Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-02-28
NO SIX MONTHS REQUIRED
TO MAKE THESE SOLDIERS
COnfederacy Turned Out Fighting
Men Almost From Day They
Were Enlisted
NO CHANCE FOR "TRA,NlNG"
Survivor OF Civil War Makes Inter-
esting Comparison Between Condi-
lions In the Sixties and Those Now
Existing I'm European War Zone.

To the Editor of The Times Dispatch:
Sr,-So vast are the proportions Of
the present European var that one
hcsitatcs about making II comparison
between conditions now existing there
and what prevailed in this country dur
ing our Civil War; for while the latter
conflict was of a nature to enlist TIL"
entire energy of the mon living dur
Ing It's continuance, still We stand
aghast when considering what ts now
transporting in Europe. But there Is
one feature of the present conflict
which may have been observed by
other survivors of the War Between
the States than the writer. but OF
which no mention has appeared, AS Tar
as he knows. and that Is the length
Of time II seems TO require to ht re-
cruts for active servicc. as shown In
the delay OF England In forwarding re-
inforcements to her army in trancc.
Lord Kitchener having stated that "th"
war would not fairly begin until May
which We take to mean that EnSland's
new levics of troops, which siI" has
been recruiting since last August. would
not DC ready for field seryic. until that
date.
WRITER Is EYEWITNESS
OF THRILLING SCENE:
This brings to mind a scene % which
the writer was an eyewitness during
the latter part OF May, 1864. near liam
over junction. Va. in the ncighborhood
of which point LIS: had thrown his
army. for the sea time sine, the
battle of the ~ rncss, across the
route Of Grants proposed advance on
Richmond, and where the latter was
held at bay for several days, and At
last forced TO choose for himself an
other route. During a part of those
several days" til" battery Of artillery
10 which tho writer was attached Was
in line OF battle with. aud was sup
ported by, Ramscur's North Caroline.
Brigade.
The lire ran through dcns" forest
OF tail pines which had been fciled for
about 200 yards III front as "as 'nN-
tomary, and General kamsu"r. wRn
had been wounded at the battle of
Spottsylvauia Courthouse. on MAY q,
having that day FOR the iitst time re-
turned To the command OF his brigade,
though sim suffering from his wound.
was reclining against IN" brcaStWorES
among the men. II WAS late IN IN.
afternoon and the Miv.t relief for the
force which had been all day on tho
skirmish line passed through an open
ing In the works just At his side and.
vending their way through the !allcn
timber. disappeared IN ;hc forest be
yond. and no scene OF the conflict re-
appears with more vivid distiuctn"Ss
10 the writer's memory than does the
sight of that little band, ~. in single
file, il moved to the front that after
noon. \ short while after it's disap-
In tho pines. and when there,
had been but little more than time for
it TO distribute itielf along the Skin
nish line the men composing the com
mand which II had gone TO relieve
came into sight, returning. after
twelve hours duty in the rifle pits.
and had hardly taken their places be
hind the works. when sharp firing
was heard from beyond the woods In
front, bringing with il such thrill TO
the onloollers as only those who have
experienced il can fully understand,
and soon word came from the front
that the enemy WAS advancing in three
lines Of battle. as Grant had learned
at the wilderness the usc!cssucss not
TO say folly. of attacking The Coufed-
crates composing Lees force with {;
single line. At once everything was
on the alert. the artillc:ymcn stood at
their posts, and the cleaning rifles of
the infantry lay along top The
breastworls, ready for instant use. and
ut every moment we looked 10 see that
skirmish line, which had just gone
out. falling back through tile woods
in front, before so overwhelming 81
force. 10 be soon followed by the old
familiar blue line" by which il had
been attacked.
LINE DOESN'T COME BACK
UNTIL RELIEVED FROM DUTY
But we never saw tina: skirmish line
come back through those woods. and it
never did come back until next morn
ing. when, in due course, IL was re-
lieved for duty, though the firing which
succeeded was something terrific, con-
ing from such small band, which,
after continuing for considerable
time finally subsidized. and everything
became quiet. the enemy having re-
tired.
And II was only then, when almost
night, at the urgent solicitation OF the
members Of his staff, that General
Ramseur consented to retire to his
quarters. saying that h. was unwilling
To leave the front until he could know
the result OF that action. for" said
he, fully onc-third of the men com
posing the command which had Just
driven tho cnemby back from the Skin
mish line were raw recruits, having
Joined tho brigade since the battle OF
Spottsylvania. and had never before
been under fire" And. as there were
no training camps In the ConfeICracy
at that period of Its short existence
they had had 10 military training
whatever.
Sc h"-c we see Il little hand conpos-
ing tho skirnish line in from, of one
Of the bripades of Lees army and il
composed "oic-thrd OF raw recruits,
who had never before been under fire"
holding In check. and finally forcing
to retire, three lines Of the cncnly's
forces, nor need it he asked what was
the character Of the force driven back
as the war was then in the fourth year
OF It's continuance, and If Grant did
not then have the finest troops of the
Federal army under his command
where were they?
Now 1t Is not the belief of the writer
that any other COO, 900 men ever trod
the earth. who were the supcrors, or
even the equals, of the 500. 900 compos-