USA > Texas > The Confederate capital and Hood's Texas brigade > Part 8
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General Hood and staff, just then arriving, and perceiving they were about to run under the fire of the gun-boats, a courier ordered Colonel Rainey to " halt." They did not stop to obey. General Hood himself came up. "Colonel Rainey, balt your regiment!" This order was instantly obeyed. The gus-boats poured forth a withering fire of shot and shell. but the Texans retired, having driven them literally into their gun-boats. The Texans engaged about seven hundred -- Federals eighteen hundred or two thousand. Lieutenant-Colonel Black, Captain Decatur and twenty privates were killed and some thirty or forty wounded. Loss of the First Texas, eleven killed and twenty-one wounded. The Federal loss was three hundred killed and wounded. one hundred and twenty-six prisoners, from General Hood's oficial report. General McClellan reported a loss of "five hundred men and officers.""
A correspondent of the New York Herald, writing from West Point, gravely asserts that they were charged furiously by four regiments of negroes. This paragraph caused considerable sport among the men, being regarded as a direct reflection upon the state of the brigade toilet.
Colonel Rainey was exceedingly anxious about whether his men and himself would stand fire, as this was their Erst en- gagement, and was compelled to be cool, collected and fearless to inspire confidence with his men.
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General Hood says: " This affair, which brought the brigade so suddenly and unexpectedly under fire for the first time. served as a happy introduction to the enemy.'
President Davis, in conversation with a Texas Senator said, in speaking of the brigade: " They saved the rear of the army and the whole of our baggage train."
General Gustavus Smith, in a letter to Colonel Horace Ran- dall, paid them this compliment: "The Texans won immortal honors for themselves, their State and for their commander. General Hood, at the battle of Eltham's Landing, near West Point."
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CHAPTER IX.
Line of March of the Texas Brigade Across the Chickahominy-Orders to Evacuate Norfolk and Portsmouth-Destruction of the Virginia, the Naval Pride of the South-Indignation of the People-Fears of the Evac- uation of Richmond -- Determined Stand of her People --- Hasty Comple- tion of the Defences of Drury's Bluff -- Attack of Drury's Bluff by Fleet of Gun-boats -- A Decided Repulse-Richmond Alive with Preparations for the Impending Strife-Care for the Sick and Wounded-Hospitais Improvised-Scenes of Hospital Life.
The Texas Brigade was drawn up in line of battle, on May 8, in front of Dr. Tyler's residence, five miles west of New Kent Court- house, - but the enemy made no attempt to attack. They moved up the road and formed a new line of defence near the rear guard until the army could take position near Richmond. The next day they marched to the Chickahominy, a distance of six miles. but the road was blocked up with baggage trains and artillery. the mud was fearful to contemplate, while the rain was pouring down in torrents.
General Whiting, in command of the division, exhorted the men "to close up." "Hurry up, men, hurry up," said he, get- ting out of patience, "don't mind a little mud."
"D'ye call this a little mud?" said one of the men. "Spose ye get down and try it, stranger. I'll hold your horse."
"Do you know whom you address, sir ?- I'm General Whit- ing!"
"General ! ! Don't you reckon I knows a general from a long- tongued courier?" said the fellow, as he disappeared in the dark- ness. Leaving the Texans to trudge along as they pleased, the general rode away.
After many vexations, the Chickahominy was, at last, passed. and they were all safe upon the Richmond side, at a place called "Pine Island," three miles from the city. Here we will leave them for a while, and watch the progress in and around the be- leaguered city.
The evacuation of the Peninsula necessitated also the aban- donment of Norfolk, Portsmouth and the navy yard.
General Joseph E. Johnston, then in command, sent General Huger an order to evacuate Norfolk. The Secretary of War and the Secretary of the Navy were both at Norfolk at the time, and took the authority of postponing the order until General Huger
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should remove such stores, munitions and arms as could be car- ried off.
A week was thus employed in the removal of machinery. while the Federals were watching the retreating army up the Peninsula, which gave no sign of any knowledge of the occur- rences transpiring at Norfolk and the navy yard.
Now arose the first open dissatisfaction of the people with the Confederate leaders and officers of the government.
