From the Rapidan to Richmond and the Spottsylvania Campaign: A Sketch in Personal Narration of the Scenes a Soldier SawDame, William Meade
History
From the Rapidan to Richmond and the Spottsylvania Campaign: A Sketch in Personal Narration of the Scenes a Soldier Saw
Dame, William Meade
United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Personal narratives, Confederate
That withering fire tore the ranks of that Division to pieces. It didn't
take those fellows half a second to decide what to do. With yells of
dismay, they charged back, out of that hornet's nest, as if the devil
was after them. In headlong rout, they rushed wildly back across the
fields, and disappeared in the woods beyond.
They left four hundred and two of their number in front of that fence,
and before the fugitives got out of range, their General of Division,
General Robinson, was seriously wounded.
Some of our men went out among the Federal wounded to do what they could
for their relief. An officer of a Mississippi Regiment came upon a
Federal Colonel who lay to all appearance mortally wounded, and gave him
a drink of water, and did what else he could for his comfort. The
Federal took out a fine gold watch, and said, "Here is a watch that I
value very highly. You have been very kind to me, and I would like you
to have it, as I am going to die. If I should get over this, and send to
you for it you will let me have it, if not, I want you to keep it. But,"
he said sadly, "my wound is mortal, I am obliged to die." The
Mississippian left him, and went back to his post, supposing him dead.
Many years after the war, the Mississippi officer was in Baltimore at
Barnum's Hotel. One day, he got into casual talk with a gentleman, at
dinner, and, as he seemed to be a good fellow, they smoked their cigars
together after dinner, and continued their conversation. By and by they
got on the war. It came out, that both of them had served, and on
opposite sides. Finally, in telling some particular incidents of his
experience, the Federal soldier described this very fight, his being, as
he thought mortally wounded, the kindness shown him by a Confederate
officer, and his gift to him, of his watch. The Southern man said, "What
is your name?" "Col. ----, of Robinson's Division," he replied. "Can
you be the man? Have I struck you at last?" cried the ex-Confederate.
"_I've_ got your watch, and here it is, with your name engraved in it."
=Kershaw's South Carolina "Rice Birds"=
It was a singular incident, that these two should meet again so! The
meeting was most cordial; the Federal was delighted to get his watch
again, made doubly valuable by so strange a history.
While this bloody episode was enacting by the Mississippi Brigade, in
the woods to our right, an almost exactly similar scene was going on, in
the woods to our left. A portion of Kershaw's South Carolina Brigade was
unwittingly stumbled upon by "Griffin's" Division in the pines. Another
complete ambuscade! The South Carolinians suddenly sprang up before the
Federals, let them have it, broke and routed them, and killed, and
wounded eighty-seven of them. Our loss was one man. Things were so
sudden, so close here, that one of Kershaw's men killed a Federal
soldier, and wounded another with an axe he happened to have in his
hand.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account