Four years in the Stonewall Brigade

Front matter

EMORY UNIVERSITY LIBRARY

PRESENTED IN MEMORY OF

Julian LaRose Harris

I

LsTr.opuCTORY. — Enters the Army — Old Friends— Romney — V\ inohester — Skirmishes — Incidents — ' ' 15 il e d Shirts" — "General, ain't it about time to take a drink'?"' — Opequoin — Attached to T. J. Jackson's Brigade — On the Shenandoah — Piedmont— A regular Picnic with the Lt? dies — No False Alarm This Time — Bull Run — In Line of liattle— Pledges Burial to a Companion, with an "If — A Soldier Shoots Himself through the Foot — The Night before the Memorable 21st Julv, lsiil. 17-33

II

First Battle of Bull, Rrx — Gen Jackson's Brigrade Chris tened Stonewall by Gen. Bee— Bee and Bartow Fall — The Battle Signal — Bayonet Charge of the Stonewall Brigade — Baptism of Fire — The Enemy Routed — Fulfills Pledge tmd Buries Dead Body of Comrade.

L. jacquelin smith, ADJUTANT — Mike Buys Chickens — A Convenient Guardhouse— The "Henry House" — "French Furlough" — Gets in the Guardhouse — Jackson Promoted to Major General — His Address to the Brigade — General Garnett takes Command — Destroys Dam No. 5— Close of 1801. 46-71

IV Midwinter Campaign of '<J2— Bath and Romney— Jackson gives the Teamsters a Lift — Company gets 10 days Furlough — Sent to Hospital — Battle of Kernstown, or 1st Battle of Winchester — Race for the Stone Fence — Incidents of the Battle — Virginians against Virginians— Military Observations — Old "Blue Light" — Militia Recruits— Certain Death in the Stonewall Brigade — Foot Company and "Critter" Company— Ignorance of the Mountaineers. 72-90

V Cp the Shenandoah — A Brave but Unpopular General — Battle of McDowell — Clubby Johnson Follows the Enemy to Franklin — Back to Front Royal — From Front Royal to Harper's Ferry- A Running- Fight of P~ifty Miles — Jackson's Retreat up the Valley — The Lousy Thirty-third— Stragglers Cut Off. ' 91-106

VI.

The Cut-off Troops in the Mountains— Stop at Thompson's— Arrive at Weir's Cave — Death of Ashby — Ba'tle of Cross Keys -Jackson's Ruse at the Bridge - Battle of Fort Republic — Reinforced — Jackson s Foot Cavalry — On the road to Richmond — R. E. Lee in Command — First Battle of Cold Harbor — What Regiment is that — Searching the Dead. 107-123

VII

Surprised to Meet Jackson — Afraid of Guerillas — Wanted to Surrender to the Infantry — Savage Station — Malvern Hill — Yes ! the Ball was Put There to Hurt — The Blues and Grays Mingle in the Blackberry Field — Characteristics of Stonewall — Incidents of the Seven Days' Fight. 124-137

VIII.

Off fok Louisa Court House— How to get Whiskey — Bucked but not Gagged — Gordonsville — Headquarters in the Saddle — Across the Rapidan — Battle of Ceilar Mountain — Death of Gen. Winder — Flag of Tra^e. 133-U9

IX.

On Tin: Rappahannock — JacKson s Flank Movemement — Capture of Commissary Stores at Manassas Junction — Free Feast for the Soldiers — Incidents — On the March to Bull Run Again — Second Battle of Manassas. 150-103 X.

Soldiers Shot for Desertion —On the Sick List - Battle of Chantilly — Death of Gen. Kearney — Lee Crosses into Maryland-Battles of South Mountain and Antietam — Jackson Captures Harpers Ferry — Lee Re-crosses the Potomac — Tearing up the Railroad

Skirmish at Kearneysville — Army Starts for Fredericksburg— Detail to Hampshire County for Deserters—At the Old Homestead — Interesting Adventures. 164-lbl

XI.

