The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-05-10
Hr MARCUS II. ToNEY.

belonged TO Company c. Forty
fourth Virginia. Colonel Norvell
Cobbs. General ". T. Jones. Brigadier-
General I'D Johnson's division Dur
ing the winter OF Is63-Ga we were
in winter quarters. near verdicrvine
Va. and not far from tho Rapidan. and
our pickctn and the Yankees faced
each other and exchanged tobacco for
coffee and bread. About 9Th April
our rations OF meat gave out. and wo
were reduced TO cornbrcad minus salt
our cornbread would have been more
palatable II we could have gotten rid
of tho bran. but had very few sif-
tors !n camp.
while on picket about middle OF
.Npri. 1855 yclI came across the riv-
or: 1Iollo, Johnnie! How .s sarsa-
fras tea this morning. answered
the ton is all right. We have no sugar
iie said: I'VE are short on tobacco"
told him we had plenty OF tobacco
and canpcd near us were number
of tarheels. and could get supply OF
resin
After mailing tho exchanee-tobac-
over IAN old New York Herald. It's age
prevented 1t being contrabard. The
headlines Of thc Herald read: The
Rebel Capitol Must 30 Captured at
All azards-Gcueral Grant Has Been
Appointed To tho Task"
iIc uttered what afterwards became
% noted expression. II VIII fight II
OUT on this line II IT takes All the
sumuo,,
That limo was tho Rapidan. and
General Grant chose the lower route
rather than the upper. above Orange
Courthouse liis army was tn motion
on Mag ! from CUlpeppcr and Fairfax
Courthouse General Lee had issued
orders May i, "-iil extra baggage TO
the rear. Goods up three days rations."
Nc had very little extra baggage. and
the three DAYS rations were three
PONIES OF oorubread.
ON tho night May J. 1854, General
Grant crossed the Rapidan at Ger
mana. L.. :. and Ely's Ford with H.
coo men. and established his head
quarters at the old Wilderness Tav
orn. We withdrew our pickets and
General Grant had 2 peaceful passage,
and thought General Lee was
treat towards Richmond. but we were
hid IN the Wilderness. our left wing
on tho old Plank Road and our right
near Parkcr's store. on tho old Dirt
Road. Il distUuC" or three miles. The
M4lNcrncSS at mat lline WdE x wilder
moss OF small Pine and blackjack
in come places 20 thick was difficult
to- crawl through. II had been Il min
ur country back in the fortics, and
where the pines had been cut for tho
smeltcrs tho new growth had grown
up very thick. The country WAS slight
Is undulat!ng with now wild. then AN
open field which had been cultivated.
Ny command was opposite Palmcr's old
field on the Plank Road. We had only
ono rank. and when our pickets were
driven across the nold, the first com
naud we had was lie down.
horizontal TO the road was wagon
road made for hauling out wood. We
got niuo pieces OF artillery on this road
and numbered on the old field Of some
three acres. Across this field General
Grant charged ms In three columns.
our single limo Of Infantry and the
,uc pieces OF artillery, with grape and
cannistcr, moved General Grants line
like grain before the sickle. lie soon
rcformeI h!s line and charged gal
lantly again and rcpulsch. by nay side
was a cousin, " z. Norvcll. from Buck
ingham County and said TO him:
"Th'aj WAS an impctuous charge" He
lid not reply: a bullet had pierced his
brain buried him that afternoon and
marked his grave. He had mother.
father, two sisters, and was engaged
to a young lady In buckingham I
had only only an aunt; yet he was
taken and ! left,
In the charge our general Jones.
was killed. and ono OF his STAFF, Robert
Early. of Lynchburg. ON the old field
were loo of General Grants army. The
one Hundred and Forty-siXth New
York Xouaves, commanded by Major
Gilbert. was nearly annihilated The
afternoon was quiet, except for some
picket firing from the enemy in trees,
and after huryinE my cousin I said TO
Lieutenant George Price. Let us get
down the dcclivity Of the hill out Of
the way OF these sharp shooters" We
were sitting on fallen pine, when,
ChuF. tho blood pushcd from his breast
and he fell in my arms. lie survived
only short while. In opening his
rour. / found Il dagucratype of "A young
lady in buckingham Inside the case
was a lock- of her hair saturated with
his blood.
From the bodies Of the LOO dead we
got enough rations 10 last us four days.