USA > Virginia > King and Queen County > King and Queen County > King and Queen County, Virginia (history printed in 1908) > Part 17
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The soldier braves death for a fanciful wreath In glory's romantic career ; But he raises the foe, when in battle laid low, And bathes every wound with a tear.
Seldom, I think, were the friendly shades of night
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more welcomed by weary, thirsty mortals, famished almost to desperation.
For two days scarcely any of us had eaten a morsel of food, and since early morning we had been without a drop of water. The day had been spent in one con- tinuous series of attacks and advances, always forcing the enemy from his position, but, unaided as our small brigade was, we had not sufficient force at any time to rout the heavy columns which the enemy always had in reserve to mass against us and block our way. Our reinforcements came too late; and then the incident just related and the gathering darkness prevented us from reaping the full results of Dearing's splendid charge at the close of the day.
We halted and remained by our horses about an hour, ready to meet the enemy if he should advance in the darkness. During this time some of the men started fires to cook what little rations a few had left, or had been able to secure. I had none, nor had I tasted food since Monday night in the woeful effort to masticate the mixture of horsehair and corn meal. One of the men gave me a slice of pork which he had cut from a hog he had shot on the roadside that day. While I was warming this over the fire on the end of a stick, the pickets exchanged a few shots in our front, and we were ordered to mount. I devoured the slice of raw pork without salt or bread, and in an hour was sick. My eyes had become sore and inflamed the preceding day, and the pain was now so intensified by the dust, powder, and smoke of the day that I was in agony, with fever and without water.
After an hour or two (there being no further move- ment of the enemy) we ventured to unsaddle our horses, as the only relief for them without food, keeping sad- dles and trappings ready to buckle on at a moment's notice. Sick, suffering, thirsty from fever, and ex- hausted, I dropped on the damp ground about mid- night, almost in a state of despair. A few feet from me I noticed a man still and apparently asleep, with a large blanket spread over him and room to share it with me. Thinking it was one of our company, I
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quietly moved up by his side under the blanket. Just as I was about ready for dreamland I found I was lying on one of his hands, which, as I removed, I dis- covered was cold to the touch and stiff. Taking the blanket from his face, I found that my companion was a dead Yankee who had been covered with a blan- ket, as was customary when there was no time for burial. He had evidently been left there where he fell, as was the case during that day with numbers of their dead. I replaced the blanket, and moved a few feet to my former position, where I remained,-whether in sleep or delirium from fever, or both, I never knew,-until aroused about dawn on Thursday, April 6th, when, after pulling open my eyes, which were sealed from sore- ness, I moved forward with my company on another day's work. I think it was about noon when, as we approached the "high bridge " near Farmville, the enemy was reported in force below the bridge. We were ordered forward at a gallop, and were soon upon them. General Dearing, with his usual dash, had just led a charge into their midst, the enemy making desper- ate resistance at close quarters. As the fight waxed furious, General Dearing met General Read, who was in command of the Federal force, and the two engaged in a duel with pistols at close range, resulting in the death of the latter. When General Read fell from his horse and the reins from his grasp, the animal rushed wildly forward and was seized by Captain W. C. Nunn of the King and Queen troop, Fifth Cavalry, who was near the spot (as he always was in the thickest of the fight). It was a fine animal with splendid equipment, including saddle, pistols, holsters, field glasses, etc., be- coming the rank of a general, and in splendid condition to bear his new rider safely through to Appomattox and thence home. In less than half an hour, I think, the enemy, after having suffered heavily in killed and wounded, surrendered, except a few who galloped off and escaped.
Our triumph was complete but dearly bought. Our loss, though much less than the enemy's in numbers, was severe, and included the gallant, chivalrous, and in-
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trepid Dearing, who fell mortally wounded after hav- ing killed his antagonist, General Read. Also the gal- lant Colonel Boston of the Fifth Regiment, Virginia Cavalry, who fell with a bullet through his brain, and whose dead body was promptly placed across his saddle and borne from the field. The number of prominent officers killed on both sides before the enemy yielded testifies to the desperate character of this short and bloody hand-to-hand encounter at High Bridge. From the observations of a private, which in such a conflict as this are limited, it seemed to me to be a desperate struggle between Confederate cavalry and Federal infantry.