Start Rack to Lee's Abmt. — The Virginia Yankee.— Li' ut. Blue's Scouting Party. — Join the "Outfit." — • Thrilling Adventures. — Running the Gauntlet.

At Imboden s Camp — Joins his Command — Courtmartialed— Building Roadways — Gets Religion- How to get Extra Rations — Detailed in the Pioneer Corps. 204-214

XIII.

Battle of Chancellorsyille— Jackson's Flank Movement—Receives His Death Wounds— Description of the Battle — Incidents — In Camp at Hamilton's Crossing Near Fredrieksburg— Last Words of "Stonewall" — The Rappahannock Divides the Armies — From April 2'Jthto May 11th, 1*03. 215-233

XIV.

Re-organizatiox — The Army of Northern Virginia — To Culpeper. Front Royal, Winchester, Shepherdstown, Williamsport, Hagerstown and up the Cumberland Valley to Carlisle — The Fight at 'Winchester—Stragglers Capture a Brigade— Grotesque Cavalry Company—Incidents of the March into Pennsylvania. 23 4-2 ."> i XV

Ox the March to Gettysburg — Battle of Gettysburg — In Position at Gulp's Hill -In Line July 4, 1863— Retreat to the Potomac - Ruilding Pontoons — Cross into Virgiaii -tn-ilsnts 253-225

XVI.

The Army Moves Towards Orange Court House — The Division in Camp at Montpelier —Takes Leave and Visits Home — The Conscript Officer — Arrested- Escapes-Interesting Adventures — Back in Camp— Soldier's Tricks — Deserters Shot to Death— Description of the Execution. 266-282

XVII.

On the Rapidax — Digging Trenches — Incidents — Crosses the Rapidan to the Rappahannock — Flank Movement Towards Washington — Turned Back at Bristow Station — Building Winter Quarters at Brandy Station — Incidents — The Long Roll — Kelly's Ford — Retreat Across the Bapidan — Sam Nunnely Again — -

Meade Crosses the Rapidan — Mine Run — Re-crosses to the North Bank — Winter Quarters Near Orange Court House— End of the Campaign of 1SC3. 283-298

XVIII.

Is Winter Quarters — Battle of the Snowballs — Army- Theatricals— Shoemaking Firm —'"Susan Jane" and "Sawbuck" — Gen. Grant Takes Command of Army of the Potomac — Battle of the Wilderness - Burying the Dead — Eats Bloody Hardtack Army Moves to Spottsylvania Court House — In a Hot Place May 11th — Laughable Scenes -Battle of Spottsylvania Court House May 12 — Gordon and His Soldiers Force Lee to the Rear — Trees Cut Down by Bullets at the "Bloody Angle" — Wounded Furloughs. 299-325

XIX.

Clurby Johnson Prisoner — Objects to Bayoneting His Men — "Remember Ft. Pillow! Charge" — Early, Corps Commander — Hanover Junction — Hack in Company A Across the Pamunkey — A Terrible Night on Picket— To Sleep Was Death — Lee's Army Donates Rations to the Poor of Richmond— Battles of Bethesda Church. 3^6-339

XX.

Second Battle of Cold Harbor — Grant Repulsed— The •• Slaughter Pen " — At Lynchburg — Federals Retreat to West Virginia — Early's Advance Down the Valley into Maryland — Sii-k and Wounded — In Hospital — Visits Home — Incidents — Follows tlie Army to Winchester-Great Depletion of the ormy — Brigades Consolidated — Slackness of Discipline — Officer of the Day and the Guard. 310-352

XXI.

