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
We had been too busy to think about them, at the time, but when we had
gotten done,--and had a little time to look about us, and day had
broken, and the fighting time, as we knew, was drawing near,--we took an
interest in that infantry. Artillerymen are always concerned in their
"supports," in a fight, and we wanted to know who these fellows were, on
whom we had to depend, as battle comrades, in the approaching struggle.
Our minds were quickly made perfectly easy on that score. We found we
had alongside of us "Gregg's" Texas Brigade,--the gallant, dashing,
stubborn fellows who had, as they jocularly said, "put General Lee under
arrest and sent him to the rear," and then, had so brilliantly, and
effectually, stopped Hancock's assault on Hill's right, at the
Wilderness. Better fellows to have at your back, in a fight, couldn't be
found! We knew _that part_ of the line was safe! We mingled together,
and chatted, and got acquainted, and swapped yarns about our several
adventures. We told them how particularly glad we were to have _them_
there, and our personal relations soon grew as cordial as possible.
Our service together on this spot, and our esteem of one another's
conduct in battle, made the Texans and the "Howitzers" ardent mutual
admirers, and fast friends, to the end. Never afterwards did we pass
each other, during the campaign, without hearty cheers, each, for the
other, and friendly greetings and complimentary references to the
"Spottsylvania lines." Gregg's Texans! Noble fellows! Better soldiers
never trod a battlefield. I saw them fight; I saw their mettle tried, as
by fire. They live in my memory as "the bravest of the brave." I hope
Texas is growing more like them!
=Breakfastless, But "Ready for Customers"=
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