Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-06-11
hoo LATE TO TAKE PART
IN MANASSAS BATTLE
March OF General Holiness Com
mand From BroOkc's Station
s Is Described.
GREAT ANXIETY WAS FELT
Soldier Who Was Sent to Announce
Arrival of Troops Was Told by
General BeaurcSaisl sour Victory
1 Is Complete"


81 General BeaurcSaISl sour Victory
Is Complete"
s The month OF July, 1861, WAS ono of
SSsanNious suspense in all Southern cir
tesCles due to the expected battle ho-
8 Stween the enemy under Gcnotal scott
Asin and around Washington, and that
Siunder General Beauregard at Manassas
&IThero were good grounds for such anX-
@{iety. The early advance OF the Federal
81 army was deemed certain, and it's Supe-
81 1iority In numbers and equipment was
~ we'll understood. as also that it was
- streuG thcncd by numerous well
~ cipiined regiments OF the regular army.
n The troops under BcaurcGard were
m known 10 he entirely volunteers, lack
~ ing in equipment. never before under
u fire. in a great degree undisciplined
z, and inferior in numbers. Whether they
81 could maintain their ground when the
II shock of battle came was to us Il
" cause of profound concern.
Il The troop OF which was member
II had been ordered about tho middle OF
AZ the month from King George County
~ up to Brooke's Station, where several
;iSyregiments OF infantry and ono or two
S batteries, commanded by Ma ior-Gcneral
Al L. II. Holmes. We're encampcd On the
Il evening OF July 20. with our havcr-
IS Sacks filled We We're ordered TO march
- in tho direction OF Dumfrics, with the
L. y
~ ono had any doubt but that our desu-
s,ination was to join BcaureEard's army.
.Aand that the battle which We had been
y anticipating with impatient zeal. not
~ unmiXed with grave concern, now was
- to take place. IL was II revelation TO
'sins who rode OH horses that day how
s.1ittie advantage had over the in
1 fantry, who covered in their n4irch
I mile after mile in about tho same time
Z that we did
WI AS night came on wc were permitted
ito halt, feed our horses. and go to
asleep. Very early next morning the
Z column was put in motion again. with
s3our company in the lead. With eight
Cor ten men, was sent ahead as an adj
s5,yance guard. with orders To keep 4
~ sharp lookout for the enemy approach
ling from our right Within sight Of
@lour company was Colonel Carey ut the
8 head of the Thrtieth Virginia lnfan-
s,try.
!. No sooner had our march begun
ethan the distant booming OF cannon
Il satisfied us that a battle In the vicinity
,$of Manassas had been opened. AS the
lahourS passed, the noise OF the guns
,.sincreased. becoming palmer as we APP
-yproa ched nearer. At times the sound
Sveered to the left. as though our army
Swere being driven back, and again It
,Sreered To the right as though the
Aencmy were yielding ground. Now
gRnd again 1t would seem to gather
svolume and fury.
! The effect Of all this noise Of battle
] was almost electrical on Holiness com
mand. II inspired his men with ardor
s4to mingle in the fray. and they so nc
( celebrated their march that 81 was not
K easy for our horses to keep the proper
distance in advance OF the infantry.
NERVOUS STRAIN OF MARCH
DESCRIBED AS INTENSE
IS AS for myself. the nervous strain Of
the march was intense. From tho In
structions given me- was momentari!y
! expecting TO discover q body OF the
enemy In front. or on my right. From
: every hilltop We reached, down every
valley Into which wc looked. up every
( road bearing 10 Tho right, from behind
every cluster OF houses and from tho
cover of every grove we passed. we
were on the alert. watching for the
sudden appearance OF the enemy. seek
ing TO turn Rcau!eGards right flank.
The tension on the nerves through the
long hours Of the day from this con-
slant expectancy OF suddenly meeting
the foe was intensified by the con-
stantly increasing roar OF the battle
ahead of us. At no other time durin Z
all the war, save for an hour or two
in the late afternoon AZ Gettysburg.
was / the subject Of SO much painful
suspense as on this day
When we reached Manassas il was
approaching htGht i.John Critcher. a
private, then ia our company, and
later colonel Of tie Fifteenth Virginia
Cavalry, was sent by General Holmes
TO announce the arrival Of his com
mand. and asking for orders. saw
him on his return. and heard him re-
port what Beauregard had said of tho
battle, VIZ: Our victory Is complete"
While we were halted near the sta
don. squads of prisoners were coming
from the battle field under guard. and
were added TO a group OF several hum
bred or more that already had been
gathered under cluster OF oaks on
the southern side OF the track. While
we were waiting here, n train arrived.
and presently vociferous cheering was
heard, and were told the cheers
were for Jefferson Davis. who had
alighted from the train and was one
OF q number OF men we had seen riding
off.
OFT BEDS FOUND
n IN LARGE, ROOMY BARN
The gathering clouds now gave
promise of heavy rain. and we were
marched to large, roOmy barn,
scarcely a mile distant. whore we found
abundant hay for our horses and soft
beds for ourselves. as well as dry and
comfortable shelter Here wc forgot
the WEAKNESS OF our march. and the
excitement of the day IN slumber doep
and sweet as tina, OF childhood.
The earth becam" very we: and soft
from the heavy rain during the night.
Next morning my mare sunk In the
earth above her fetlocks as ! led her
to water. ana the stream was found
10 be so swollen and file! with red
mud that she wouldn't drink &, The
weather conditions made II plain that
mo successful pursuit Of the rc'reatinU
Federals under Mcdowell could ho OK
5pected, even If H"aurcgard had any
fresh Regiments 10 undertake g.
We were NOT ordered out from orr
Icozy quarters that day. nUt enjoyed
g. quiet rest in the barn numhor OF
men asked pcrmisst on 10 visit The bat
3 tie field. and having riGacr over VI.
returned in the afternoon with har-
rowing accounts 81 its CHASTITY scenes
5tof suffering and death They brought,
In one form and another, numerous
rnementocS Of the inst great noid OF
Southern victory courier was ask
ed for by General BcaurcEard. and Fri
sate Edwin CIayhrook WAS sent "a him
5Ie was directed 10 and colonel Stuart
and deliver dispatch 10 him Clay
-. l..