Battle of Monocacy — Gen. Early Returns to Virginia — Skirmish at Winchester — In Line at Cedar Creek — Fortifying at Fishers Hill — Desperately 111 — Left in Hospital at Winchester — Battle of Winchester or Opeyuoin — Early Retreats up the Valley — Refugees in the Mountains — Discovers Capt. Stump Wounded

in the Head — '• Rather be Dead Than a Prisoner "

Carried Six miles up a Mountain Gorge -After a Doctor at Midnight in a Thunder Storm— Gets Lest in a Ghost-Haunted Thicket — Thrilling Adventures.

355-363

XXII.

Scouting Near Dayton — Death of Lieut. Meigs, U. S. A. —Sheridan's Order to Burn Dayton Countermanded — A Gallant Ohio Regiment — Desolation in the Shenandoah Valley — Refugees Going North — Battle of Cedar Creek— The Truth About " Sheridan's Ride"— The Fiction of " Barbara Frietche." 371-380

XXIII.

The Last of Company A — Joins the Cavalry — Must Have

a Horse — Interesting Adventures — Attempts to Wade

the Potomac — Pressing Horses Into Service — Capture

of McFern. 3S1-39S

XXIV

Lets McFern Escape — Procures Greenbacks — New Clothes — Attends Dances — Captured by the "Jessie Scouts— On the Road to Prison. 399-412

XXV

Prisoners on the March— Two Escape — Arraigned Before Sheridan — Treated as Guerrillas — At Fort Mc- Henry- — In the Cells — Eats Soup Out of a Hat — Receives Money From Friends — "Black Jack" the Terrible— Sutlers Checks Only. 413-135

XXVI.

The Louisianna Sergeant — Released From the Cells - A New Provost Marshal — End of " I51ack Jack" — Working in Prison — Chew of Tobacco for a "Hardtack " — Making Rings, Breastpins, Etc — Uncle Sends Clothes — Miss Dora Hoffman — Prisoners' Court Marshals— Royston and the "Red Sergeant" — Lee Surrenders— Lincoln Assassinated — Released From Prison— Oath of Allegience. 436-448

XXVII.

Goes to an Uncle in Baltimore — Takes the Cars for Winchester — Visits Friends — Arrives at Home — Comments on the Hardships of a Soldier — Neither a Hero nor a Coward. 451-456

XXVIII.

Justice to Absentees — Roster of Company "A" — Roster of the officers of the Thirty-Third Regiment, Stonewall Brigade, First Division, and Second Corps, with List of Killed, Wounded, and Prisoners. 457-468

XXIX.

A Few Opinions — Devotion of the Soldiers— A Rebel Colonel Resent the Hissing1 of the Stars and Stripesin a London Theater — Union Soldiers Protect Rebel Soldiers in Baltimore. 469-475

XXX.

Conclusion — Tribute to the Women of the South— Their Appeal to the Soldiers— Romantic Letter of War Times. 47C-4S<:

FOUR YEARS IN THE f)fonewall Brigade,

I.

Ixtih idi'Ctory. — Enters the Army — Old Friends— Romney — Winchester — Skirmishes — Incidents — ' B i 1 e d Shirts'" — ■■< General, ain't it about time to take a drink?" — Opequoin — Attached to T. J. Jackson's ISrigade — On the Shenandoah — Piedmont— A regular Picnic with the Ladies — No False Alarm This Time — Bull Run — 'In Line of Pattle— Pledges Burial to a Companion, with an •'If" — A Soldier Shoots Himself through the Foot — The Night before the Memorable :31st July. l*iil.

I was born in Frederick County Virginia nine miles west of Winchester on the 1st day of Dec. 1838 Aly mother's maiden name was Heironimus an old family of that county, dating back of the revolutionary war When I was three years old my father removed to Springfield, Hampshire County, (in what is now West Virginia) an adjoining county, where I spent my is THE STONEWALL I'.RIGADE.

boyhood days as most other boys do in learning a trade and going to school when I received a fair English education for those days.