The brave little Virginia, -- that had so successfully obtained the remarkable victory in Hampton Roads just two months be- fore --- the "irou diadem of the South," as she was styled by her admirers, who delighted to recount her achievements and about whose action so much anxiety had been felt, and around whose future clustered so much romantic pride, -- was doomed.
When the forces were withdrawn from Norfolk, the matter of the disposition of the Virginia was one of grave consideration, - but like a bomb-shell came the startling news that she had been destroyed by order of the commanding officers ! !
On May roth the Virginia was taken to Craney Island, and there her crew was landed. They fell into ranks and formed upon the beach. In the language of an eye-witness: "Then and there, on the very field of her fame, within sight of the Camber- berland's top-gallant masts. all awash, within sight of that mag- nificent fleet still cowering on the shoal,-with her laurels all fresh and green, we hauled down her drooping colors and with mingled pride and grief we gave her to the flames."
The cry of indignation that went up from the people of Rich- mond, when it was known that the Virginia had been destroyed by command of Commodore Tatnall, cannot be understood save by those who were residents of the place, and who knew how many fond hopes were bound up in the little iron-clad vessel.
A court of inquiry was asked for by the commodore, to inves- tigate the reasons for the action, as he was so much criticised. A court-martial was waived by Secretary Mallory, and the people never knew why the destruction had been ordered. It was set down to the utter absence of nautical knowledge by the Navy Department and the want of proper appreciation of the needs of the hour.
Now that years have elapsed, President Davis, in his work. "Rise and Fall of the Confederate Government," tells us the vessel was too heavy to ascend the James river, as she drew too much water: that she was unseaworthy, and was uncovered by the retreat of the troops with whom she had co-operated, and it was decided to burn her, rather than have her fall into the hands of the enemy. Her friends would have preferred her going down
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game to the last, and the feeling excited by this tame ending of a brilliant career was never forgotten by press or people.
It provoked in the minds of the citizens of Richmond the most determined exhibition of bravery. The fortifications of the James had been progressing very slowly; in fact, a sort of apathy upon the subject was manifest among government officials. It was believed by the troops on the Chickahominy and citizens that Richmond, also, would be evacuated.
The air was full of rumors. Trains were crowded with refu- gees flying in trepidation from impending danger. Books were taken from the State library and packed ready for removal, trunks were hastily filled, and about the departments were a num- ber of boxes marked "Columbia, South Carolina," which con- tamed the most valuable of the public archives.
Blank looks were seen on every side, and blanched faces were met at every turn. Had Virginia cast her fortunes with the Con- federacy for naught, and was the new government about to leave her in sore distress?
The Confederate Congress had adjourned hastily, and when the legislature of Virginia asked President Davis to express his intentions towards Richmond, he declared he entertained the prospect of holding it, but his reply was full of embarrassment. Had the Federals known the Confederates were dependent upon the "Virginia" to defend the river, and had really no obstruc- tions of consequence within the vicinity, and only one battery of four guns at Drury's Bluff, four miles below the city, there would have been no trouble to have come directly up to her wharves and shell the place. But it seems they were not informed of everything important. The city council knew of the extreme peril. and without waiting for orders, proceeded to sink schoon- ers loaded with plaster, guano, and added them to the obstruc- tions which were being slowly placed in the river, working with patriotic zeal to avert impending disaster.
The last gap in the obstruction was just filled, when it was ascertained that the Monitor, Gelena and Arisbooth, three gun- boats, had made their appearance a few miles below the city. Now all was excitement. The faint-hearted had all fled, and those left were resolved never to surrender the place.
The legislature passed, May 14th, the memorable resolution:
"Resolved. By the general assembly, that the general assem- bly hereby express its desire that the capital of the State be de- fended to the last extremity, if such defence is in accordance with the views of the President of the Confederate States, and that the President be assured that whatever destruction or loss of property of the State or individuals shall thereby result. will be cheerfully submitted to."