When the din and confusion of the shock of battle subsided, someone remarked to Captain Allen that our victory was complete, when in tones of sadness unusual for him on such an occasion, he replied: "Yes, com- plete, but dearly bought. Any victory is dearly bought that costs the life of Dearing." "What! is Dearing dead ? " "Mortally wounded," he replied; " they have just taken him to yonder grove to die." This announce- ment chilled us as for the moment we bowed our heads in sorrow, and the men murmured, " What a loss, what a shame!" The loss of Dearing would have been a calamity at any time, but most of all now, when we needed most such dauntless spirits; for it was at just such a crisis as we had now reached that
" One blast from his bugle horn Were worth a thousand men."
Truly knighthood lost a flower, chivalry a type, when noble, gallant, dashing Dearing fell and was borne by loving hands to the grateful shades of a friendly grove, to breathe out the only life he had to give to the cause dearer to him than life. He lingered a few days, and was borne to Lynchburg, where he died. Space forbids a recital here of the splendid and brilliant career of the young officer, which is written in lines of light and beauty on almost every page of the history of the Army of Northern Virginia, and of the Newbern expedition
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in North Carolina. He fell in one of the last hours of victory, before the star of the Confederacy went down to rise no more. His native county of Campbell, Vir- ginia, would honor itself to erect a monument to this noble and brilliant son.
The battle over, the enemy in our hands, no time was lost in forming the prisoners (who I suppose were of General Read's brigade) into columns in such order as was most convenient to proceed without delay. They were necessarily a burden and source of weakness to us at this stage of our retreat, but there was nothing else to do. During this time Captain Nunn hurriedly sought a resting place for the bodies of both Colonel Boston (his late chief) and General Read, which were placed under the same tree, each wrapped in a blanket for his winding sheet, and buried in separate graves; General Read's horse meanwhile standing with empty saddle by his late master. An hour before they were mortal enemies, in deadly conflict; both had fallen at their posts, as brave men fall, life's bars and stripes with them were over now, and they sleep together in death.
Within little more than an hour, perhaps, from the time we met the enemy we proceeded on our way (I knew not in what direction). As we were passing by the prisoners, who were massed in the road, we were ordered to halt, and I noticed one of the prisoners wiping the perspiration from his face with one hand, while with the other he was still bearing a very large and beautiful and, apparently, perfectly new regimental flag, of pale-blue silk, with the coat of arms of a State in the center, surrounded by a motto in gold. Attracted by its cleanliness and beauty, I was trying to make out the motto, when a chaplain asked Captain Nunn if he might venture to offer prayer. Permission was promptly granted to proceed. Removing his hat, he raised his arm for attention, and we bowed our heads in rever- ence. He had scarcely reached the end of his first sen- tence when one of our men, more alert and less reverent perhaps than the others, interrupted by yelling to Cap- tain Nunn : " Look, Captain, look !" We all looked-
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to see a body of the enemy's cavalry approaching as they rounded a turn in the road about a hundred yards off. "Hold on, Chaplain; no time for praying! By zounds ! charge 'em, men!" yelled Captain Nunn, as he drew his saber, and without further orders or ceremony headed straight for the enemy, followed by the men nearest him at full speed in pellmell fashion, there being no time for regular formation.
The effect on the enemy was instantaneous,-they changed front promptly and galloped off to avoid another collision. They had evidently not forgotten their experience at close quarters an hour before. It was doubtless a reconnoitering party who were satisfied with having " located the enemy." We on our part were satisfied to abandon pursuit and press on with the prisoners, as the enemy were uncomfortably close on us.
Passing by the prisoners we proceeded at a gallop in the direction of a heavy musketry firing a mile or two distant, which now suddenly reached our ears. As we neared the scene of the engagement we halted, dis- mounted quickly, and leaving our horses in the main road in charge of the leaders (every fourth man was a " leader," whose duties were to take charge of the horses and hold or lead them as occasion required when we were fighting on foot ), we formed line and proceeded at double-quick about a quarter of a mile in an open field, and took position behind a rail fence. In a few minutes the heavy firing from the woods in our front, from which we were expecting the enemy, suddenly ceased, and we were ordered to rush back to our horses as rapidly as possible. These we reached just in time to escape capture, for the enemy seemed to be all around us as we dashed out in the only direction open to us. We then discovered that we were at or near Sailor's Creek, and that nearly all of Ewell's Corps had been surrounded and captured when the firing ceased so suddenly in the woods. We had arrived too late to succor Ewell in the struggle to extricate his corps from its desperate position, and barely escaped the same fate ourselves.