In March 1859, when I was in my 21st year, I cut loose from the paternal roof, and took Horace Greely's advice to "go west and grow up with the country " I landed in Cass County Mo., where I remained, living in different counties, until the spring of 1861, when the signs of the times indicated war, and I concluded to go back to old Virginia. I left Sedalia, Mo., the 8th day of April, 1861, and returned to Frederick County, Va. , where my father was engaged in farming, having moved back to that county during my absence.

After leaving Sedalia I went to St Louis, and there got on board a steamboat bound for Pittsburg, Pa. After passing Cairo, 111., we heard of the firing on Ft. Sumpter and saw bills posted at the different towns we passed, calling for 75,000 troops for ninety days to protect Washington and put down the rebellion. Then we knew the war had commenced.

Various opinions were indulged in by the passengers, some saying that the north did not need that many troops and that it would all be settled in less than ninety days. But, alas! vain hope ! how little we knew of the struggle that was before us. I parted with my fellow passengers at Parkersburg, W Va. Some were going into the Union army and some of us into the Southern army

I arrived at home and remained there a short time. At that time the governor of Virginia was calling for volunteers. There had been a company raised at Springfield, my native town, and they were in service and camped at Blue's Gap, fifteen miles east of Romney, on the road leading to \\ 'inchester. As I had but fifteen miles to go to reach them, I bade farewell to my parents and sisters and went to the company, and arrived that evening in camp.

I met my old schoolmates and acquaintances whom I had parted from two years before in the school room, and now found them in army I signed my name to the muster-roll, put on the uniform of Gray, and was mustered into service for one year. The name of the company was Potomac Guards, Capt. P T Grace, commanding; S. D. Long, 1st Lieutenant; Jacob N. Buzzard, 2nd L'eut. ; William Johnson, 3rd Lieut. There was another company camped at that place, the Hampshire Riflemen,

•JO

THE STONEWALL BRIGADE.

Gapt. Geo. Sheetz. They were doing picket duty, not having yet been assigned to any regiment.

The next morning, which was the 19th of June, we weive ordered to fall in, and marched, to Romney. The day was hot and the road dusty, and marching went quite hard with us, especially myself, who had never marched a day in my life; but I kept in ranks, for, "who would not be a soldier, and with the soldiers march."' Arrived in Romney about 3 p.m., we quartered in an old building, took a good wash, had some refreshments, and felt like soldiers indeed, with our clothes covered with brass buttons, and the ladies smiling at us out of the corners of their mouths.

In the early part of June Col. A. C. Cummins had been sent from Harper's Ferry to Romney to collect the different companies organizing in that and adjacent counties, together, and form a regiment. He had been there but a few days and had three companies — the Potomac Guards, from Springfield, the Hampshire Riflemen, from New Creek, and the Independent Greys, from Moorefield, Hardy county The Riflemen werea company organized before the war, and were well equipped. The other two companies:- came there with nothing but their uniforms, but were given old altered muskets and old flint-lock rifles that had been sent there from Harpers Ferry, and two four pound cannon that had been sent there during the John Brown raid, but no one to use them. They had a few rounds of ammunition in their coat pQckets; no tents, cartridge boxes, or any other equipments.

The Federals were camped at New Creek, about twenty miles from there, and sent a regiment over one morning to capture the whole outfit, and they would have succeeded had it not been for a citizen on the road coming a near way and giving the colonel warning. The consequence was the colonel beat a hasty retreat, taking everything with him.

Talk about your first big battles of the war, that was one of them. There were about a dozen shots exchanged, no one hurt and no one captured; the Southern boys pulling for Winchester and the Federals coming into the town. They remained about an hour and then went back to New Creek — both armies marching from each other all day. As a result three regiments under Col. A. P Hill were sent there from Harper's Ferry; the ioth Ya. , 13th Va. , and 3rd Tennessee.

When our companies arrived we found those regiments there. Our three companies were then formed into a battalion and put in command of Major Lee and called Lee's Battalion — Col. Cummins going back to Winchester to recruit more companies.