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"Some one," said Governor Letcher in a public address, "said to me the other day, that the duty to surrender . the city would devolve either upon the president, the mayor or myself. I said if the demand be made with the alternative to surrender or be shelled, I would reply: 'Bombard and be d -~. '"
Mayor Mayo said: "I say now, when the citizens of Rich- mond demand of me the surrender of the capital of Virginia, and of the Confederacy, to the enemy, they must find some other mayor to fill my place. I will resign the mayoralty, and when that other man, elected in my stead, shall deliver up the city, I hope I have physical strength and courage enough left to shoul- der my musket and go into the ranks."
Public meetings were held approving the actions of the legisla- ture and governor. The spirit all this created had a magical effect upon the authorities and aroused them to a sense of their duty. "Inert and speculative patriotism was awakened, and mutual inspiration of courage and devotion passed from heart to heart within the community, and preparations for defense went rapidly forward."
It is wonderful when danger presents, and is met by firm re- sistance, how inspiring are the feelings of the parcipitants. Val- uables were put away in convenient places, and those who were most alarmed were ready for the attack.
Woman laughed about where they would be when a shell came crashing through their houses, and jested of the necessity of dig- ging caves in the hillside, but never expecting to give up the de- fense or expressing a desire that the gentlemen should surrender at discretion.
On May 16th, the gun-boats attacked Drury's Bluff. Dis- tinctly was the sound of the guns heard in the streets of Rich- mond, this first shelling, which afterwards became a daily and familiar sound to the inhabitants. Never will we forget the regu- lar booming of the cannon, as it resounded away in the distance, and we knew our fate hung in the balance.
First terrors are the greatest, but no one believed a passage of the Bluff would be effected-the guns manned by the "bravest of the brave." The day was passed by the citizens in enthusiastic meetings. It was during these hours that Governor Letcher and Mayor Mayo made the speeches quoted above.
Night brought the news of a signal victory. Our batteries had, after a fire of four hours and a half, given a most decided repulse to the gun-boats, with the loss of five men killed and eight wounded. Eighteen shots went through the sides of the Galena, according to their own account, losing thirty of their crew, killed and wounded. Seventeen were killed in another
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boat by the explosion of another gun. The batteries kept up such a fierce and deadly fire that the boats could make no head- way, and the next day dropped down stream, their commanders satisfied the water approach was well guarded.
Had the gun-boats arrived forty-eight hours earlier, their ct- tempt would hive been successful. Richmond would doubtless have been shelled, and in a measure destroyed, the Confederate forces evacuating the place. The tide was turned, and in and around Richmond was to centre the grand struggle, upon which the world looked complacently, while soldiers and people fel the fate of the Confederacy was bound up in the fortunes of the de- voted city.
Everything now become active. Wagons, with army supplies, rumbled along the stony streets, ambulances whirled aroundi cor- ners, soldiers passed to and fro, dusty and tired with the weari- some march, citizens wore the dejectedl look of men alive to the situation, officers gay in gold lace and tinsel dashed by, wonien smiled sweetly and looked admiringly upon the stalwart sems they cherished too well to speak the fears they felt, and Title children looked on wondering at the bustle and confusion mini- fest everywhere.
The army was preparing for the great conflict with MeC11- lan, on the lookout for the battle between the two great con end- ing forces confronting, one another upon the Chick themainy.
Hitherto the wounded had been cared for at field hospitals near the battle-fiells, which had not been sufficiently near to render much assistance in nursing. As was said in a previous chapter, the Federal wounded had been nossel by the "Sisters of Mercy." The hospitals in the city were mostly filled with the sick.
Now preparations were going on to take care of the wounded, and if the reader has never been around and about such scenes, he can never understand the deep sa liess or conceive of the aw- ful suffering that war entails.
Married ladies had done most of the nursing during the first year, but now. each woman, each child was to take their turn in lending a helping hand. I present my first experience.
It was a warm day in May, about a week after the repulse at Drury's Bluff.
The Fredricksburg train came in about nine o'clock and halted far up the street from the depot, along the public thor- oughfare of Broad street, and began to put off passengers, who proved to be sick soldiers stretched upon cots. They were each borne in their turn by four men to the sidewalk, and set down. People looked on in astonishment. I happened to be passing
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at the time, when the strange spectacle was presented of inva- lids, put off near no hospital, raving with typhoid fever.