CHAPTER XII
HISTORICAL ADDRESS BY J. RYLAND, SR.
The following address, historic of Company K, Thirty-fourth Virginia Volunteers, was prepared by Josiah Ryland, an officer of the company, and read at the reunion at Bruington, King and Queen County, Va., on the Fourth of July, 1884. It was published in The Baltimore Baptist, in order that it might be preserved by the members and friends of the old company :
The spring of 1861 saw the conservative, and hith- erto quiet, State of Virginia converted into a military camp. From the mountains to the sea there was uni- versal preparation for war. It would be needless now to give in detail the reasons that forced the conviction upon the Southern mind that the election of Abraham Lincoln to the presidency was virtually a dissolution of the Union. South Carolina, Florida, Mississippi, Ala- bama, Georgia, and Louisiana seceded in rapid succes- sion. A provisional government was formed in Mont- gomery on the 4th of February, with Jefferson Davis as President, and Alex. H. Stephens as Vice-President. All efforts at pacification had failed, and nothing seemed to be left but an appeal to arms. If the seceded States were to be brought back by coercion, Virginians could not look on with calmness and indifference while armies from the North marched through their borders for this purpose.
Between the 20th of April and the 7th of May the company began to be organized which was first known as the King and Queen Artillery, but afterwards as Company K, 34th Virginia Infantry. On the 30th of April we had forty-six men enrolled, and the first squad drill was conducted in the yard at Stevensville Academy, under Josiah ("Pat ") Ryland and Alexander F. Bagby, both of whom had been trained at the Virginia Military Institute. There were twenty men in ranks,
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and for nearly an hour that morning, and another that evening, we took our first lessons in the art of war. Colonel (afterwards Captain) John R. Bagby, who was the leading spirit in getting up the company, was at this time in Baltimore on business; and as the fight had just taken place there on the streets between some of the citizens and a regiment of Federal troops, ap- prehensions were entertained that he might be forcibly detained.
May the 7th .- There was an immense gathering at the Courthouse for the purpose of drilling the militia of the county. Colonel Bagby had returned, and in the afternoon a meeting of our company was called in the Courthouse. We were now sixty-eight strong. Colonel Bagby was called to the chair, and John W. Ryland appointed secretary. A committee consisting of Colonel Bagby, Josiah ("Pat ") Ryland, Dr. William T. Fleet, Edward Bagby, A. F. Bagby, and the writer, was appointed to draft rules for the organization of the company. This committee met that night at the resi- dence of Colonel Bagby and discharged this duty.
May the 8th, at 3 P. M .- The company met in the Academy, and the constitution was adopted. Where- upon John R. Bagby, upon motion of the writer, was elected captain by acclamation; Josiah (" Pat ") Ryland Ist lieutenant; A. F. Bagby, 2d; Josiah Ryland, 3d; Benjamin Walker, 4th; Edward Bagby was chosen sec- retary; George Didlake, treasurer; Dr. William T. Fleet, surgeon; and Rev. R. H. Land, chaplain. W. T. . Haynes, Douglas Muire, John Bagby, Jr., and William Myer were appointed sergeants, and John W. Ryland, E. F. Acree, Boliver Lumpkin, and Joseph Cosby, cor- porals. The company was then divided into squads and drilled for an hour. The first and second lieutenants were sent over to Richmond to procure uniforms, and returned with a supply of gray cloth and military caps. The work of drilling was now pushed with vigor.
Tuesday, May 21st .- The company met, sixty strong, all in uniform. Under the direction of Colonel Robert Gresham, the election of officers was confirmed, the company inspected, and certificates duly sent to
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Governor Letcher. The uniforms had been made al- most entirely by the young ladies of the community.
Thursday, May 23d .- Virginia cast her vote for the ordinance of secession. At our precinct, Stevensville, there was not a vote against it. The same day, the writer and Sergeant W. T. Haynes left for Richmond, at the request of the company, to endeavor to secure a light battery of four guns.