We remained there until the 24th expecting an attack every night and consequently had plenty of false alarms. We then marched back to Winchester, a distance of 45 miles, leaving some cavalry there under command of Capt. Ashby.

As we marched out of town the brass bands were playing, the drums beating, colors flying, and the fair ladies waving their handkerchiefs and cheering us onto "victory or death. " Oh! how nice to be a soldier!

On the 27th we went into camp on the Opequoin Creek, three miles south of Winchester, remaining several days, cleaning arms, drilling, etc. Our next move was to the Shawnee Springs in the suburbs of Winchester, where we were temporarily attached to Gen. Elzy's brigade. The Hampshire riflemen not numbering

:he stonewall brigade.

enough (only 45) to be mustered in, were transferred to the cavalry and ordered back to Romney to recruit and get horses. How I wished then that I had joined that company, and could have done so only a short time before, but my name was down on the roll and there was no chance to get it off honorably I therefore had to remain in the infantry.

Gen. Elzy was quite fond of a dram as most soldiers are, and one night when he and his staff were drinking quite freely, and feeling very liberal, he called in the sentinal who was on guard at his quarters and gave him a drink, and then went to bed. Now when this same sentinel was on post again, about daylight he put his head in the tent door, and finding the general still asleep, woke him up by exclaiming "General! general! ain't it about time for us to take another drink?"

The general roused up, and not being in as merry a mood as the night before, ordered him to be taken off to the guard house for his insolence.

That soldier was greeted for months afterward by the whole command by "General, general, ain't it about time for us to take another drink?"

2t3 THE STONEWALL BRIGADE.

The Federal general, Patterson, had crossed the Potomac with a considerable force. Our army, under Gen. Joseph E. Johnston, had evacuated Harper's Ferry, and the two armies were close together below Martinsburg. One day our advance had a considerable skirmish with the enemy and captured forty-five prisoners, and then fell back south of town to Darkesville, where our whole force lay in line of battle. They were the first prisoners I had seen As we were ordered to tear down all fences, it looked like a battle was imminent. We lay in line the next day, which was the 4th of July, but still no fight; and on the 5th we returned to Winchester and went into camp at the "Shawnee Springs."

The boys were all mad because we had no fight andaccused Gen. Johnston of beingacoward, but they soon found out that he knew his business, and that a braver man never lived- After remaining in this camp three days our battalion was ordered to report to Col. Cummins, one mile South of Winchester, where we found he had collected five more companies, viz: Page Grays, Capt. Rippetoe; Shenandoah Riflemen, Capt. Gatewood; Emerald Guards, Capt. Sibert: (nearly all Irishmen) Mt. Jackson Rifles, Capt. Allen; and Brook Company, Capt. Crabill.

We remained in this camp several days, and received our equipments from Springfield as our company was equipped by private subscription and they were not ready when we left, Our equipments consisted of knapsacks, blankets, cartridge boxes, canteens and tents.

We had all started out with a carpet sack fu'l of "store clothes, bilcd shirts and paper collars;' but we loaded them in the wagon and sent them home. We soon found out that we had no use for "store clothes and biled shirts-"

On the fifteenth of July our regiment was. marched one mile north of Winchester and permanently attached to Gen. T J. Jackson's brigade, consisting of the 2nd, qth, 5th and 27th Ya. regiments. Ours not being full yet was not numbered but called Col. Cummins Regiment.

On the 16th the report being that Gen. Patterson was advancing on Winchester, we were rushed out in line of battle, tore down all the fences and lay on our arms ready for action at a moments warning. The next day passed off in the same way but no enemy appeared and we returned to gamp and lay quiet.

Another new company comes to our regiment^ the 'Shenandoah Sharpshooters," Capt.' Walton^

30 THE STONEWALL 1UUCADE.

They have no arms and are given flint-lock muskets. We are now ordered to cook rations and be ready to march at a moment's warning. Our regiment now has eight companies, and numbers about 650 men; but the measles have been raging in camp and about 200 are sent to the hospital, being unable to march.

