Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 3.djvu/1047

Rh in the store of the latter until he entered the Confederate service in the spring of 1861. As a private in the United Artillery, organized at Norfolk several days before the burning of the navy yard, he assisted in the capture of the powder magazine at Fort Norfolk, April 19th, and was subsequently stationed at that place with his company, which was furnished muskets, also given charge of four light guns, and later supplied with a battery of heavy guns, becoming thoroughly drilled as infantry as well as light and heavy artillery. When the old man-of-war Merrimac had been refitted as the Virginia and was ready for action, she lacked thirty-one men of her fighting complement, and the United Artillery was called on for volunteers. The entire hundred men stepped forward for duty, but, on account of his youth, he was among the rejected. Subsequently, however, on April 11th, he was on board the Virginia with two gun crews from his company, when the ironclad went down to the Federal position to capture the Monitor. But though they cut out two brigs and a schooner loaded with provisions from the Federal fleet, they were unable to provoke the Monitor to come out and give battle, and returned disappointed. During the evacuation of Norfolk his company was ordered to take charge of a heavy battery at the intrenched camp, and thence proceeded to Petersburg, where they were on duty ten days at Dunn's Hill. Being ordered to Richmond, they reported to Colonel Rhett, commanding the defenses of the city. Being assigned to two redoubts, one on each side of the Virginia Central railroad, they soon had their position ready for defense, and held it until after the Seven Days' battles. During the interval between the battle of Seven Pines and the Chickahominy campaign, a portion of the company operated a heavy gun on a flat car, protected by railroad iron, and advanced with the line of battle. After this they occupied Battery Eight, in front of Richmond, under the command of Major Atkinson, in accordance with the wishes of Gen. R. E. Lee, who considered the company one of the best artillery organizations in the army. They were ordered to report to Capt. S. S. Lee and were assigned to Maj. Frank Smith's battalion, Nineteenth Virginia artillery, as Company A, stationed at Drewry's bluff. They remained at the latter important post until the summer of 1864, frequently being called on for volunteer service in various expeditions. There they took part in the battle of May 16, 1864, against Butler, and when that Federal general was bottled up at Bermuda Hundred, the United Artillery was given charge of Battery Dantzler, on the Hewlett House line, and later was moved to Battery Wood, in front of Dutch Gap, where they were engaged in a continuous shelling of Butler's canal enterprise, and were themselves under heavy fire. Upon the evacuation of Richmond the United Artillery was attached to General Ewell's corps and participated in the battle of Sailor's Creek. With the surrender at Appomattox Court House, Private Kevill ended a faithful and gallant service of nearly four years, during which he had been promoted to the rank of acting quartermaster-sergeant. Since the war he has served many years in the Norfolk Light Artillery Blues, Battery B, First battalion, Virginia artillery, of which he is now first lieutenant, and has maintained his touch with old Confederate comrades by membership, since its