Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 3.djvu/1084

1018 Grimes, it went into active service April 20, 1861, and during that night witnessed the burning of the Gosport navy yard. The company was stationed at Hoffler's creek, protecting the shore from Craney island to the Nansemond river, until the spring of 1862, when on the 2d of May, having been ordered against the Federal forces operating from Roanoke island, one section of the battery defeated two United States gunboats on the Pasquotank river. Soon afterward Norfolk was abandoned and the battery joined the army of Northern Virginia and was attached to Anderson's division. Grimes and his men were engaged in the opening fight of the Seven Days, and at Malvern Hill were conspicuous for gallantry, holding their position at close range, losing heavily in men and horses, fighting about forty Federal guns behind breastworks. They took part in the fight at Warrenton Springs in August, at Second Manassas charged in line with Mahone's brigade in the final assault which broke the left wing of Pope's army, and one section of the battery, in which Private McDonell served, fought with Colonel Parham at Crampton's Gap against great odds until driven over the mountain. At Sharpsburg, Captain Grimes was in command of a battalion consisting of his battery, Huger's and Moorman's and the Norfolk light artillery, and at a critical moment rendered effective assistance in the defeat of Sumner's corps. In this fight Captain Grimes was struck from his horse by a rifle ball, wounded through the bowels and while cared for by his men, one of them was killed, and Grimes received another ball through the thigh and died in about one hour. He was a splendid officer and under his daring leadership his brave men gained the praise of their division commander. Lieut. John H. Thompson succeeded him, but soon afterward, on account of the lack of horses, this battery and a number of others, were disbanded and the members assigned to other commands. Private McDonell was with the detachment assigned to Moorman's battery, Lynchburg artillery, of the horse artillery of Fitzhugh Lee's command, and soon afterward, as gunner of a rifle gun, he was distinguished in the defeat of Federal gunboats on the Rappahannock river, December 4th. After fighting at Fredericksburg he was detailed for a time as mail carrier, while the army was in winter quarters at Culpeper Court House. At such times the army received mail with some regularity, and many letters from home cheered the hearts of the soldiers. The postage stamps bearing the face of President Davis, made his appearance familiar to the whole army. In 1863 Private McDonell fought through the campaigns including Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, and Brandy Station; from May, 1864, was in the desperate struggle from the Wilderness to Cold Harbor, then was with Fitzhugh Lee's cavalry in Early's Valley campaign against Sheridan, and in the spring of 1865 was engaged in continuous fighting on the retreat until the surrender at Appomattox. He escaped with the cavalry, and with his comrades, leaving their guns at Lynchburg, attempted to unite with Johnston's army, but was delayed at the Catawba river by Stoneman's cavalry until after the surrender at Greensboro. Throughout the war he was valiant in duty and received honorable wounds at Malvern Hill, Brandy Station, the Wilderness, and Petersburg. Since the war Captain McDonell has been for