On this trip the writer met for the first time Major General R. E. Lee, who was soon to become the central figure of our struggle. The General said it would be impossible to supply the demand for guns, and urged that the company should equip itself with muskets, or even with shotguns, if necessary. With much disap- pointment, and some hesitation, the writer suggested that shotguns would avail but little against the long- range weapons of the enemy. Looking around for a moment with a benignant smile playing over his fea- tures, he replied: "Sir, your people had better write to Mr. Lincoln and ask him to postpone this thing for a few months, until you can get ready for him." The answer was promptly made: "General, we will use the shotguns," and the modest lieutenant retired in good order. A few days after this the captain left for Rich- mond, and the first lieutenant for Gloucester Point, to arrange for our departure for the field.
Wednesday, May 29th .- We met at Stevensville at 3 o'clock, eighty-three men in ranks, and had a general drill. The whole community turned out to see us for the last time. Tears and ice cream flowed freely. This was our first night in barracks. Religious services were conducted at 8 o'clock by Rev. Messrs. R. H. Land and Isaac Diggs. The excitement of the occasion was not promotive of sleep.
Thursday, May 30th .- At 4:30 A. M. the roll was called; all were present and in good trim. We marched to Mantapike, and there embarked on the schooner Way. Loud cheers were raised as we drifted out into the channel, and then a solemn prayer was offered by Dr. S. S. Henley. At 12 we were transferred to the steamer Logan, and at 2 P. M. reached West Point,
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where we had quite a military reception given us by the two companies already there. We were duly mus- tered into service by Colonel H. B. Tomlin, and went into our barracks.
Saturday, June Ist .- The men were sworn into the service by William A. Spiller.
The next day, our first Sabbath in camp, we met in a sort of Sunday school and prayer-meeting, which closed with a sermon by R. H. Land.
Our time was now devoted to drilling. The King William troop arrived fifty-four strong, commanded by Captain Douglas; and on the 6th General Lee paid us a visit, and left us under the impression that we would be sent to Yorktown in a few days. News came on the Ioth of the battle of Bethel. This caused quite a stir in camp.
Wednesday, June 12th .- We took the steamer Logan for Yorktown, but finding no accommodations for us there, we were ordered back. The next day was observed throughout the Confederate States as a day of fasting and prayer.
Friday, June 14th .- Lieutenant Whittle gave us our first drill at the heavy battery, and the next day we took charge of it.
Thursday, June 20th .- We again took passage to Gloucester Point, reaching there at midnight. Fifty of us slept that night in one small room, lying like sardines in a box. The next day we met Colonel Thomas J. Page, with whom we were to be closely associated for many months; Colonel Crump, commandant of the post; Lieutenant-colonel Page, Major Wheelwright, Lieutenant Bradford, our first drill master, and others.
Sunday, June 23d .- Captain Councill's company ar- rived, and on the 26th Captain Spencer's and Captain Sutton's.
Monday, July Ist .- Captain Page gave us our first drill in the heavy battery. The month was spent chiefly in this uninteresting employment, together with unload- ing lumber vessels, building a shell house, improving our battery, and preparing more permanent quarters for ourselves. We were now one hundred strong. The first
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thrilling news of the battle of Manassas reached us. We at once fired a salute of eleven guns.
The months of August and September were very try- ing ones to our troops. Yorktown was a perfect hos- pital, and Gloucester Point was not much better. We had only fifty men for duty.
September 15th .- Captain Otey's and Captain Jor- dan's companies arrived, and for the first time these robust men from the base of the peaks of Otter wit- nessed a process which, in their simplicity, they called " hulling oysters."
October 13th .- Rev. William E. Wyatt preached his first sermon as chaplain of the post. On the 3Ist we had a general inspection and review. The companies from the battery were marched up to the field and took their place in line. Of course Captain Page was indig- nant. He considered his command "on board ship," and recognized no man's right to rule over them.
November found us hard at work on our winter quar- ters, under the general direction of Privates Wright, Crouch, and Kemp.
November 13th .- Huckstep was reported dead in Richmond. Some of us feared he had been foully dealt with. About the middle of the month our whole bat- tery force, strengthened by the infantry, hauled a large rifle gun to its position on the hill.
