Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 07.djvu/546

538 diligent search, in person, for the space of about five hours. General Ewell, therefore, fell into an error, unintentionally, no doubt, in supposing, as he states in his report, that I "left the duty to an orderly sergeant."

, Late Major of Artillery, Confederate States Army.

, September 13, 1879.

Major :

My Dear Sir—Yours of the 19th ultimo has been received, but not without some delay, owing to my absence from this place at the time of its arrival.

I cheerfully give you my recollections of our attempt to find some guns, said to have been recaptured by our infantry on the 12th day of May, 1864, at the battle of Spotsylvania.

I was at that time first gun sergeant of Montgomery's battery, of the artillery battallionbattalion [sic] of which you were major.

My recollection of the main facts in this connection are clear. Three of the guns of our battery with others of the battalion, and many caissons, had been captured early on the morning of the 12th. On the night of the 12th you told me that you had information that some of the guns had been recaptured and run to some point not far back of where they had been captured in the morning. I volunteered to go with a squad of men to hunt them and bring them off. This was in the early part of a very dark, and, I think, rainy night. After a fruitless search, I returned and reported to you that I could not find them; which fact, I think, you reported to General Ewell (we then being at his headquarters). Within a few moments afterwards, we started again in search of said guns, you taking charge of the squad in person. We continued this search until the falling back of our skirmish line left us without any picket between us and the Federal army; but never succededsucceeded [sic] in finding a single gun; though, I think, we did find one or two caissons.

The fact that you were along, and had charge in person, is distinctly impressed on my mind.