.
| Mr. Clements commenced to sharp
wounded three times, but was never
captured. lie was in Piclsetts charge
at Gettysburg in Kempers Brigade. He
| ror TO the stone wall and back to Semi
nary Ridge without a wound. His
| brother, NJ. j. Clements, was killed in
the charge There were four brothers
IN the Confederate Army.
| Whilst near Plymouth. N. c., where
| :hcy were besicgng II fort Mr.. Glenn
ents and Mr.. ]. I. Belew (now dead)
cTawled Mt night within n few yards
OF the fort and shot several of the gun
ncrs who ware serving the guns on tho
narapet. On one occasion. when tho
| PICKET post opposite was manned by
colorcd troops. Mr.. Clements, after
shooting one of the pickcts, in company
wtth MIR. Below mentioned above), fol-
loved them up until they came to n
small fort, which appeared to have
| men In IL. Mr.. Clements and Mr.. Below
ran up to the fort and found only few
guns and blankets, the guard having
fallen back on the main line.
1T the frat battle of Manassas Mr.
Clcmentss regiment Was In n piece oe
woods, he went out into road from
which he could SEQ across Bull Run,
md called out to his comrades that the
Yankees were doing something with
| horses on the opposite hill.
At that time he had never seen a
battery go irto action. and the Some.
thing was battery getting out what
it meant when they opened fire from
SIN guns.
| ON another occasion the Federal
:harpshooters were annoying our men
"cly much. when Mr.. Clements located
them in an abandoned house. After
nl1rching for some time he saw ono OF
them fire from window, when he (AIr.
Clements) fired several shots through
the Notwithstanding about the height
az man from the floor. the Confed-
! crates were worried no more.
Any one talking to this quiet-vofced
! oasy-mannered old gentleman would
never suppose that he was as brave
az steel and the best shot In the
company" according to statement
made by W. y Parrot, a comrads In
: lie roll of the company published soma
years ago.-W. r. Duke, i'll Charlottes-
| vile Progress,