July 1 8th we marched through Winchester and took the road leading to Berry's Ferry, on the Shenandoah river, about 18 miles distant. The citizens were very much grieved to see us leave for fear the enemy would be in town, as there were no troops left but a few militia and Col. Ashby's cavalry

After marching a few miles we were halted, and the Adjutant read us orders that the enemy were about to overpower Gen. Beauregard at Manassas Junction and we would have to make a forced march. It was Gen. Johnston's wish that all the men would keep in ranks, and not straggle, if possible. Then we started on a quick march; marched all day and nearly all night, wading the Shanandoah river about 12 o'clock at night; halted at a small village called Paris about two hours, then resumed the march about daylight and arrived at Piedmont Station on the Manassas Gap railroad.

Our brigade was in the advance on the march, and when we arrived at the station the citizens for miles around came flocking in to see us, bringing us eatables of all kinds, and we fared sumptuously. There were not trains enough to transport all at once, and our regiment had to remain there until the trains returned, which was about 3 o'clock in the afternoon. We had a regular picnic; plenty to eat, lemonade to drink, and beautiful young ladies to chat with. We finally got aboard, bade the ladies a long farewell, and went flying down the road, arriving at the Junction in the night.

The next day, the 20th of July, we marched about eight miles down Bull Run, to where Gen. Beauregard had engaged the enemy on the 1 8th, and repulsed their advance. There we joined the brigade. We lay on our arms all night. We tore all the feathers out of our hats because we heard the Vanks had feathers in theirs, and we might be fired on by mistake, as our company was the only one that had black plumes in their hats. We could hear the pickets firing at intervals, and did not know what minute we would be rushed into action.

My particular friend and messmate William I. Blue, and myself, lay down together, throwing a blanket over us, and talked concerningour probable fate the next day. We had been in line of battle several times, and had heard a great many false alarms, but we all knew there was no false alarm this time; that the two armies Jay facing each other, and that a big battle would be fought the next day; that we were on the eve of experiencing the realties of war, in its most horrible form — brother against brother, father against son, kindred against kindred and our own country torn to pieces by Civil war.

While lying thus, being nearly asleep, he roused me up and said that he wanted to make a bargain with me, which was, if either of us got killed the next day, the one who survived, should see the other buried, if we kept possession of the battle-field.

I told him I would certainly do that, and we pledged ourselves accordingly. I then remarked that perhaps we would escape unhurt or wounded.

He said "no, I don't want to be wounded, if I am shot at all I want to be shot right through the heart."

During the night we heard a gun fire on the

THE STONEWALL BRIGADE.

left of the regiment and I got up and walked down the line to see what had happened. I found one of the men had shot himself through the foot, supposed to have been done intentionally, to keep out of the fight, but the poor fellow made a miscalculation as to where his toes were, and held the muzzle of the gun too far up and blew off about half of his foot, so it had to be amputated.

II.

First Battle of Bull Run — Gen Jackson's Brigade Christened Stonewall by Gen. Bee— Bee and Bartow Fall — The Battle Signal — Bayonet Charge of the Stonewall Brigade— Baptism of Fire — The Enemy Routed — Fulfills Pledge and Buries Dead Body of Comrade.

July 2 1st dawned clear and bright, (and for the last time, on many a poor soldier,) and with it the sharpshooters in front commenced skirmishing. We were ordered to "fall in" and were marched up the run about eight miles and then ordered back to "Blackburn's Ford." Our company and the "Hardy Greys" were thrown out as skirmishers, opposite the ford in a skirt of woods, commanding a full view of the ford, and ordered to fire on the enemy if they attempted to cross the run. While we were lying in that position, heavy firing was heard on our left, both infantry and artillery In a few moments we were ordered from there to join the regiment and went "double-quick" up the Run to where the fighting was going on. The balance of the brigade was in line. of battle behind the brow of a small ridge. We were halted at the foot of this ridge a nd Col. Cummins told us that it was General

Jackson's command that our regiment should depend principally on the bayonet that day, as it was a musket regiment.

