The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-02-01

At tho request OF my friend and com
rade. Edgar Warneld. OF Alexandria.
Va, 1 am describing, at this late date.
my remembrance OF the worst three
days that ] can recall during the War
Between the States. In doing this. II
is not my desire TO glorlfy any act of
my own. but rather TO give "A pen pic
ture OF what many other Confederate
soldier suffered At some time or othe
soldiers suffered at some time or other
three days referred to lies in and about
the battle OF Frazicrs Farm, one OF
the Seven DAYS great battles near
Richmond.
After hasty breakfast on the norm
ing OF June 30 1852, the Seventeenth
Virginia Regiment, Of which was a
member. and part OF picketts Divi-
sion, moved forward into a piece of
timber, and had gone but n short dis
tance. when wc were met by sheavy
discharges of grape and canister from
"A Federal battery. and n little later we
became engaged with Federal infan-
try. This Infantry proved to be a part
of the Pennsylvania RESERVES, who
were armed with Springfield muskets,
using ball and buckshot. Just at this
point VIII say that IL to-day com
inandcd an army that IS the weapon |
should prefer to use, as at distance
of, say 100 yards, very few OF the enc
my would escape injury. In receiving
the fire OF the Federals In this piece OF
tlWptr l saw the necessity or our DILL
GERS frequently calling upon the men TO
IRE low. as we were almost blinded by
falling twigs and limbs from the trees
above our heads. We moved steadily
forward down q steep hill, across a
small. sluggish stream. and approach cd
tho Federal battery supported by a
heavy line OF infantry. ] WAS standing
behind tree, firing on this battery.
when rifle shot took away my havcr-
sack and canteen and severely bruised
my LETT hip This attracted my atten-
ton to the left OF where our line was
supposed TO be. and found that our men
had fallen back. turned and dashed
back TO the top Of the hill in my rear.
and turning 10 look back in the direc-
ton from which had come. was
struck By ball, breaking my collar
bone ana knocking me down. But in
q little while, finding was not dead
got upon my feet and looking in the
direction OF what was supposed 10 be
our rear. saw line OF Federal troops,
which had passed through q gap in
our line and gotten between us.
- l could 70 neither backward nor
forward. ! tried a paraiiei run between
tho lines, and a few minutes later was
hit in the foot By another ball. | then
threw away knspsack and gun and
tried 10 get away on one leg, but had
gone a short distance only when a
voice cried: Surrender" and this !
promptly did. My captor was a good
natured Ir!shman. who kindly gave me
permission 10 ride on his back He
carried me 10 his regiment, where ]
was kindly treated and afierward con-
veyed TO a country church. which had
been taken by the Fedcrals to be used
as hospital found the church and
yard already filed with wounded Fed =
erals. On the porch OF the church was
Federal surgeon. whose duties seem
ed To be TO give first-aid to the wound
81 the lAniN wounded mo- ia n
the yard In the rear Of the church
The balance OF us were left in the
church and about the front yard This
surgeon was quite joVial fellow, and
seemed TO be very much pleased TO
have a Confederate to operate upon
He said: You have n collarbone bro
ken, but this Will not amount TO much
Have you any other hurt?" / then took
off my shoe and showed him the hole
in my foot When he saw II lie brought
his probe around with great sweep
and when / finched he said: II only
wanted 10 see If you could be fright
ened," az he had heard that no Con-
federate soldier ever got scared. told
him that he had a Confederate soldier
there then who was worse scared than
he had ever been In his life. | remem-
Der he asked me If ] knew how many
bones ! had in my foot. l expressed
my complete ignorance of this. and he
told me how many, but | have forgot
Ten. however,. j remember very dlS-
tinctly that lie said the easiest way to
get rid of that bullet in my foot would
he to take the foot off. and that II was
a good thing for me that had fallen
into his hands instead OF some fool
Confederate surgeon. who would no
doubt have taken off my foot. ] was
much frightened and at once assured
him that l was satisfied he knew more
about surgery than all the Confederate
surgeons combined.
Now, what l have related occurred
between 3 p. NJ. and dark of this me-
morable Monday. You will note that
this was n hot day in June, and that
had had nothing to eat or drink
since early morning, and was burning
with thirst. About S o'clock l was
approached by General Fitz. John
Porter, who had learned that there
was n Confederate soldier among his
own wounded. He expressed his deep
regreat at my condition. and said that
in view Of the, fact that / would prob
ably die, he was sure that ! would
answer truthfully 4 few questions he
wished to ask me. | had no intention
OF telling him the truth. If I could dis
cover what he desired to know. His
question was: "IIad Longstreet been
engaged in any of the other battles. or
was he engaged with fresh Confed-
crate troops" 7 told him that we were
entirely fresh having been engaged In
none OF the previous battles The
next incident Of this day occurred