The train moved back leaving fity men looking around help- lessiy, and seemingly tunerved by their surroundings. ' Twas a sad sight, those destitute soldiers,-one of the heart-rending ex- periences of the times.
At Ashland, a beautiful country village, the birth place of Henry Clay, about fifty miles above Richmond, had been estab- lished, early the previous year, hospitals for the sick where the patients could have the benefit of country air, fresh water and abundant shade. The troops had fallen back to Richmond, con- centrating to meet Mcclellan, and the authorities ordered the re- moval of the sick, rather than have them become Federal pris- oners. This was the solution of the mystery.
What was to be done? A noble, patriotic old gentleman came down the street. He owned a large three-story building. corner of Broal and Fourth street, which had been used as an extensive dry-goods establishment. This was now empty, the proprietor refusing to buy a stock of goods by running the blockade, or smuggling them through the lines.
Perceiving the state of affairs, he sent a servant bick to his home for the keys. Going arcun I amongst the men he talked encouragingly and hopefully, giving the welcome assurance that they were with friends, and he would soon have them sheltered from the scorching rays of the sun, with an abundance of water to cool their parche i tongues.
He opened the doors and called apen every one passing, both white and black. to give their assistance, the writer among :: the number, explaining to the ladies he particularly desired their presence.
The invitation was all that was needed, the ladies, young and old, flocked to his assistance, and by twelve o'clock he had his impronta hospital upon a respectable footing. and an abandance of soup. breal and other articles suitable for invalids, on hand. The train brought others, until the whole building was filled with sick men.
He assigned two ladies on duty at each cot, and relieved them at regular intervals. To have watched this man with his splen- did management a person would hive supposed he had been a regular hospital attendant for years.
One of my own patients was a fair, girlish looking boy, appar- ently not more than seventeen years old. He was slightly built, a patrician cast of features, dark grey eyes, brown hair which clustered over his intellectual brow in one mass of ringlets. His hand was small and delicate, his linen fine, his army coat of
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nice material, but all stained and worn. We all sew at a glance he was "somebody's darling, " anl every lady noticed him specially. He was so young and helpless, but we could find out nothing of his history sive that the nurses who came on the train supposed he was a South Car tion. They were strangers to the sick, having been detailed for the special duty of bringing them to Richmond. The soldier occupying the cot next to his at Ashland, died on the train. so all chance of prov- ing his identity was gone unless he could te roused from the delirium which locked his senses, and tell us, so we coti i notify his friends of his dangerous condition.
How we worked over him! How we impl rel the surgeons to do all in their power: how eagarly we bent to listen to a chance name, but none was ever spoken. We cut off the curis very re- luctantly, and the physician shaved the beautifully shared head, applying ice to cool the fierce fever, but we sson saw it was of no avail. In spite of every hope, and all our exertions, the light of consciousness was gone forever.
We wiped the death-damp from his brow, and when be closed his tired eyes, and sank to rest, as peacefully as a child wearicd with play, we wept aloud, even the stout-hearted doctor, used to scenes of bitter agony, shedding tears for the stranger boy dying away from home and friends.
We had our beautiful clay-our dead-clothed in the best we could procure. We wore a garland of bright flowers for his coffin lid, and stood beside the lonely grave as he was laid to rest in the cemetery, while the man of Goi prayed that " He who tempers the winds to the shorn lamb" would breathe com- fort and resignation to the loved ones far away -- never. until the great day of judgment, to know the circumstances of his death.
It was a trial to nurse him hour by hour. watch him go down into the valley of death, and never know who he was of whence he came. In the years that have passed I have often pictured the love of that brave young boy : the mother waiting for her darling's return ; the sister starting, for years, at every footfall expecting him through weary months, thinking perhaps he was a prisoner, yet ever hoping he would come back again. We have yearned for the privilege of telling them: how carefully we watched and waited on him to the sad end, an ! comforting them with the knowledge that he had d'ed among friends.
During the time we nursed the soldiers many an unusual scene were we called upon to witness, but nobody else's grief came so near being my own as when we buried the stranger boy from . South Carolina, who wore the Confederate grey.
