Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 22.djvu/114

 102 Southern Historical Society Papers.

of the line during the night. The woods were on fire, and the cries of the wounded made the night hideous. The wounding of General Longstreet placed General Mahone in command of the division, Colonel D. A. Weisiger, of the Twelfth Regiment, in command of the brigade, and necessitated my return to command the Twelfth Regiment, of which I was Lieutenant- Colonel. I must say that it was with great reluctance that I gave up the command of the sharp- shooters, the finest body of men I had ever seen, for they were the picked men of Mahone' s Brigade."

Judge J. M. Bernard, of Petersburg, Va. f in a recent published statement, says: " I was a member of the corps of sharpshooters of Mahone's Brigade at the Battle of the Wilderness, and remember well that we passed through marsh, swamp and burning woods."

GOOD WORK OF SHARPSHOOTERS.

It will therefore be seen from the statements of these witnesses that the sharpshooters not only brought on the engagement and drove the enemy, but did so notwithstanding the fire from their own troops in the rear, and the swamp, marsh and burning woods in front.

The corps was on daily duty as scouts and flank pickets on the line of march, and at Spotsylvania Courthouse were deployed on an extended line from the extreme right of our division a position they held while the brigade was moved to the left in support of other troops where they engaged in this hard-fought battle. They subse- quently were sent to the extreme left, and across the river Po to meet a flanking column of the enemy, whose intention it was to turn our left flank. General Early, who conducted this movement, pushed the sharpshooters rapidly forward, following with his line of battle, broke through the marching column, capturing a great many prisoners, and routing the remainder.

At Jericho's Ford, on the North Anna river, near Verdon station, in Hanover county, the corps of sharpshooters accomplished

ONE OF THEIR BEST EFFORTS.

The enemy had commenced crossing the ford before the head of our column, which was the leading division, had reached the locality. On hearing of this we were double-quicked nearly two miles, and immediately deployed, facing the left, the brigade continuing the direct march. We advanced, firing as we did so, taking advantage