Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 12.djvu/477

 "TAe Gallant Pelham" and His Gun. 467

batteries, was put in position below the line of hills on which Frede- ricksburg is located. We were advanced by half-batterv to the front, firing- at our 'level best' as we went forward. As we advanced, ours being the right section of the right battery. Captain Watson was approached by two mounted officers, one of whom I recognized as General J, E. B. Stuart, and the other, as I learned afterwards, being Colonel Rosser, who, after saluting our Captain, said to him : 'We are instructed to get a gun from your battery for special duty,' or words to that effect.

"Captain Watson ordered the first gun to 'limber up' and report to the two officers. Being Sergeant of the first detachment, I limbered to the rear, reported to the officers, and was ordered to follow them. Well do I remember the chase they gave us across fields and ditches, without a halt anywhere, and at a long trot all the way.

" We finally got into a sunken road, with a 'wattling' fence on either side, and lined with cedars. Down this road we went for some distance, with no idea whatever of our destination.

" We were halted in the narrow road, and ordered to make an opening in the fence. This was soon done, and a few spadefulls of earth thrown into the ditch made a passage-way.

" Colonel Rosser than told me to go up into the field and see what I had to do. I rode up with Halyburton, who was Orderly at the time, but had begged to be allowed to go with his old detachment, and so was with me, and found that we were on the extreme left flank of the Army of the Potomac. A battery was in position, command- ing the field we were about to enter.

" Colonel Rosser told me to take any distance I chose to fight them, and in answer to my question as to how long I was expected to stay, said, 'As long as you can.' I asked, 'Until we are out of ammu- nition?' He answered, 'Yes' I have often thought he never expected us to get away from there.

"We pulled into the field and were seen, and were met by a salute from the enemy's guns; but the way we put whip and spur to our teams, and ran upon them, seemed to unsettle their aim. and we got into position about five hundred yards in their front. Then we returned the salute ; and if you ever saw Sam Green shoot, you know he did his best.

" General Stuart and Colonel Rosser remained with us awhile (I think the latter' s horse was wounded there), but soon left, and there we were, a gun detachment without even a straggling cavalryman