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"Into a ward of the whitewashed walls .; Where the dead and the dishr. Wounded by : venets, skelis an ! al's. Somebody's darling was burra one day -- Somebody's darling so young in ! so brave, Wearing yet on his sweet, pile fice The lingering light of his boyhood grate.
"Matted and damp were the curis of go: ", Kissing the snow of the fair young brow -- Pale are the lips of delicate mortil, Somebody's darling is dying now -- Back from his beautiful blue-venel brow Brush back his wandering waves of got1 ; Cross his hands on his bosom now- Somebody's darling is stai and cold.
"God knows best ; he has somebody's love, Somebody's heart enshrined him there. Somebody wafted his name above Night and morn on the wings of prarer: Somebody wept when he marched away, Looking so handsome, brave and gran 1; Somebody's kiss on his foreheadi lay, Somebody clung to his hand.
"Somebody's watching and waiting for him, Yearning to hold him again to her heart, But there he lies with his grey eyes dim, And the smiling, childlike hos apart Tenderly bury the fair young lead. Pausing to drop on his grave a tear. Carve on the wooden slab a- bis head: 'Somebody's darling slumbers here.
After burying our soldier boy in Oakwood cemetery. we sadly drove back and took our places beside the cots of others raving in delirium. A lady friend and myself were given the care of a tall, slender man of about thirty years of age. He became c == charge during the day. At night we were relievel by mate nurses. This patient, although crazed with fever. afforded some slight amusement, even amid the depressing scenes of a hospital during the extreme heat.
We were obliged to sit constantly by his side, frequently com- pelled to hold him by main force to keep him in bed. Once I was watching him alone, as he had been unusually quiet. asi turned to speak to a lady across the room. Looking back, I was startled to find our invalid had arisen, bal turned his mattress over and was talking excitedly about his : ei-clothing. We say we could do nothing without help. so I remained on duty quas- ing with fear and trembling with excitement, while the other young lady scampered off down stairs to hunt the superinteni- ent. In another moment my patient was beside the wind. v,
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had it raised, declaring he would escape from our clutches, as we had him in prison. I called other ladies, and with theis assistance, prevented his jumping from the window. The super- intendent arrived, the man was taken back to his cot, and ist: instead of two ladies were delected to keep him in place, with instructions from the physician that we must not even look away from our charge for a moment. There we sat all day, not dosing to leave to get a morsel of dinner, as there were none to take our places, while the man kept protesting against our authority. Next morning his cot was vacant -his remains in the dead-house awaiting interment. I have often recalled the horrors of that day, and yet have always been amused at his unwillingness to submit to the dictates of women-" the ruling passion strong tz death."
I turned away from the empty cot with a feeling of thankful- ness that Providence had given the tortured brain everlasting rest. It was very unsatisfactory that while we were doing all to render hin cool and comfortable, he should class us as tormentors who were only aggravating his misery. A hospital is a woudez- ful place to study poor human nature.
I passed down stairs in search of our genial "big boss. " as the girls styled him, for further instructions, not intending to shirk my duty. I saw a soldier being borne into a lower rooms from an ambulance at the door. He was placed upon & co:, and as I happened to be the only female near, the surgeon asked me to give him some assistance. He proved to be not a sick but a wounded soldier, the first received into this hospital. He had been shot by a minie-ball, on the picket line, during the night.
I helped remove the grey jacket, tore down the checked shirt fiom the neck, and for the first time bebeld a gunshot wound1. X shall never forget the impression it left. The boy wasabout sixteen, his skin very fair, and through the white flesh of the shoulder was an ugly hole, encircled by a queer blue line. He was very much exhausted. We gave him a drink of water, and I washed his dirty face and hands to render him more com- fortable.
The surgeon, with a professional air, and no seeming thought of the strangeness of my position, having never before witnessei a surgical operation, called another lady and asksl us to remain by him while he probed the wound and hunted with his instru- ments for the ball. He said it was not a serious wound, and he would not administer chloroform, bat simply desired that we should bathe his face with ice water during the operation. I was not exactly a novice at nursing, as I had occasionally tian- aged to care for both white and colored members of the family
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