November 20th .- The Accomac refugees came pour- ing into our camp, and several joined our company.
Saturday, December 7th .- There was an alarm in camp. Our guard boat was fired upon, and our whole command was at once turned out. Three days after- ward, Captain Joe Drudge's sloop was fired upon by the Federal gunboats. This we considered a first-class insult.
Saturday, December 21st .- The King and Queen militia reported for duty. We were now veterans and heroes, and the appearance of the militia excited no little amusement in our ranks.
Saturday, the 28th .- William Hugh Courtney died at home, after seven weeks' illness. The company was called out, and suitable action taken.
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Captain Jarvis came down with Christmas supplies, causing great joy among us. The officers gave Captain Page a famous dinner, and at night we had a general reception, in which the whole company participated. Our head cook, Osborne, told us the next morning, with quite a sorrowful countenance, that he cut and served one hundred slices of cake.
So closed the year 1861. We were all in comfort- able quarters. We had our drills, and inspections, and guard duties, and Sunday schools, and prayer meetings, and regular preaching on Sunday, along with the pleas- ures of camp life.
January 20th, 1862 .- Captain Page was ordered to West Point to superintend the erection of gunboats, --- a personal affliction to everyone in our command. On the 22d, our first lieutenant, Ryland, weary of the dull- ness of camp life, and panting for home, left for the pur- pose of seeking a position under General Thomas J. Jackson. It turned out, however, that the arrangement could not be made. If it had been, it is hardly prob- able that he would have been here to-day to take part in this reunion.
On the 25th of January our command was called out, and a parting letter was read to us from Captain Page.
Friday, February 7th .- Our men were mustered in for another term of service by Lieutenant-Colonel Page. Some changes occurred at this time. The news from Fort Donelson and Roanoke Island cast a gloom over our camp.
Thursday, the 20th .- Addison Phillips died, after three weeks' illness. The company escorted his remains to the steamer.
Saturday, the 22d, President Davis was duly inau- gurated in Richmond.
Tuesday, March the 4th .- Lieutenant-Colonel Car- ter arrived and took command of the battery forces, and on Monday, the 10th, the company was reorgan- ized, Captain Bagby being reelected; A. F. Bagby, first lieutenant; the writer, second; and W. T. Haynes, third. The next sensation in camp was the naval victory in Hampton Roads. March 23d we hauled our heavy
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guns up to the bastion fort on the hill. On the 28th everything was astir. We moved our quarters outside the lines, dug wells, and waded in mud and sleet and darkness. The enemy was reported in heavy force at Newport News. General Lee was now in command of all the forces in Virginia.
Friday, April 4th .- Great excitement in Yorktown; our infantry were ordered over. Saturday the enemy appeared in front of the lines there, and a balloon was sent up. Firing was kept up all day, and six ships came in sight. Captain Page arrived, greatly to our relief, and took command, Colonel Carter having been relieved. News reached us of the battle of Shiloh, and the death of General Albert Sidney Johnston. Our troops re- turned from Yorktown, and the first shell thrown over into our lines was quickly dug up and inspected. The duel between the lines at Yorktown was kept up during the balance of the month.
Thursday, May Ist .- Orders came from General Johnson to evacuate Gloucester Point at dark to-night. The whole camp is filled with bustle and excitement. The artillerymen are equipped with muskets; three days' rations are cooked; the ammunition is moved to the vessels, and the whole command is under arms with but little time to rest, until the evening of May 4th, when Anderson goes around and spikes all the heavy guns, and we move off at 8 o'clock, the Twenty-sixth Regiment in the lead; then the militia; then an artillery battalion; and last, the Forty-sixth Regiment. We reached Gloucester Courthouse at dawn, and rested a few hours. Passing through Centreville we were met by our friends at King and Queen Courthouse, with supplies. Many of the men gave out on this heavy march. The road was strewn with knapsacks, over- coats, and camp utensils. The next night we camped at St. Stephen's Church, and the following at Mangohick. We spent the night near Old Church, and on the 10th of May moved down into New Kent and began to real- ize for the first time that we were a part of a large army seeking its position around Richmond. Men, tents, wagons, batteries, quartermasters, commissaries,
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all in inextricable confusion, and everybody in every- body's way.
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