Some of the boys were very keen for a fight, and while we were down the Run they were afraid it would be over before we got into it. One in particular, Thomas McGraw, was very anxious to get a shot at the "bluecoats," and when the colonel read us the order about the bayonet, I asked Tom how he liked that part of the programme. He said that was closer quarters than he anticipated.

Our regiment marched up the hill, and formed "left in front," on the left of the brigade, and on the entire left of our army. As we passed by the other regiments the shells were bursting and cutting down the pines all around us, and we were shaking hands, and bidding farewell to those we were acquainted with, knowing that in a few moments many of us would be stretched lifeless on the field.

At this time our troops were falling back, but in good order, fighting every inch of the way; but were being overpowered and flanked by superior numbers. They were the 2nd Miss, and Col. Evans' 4th Ala. regiments, Gen. Bees' S. C. brigade, Col. Bartow's 7th and 8th Ga. reg-

THE STONEWALL BRIGADE.

iments, Maj. Wheat's battalion, (called the Louisiana Tigers,) and Imboden's battery They had resisted the main portion of the "Federal Army," and had done all that men could do, and had lost severely, but were still holding them in check while we were forming.

It was there and at this time that Gen. Jackson received the name of "STONEWALL," and the brigade the ever memorable name of "Stonewall Brigade." Gen. Bee was dashing up and down the line, rallying his men and exclaiming as he saw us: "Here stands Gen. Jackson and his brigade like a stone wall; rally behind them !" They passed through our brigade and formed in the rear. I knew they were South Carolinians by the "Palmetto tree" on their caps. Gen. Bee and Col. Bartow fell, mortally wounded. The enemy, flushed with victory pushed on, never dreaming what was lying just behind the brow of the hill in the pines. There seemed to be a lull in the firing just at this time, and Sergt. James P Dailey, of my company, walked up to the brow of the hill, but soon returned with the exclamation: "Boys, there is the prettiest sight from the top of the hill you ever saw; they are coming up on the other side in four ranks and all dressed in red."

THE STONEWALL BRIGADE.

When we heard that I, with several others, jumped up and started to see, but Col. Cummins ordered us to "stay in ranks," and Dailey remarked: "We will see them soon enough." Sure enough, in a few seconds the head of the column made its appearance, with three officers on horseback in front and marching by the flank, with the intention of flanking one of our batteries— the "Rockbridge Artillery," Capt. Pendleton. In a few minutes they spied us lying there, ■and I heard one of the officers say: "Hello ! what men are these?" At that moment some of our men who, perhaps, had the "buck fever," without orders commenced firing some scattering shots. The enemy then poured a volley into us; but as we were lying down the balls ■went over our heads, harmless.

That morning we had been given a signal to use in time of battle, to distinguish friend from foe, which was to throw the right hand to the forehead, palm outward, and say, "Sumpter. " When this regiment (which was the 14th Brooklyn, N. Y.,) appeared in view, Col. Cummins gave the signal, and it was returned by one of the officers; but how they got it was a mystery. So when the scattering shots were fired by some of our regiment, Col. Cummins exclaimed,

"cease firing, you are firing on friends;" and the volley came from them at the same time, and I know that I remarked, "Friends, hell! that looks like it."

Then came the command, "Attention! forward march! charge bayonets! double quick;" and away we went like an avalanche, sweeping everything before us; but the enemy broke and fled. Just as we got over the brow of the hill, we found artillerymen with four pieces taking position and unlimbering; but before they could fire a shot, we were amongst them and shot the horses down, and a good many of the men were shot at their guns.