Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1921-04-08
WAR "REMINISCENCES.
Try j. w. Bakery


sfBy j. w. Bakery
The soldiers in General Lees army
were in the habit of discussing ev-
erything-and sometimes of cussing
everything from top to bottom, en-
cept General Lee and Stonewall
jackson. These were the only two
human beings on the earth who were
immune. These were the onlyvbgl,
immune. They discussed Gen. Burn
side and they decided that no one
but an idiot would cross the Rnppa-
hammock where he finally did cross
unless he was seeking grave yard
for his people,.
10 understand this you must know
the race of the country. There is an
nmphitheater. of hills about one mile
west Of the river. These commence
at Marye's Heights and xtend four
miles down the river to Hamilton's
crossing. The railroad track part Of
the way was at the foot of these
nils. There was level smooth bot.
tom covered with dead grass. from
the hills to the river. We were along
inc railroad and ut the foot of the
nils with cannon above us. At some
places along this railroad there was
a slight cut, Mt others n fill. So Won
see our friends. the enemy, had no
show. '''
Jackson fought ut Hamiltons cross
ing. Our division was held in ro-
serve west of the railroad. We heard
some fighting going on. did not think
much of it, when suddenly we were
called to attention and ordered to
charge through the woods to the
crossing: Many of our men were
scattered in the timber. saw only
one lone enemy behind big STUMP
Ill the bottom when we reached the
railroad. One of our boys brought
MN in. We made so much noise that
they concluded to leave before we
got there.
Ono strange thing about this fight
IS, that there was no dead, that I
saw, on this part of the line, either
friend or enemy, after all the noise
and shooting, except one poor NOR
tally wounded confederate. AS soon
as L reached him l saw he was dy-
ing; Ignoring his own dire extrcmi-
y he summoned with NIL his power,
the little remaining strength TINT he
mad to give me message Cor his
wife. ! got down on my knees he.
side him, l put my ear to his lips. !
but all the words | could catch were
My Wife" "my wife" What n
glorious wife he must have had to
inspire n love like this? And from
the manner of his death there must
nave been something fine and heroic |
IN MN. This was one OF the tragedies |
OF my liro. MY eyes I'll with tears
when | think OF il now.
10 me there was never ANYTHING
real In this fight. so far II. tho in
fantry was engaged. on our part of /
the line. 1t was simply noonshine.
n face and sham. L do MT know
which acted the worst, our own mon
who left before they were hurt or
The ct tn.v who were drive, away nv
our noise.
The other end of the line, near
the Mnrye house, was n slaughter
pen. About 200 yards on our right
some cannon were placed behind n
little knoll in the woods. Had YOU
gone there you would hive thought
that these guns were far removed
from all danger. When the fight be-
gan they opened. To meet this the
enemy brought forward battery
and wheeled it in position OH the
smooth level bottom, in sight of cv-
cry body. After few rounds thew
got the exact range of our guns and
IN very short time had every one
OF them knocked into pie. was
there after the fight. If the yankees
had brought their shells in n bas-
Ket, placed them under each gun,
then applied match, they could
not nave done neater joLr Since
that time no tale has been too wild
lor me to receive as to what yankee
guns can do.
Once | read an account of this
BATTLE: The writer spoke of the ice
and freeze. There WINS no ice. and
even in the night the grass was drv.
a strong wind blew from the west
to our backs, but into the faces of
the enemy. One of our company
went to the colonel and told him IL
the grass was fired tho wind would
carry tho smoke and fame into the
races OF the enemy. and if we fol-
iowed close we could capture, kill or
drive into the river every man that
Burnside had. 1 have every reason
to believe that this went up to Gen.
Lee along the regular red-tape line.
No one objected All believed it
would work. But General Lee said
he could not bear the thought of
burning the wounded fellows be-
tween the lines. You SEQ General
Lee was n white man-too good to
be a soldier. That night General
Burnside recrossed the river and we
lost our chance. We looked for the
big fight to come off the next day.
but when the next day came there
was no one to fight.