Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 23.djvu/144

 1 ' s Southern Historical Society Papers.

a large white oak gate-post which obstructed our movements and in full view of the enemy. Under a severe infantry-fire he wielded his axe as lustily and effectually as if no danger was near him. Corpo- ral William L. Strickler, thinking that Whitt had chopped long enough, volunteered, and took the axe and finished the job. Both men covered themselves with glory, and escaped without a wound.

The battery encamped five miles below (north of) Winchester. It turned into the ordnance department its one Tredegar iron eight- pounder rifle, and received instead of it one ten-pounder parrot rifle. On the 28th, went with the First, the "Stonewall Brigade," to Charlestown, in Jefferson county, where the enemy was encoun- tered; and thence down to Harper's Ferry. On the 3ist returned up the Valley passing Winchester that day. The battery was en- gaged on the 2d of June in a skirmish with the enemy near Wood- stock. It reached Port Republic the 6th ot June. On the 8th, from the western bank of the Shenandoah river, it engaged General Shields' forces, which were on the east of it. On the gth, crossed North river near its mouth, on a bridge, and within a few hundred yards of this bridge crossed South river, just above where these two rivers meet and form the Shenandoah. Here the battery was hotly engaged in the battle, in which General Shields' troops were de- feated. The loss in the whole brigade was considerable. Here Lieu- tenant Davis and three men were wounded, and one six-pounder brass field-gun was lost. On the I2th, by order of the chief of artil- lery, two of its parrot guns were sent to Richmond to be " bushed. ' ' On the i6th, the battery was ordered by General Jackson to Staun- ton, to refit and recruit. On the igth it set out for Richmond, and reached the vicinity of Cold Harbor on the 27th, but was not en- gaged in the battle at that place ; on the 28th and 2Qth it bivouacked on the battle-field. Here it received one of the ten-pounder parrots which had been sent off on the I2th for repairs, and it exchanged its twelve-pounder Howitzer for a Napoleon gun. It removed to the vicinity of White Oak, and was there on June 3oth, when the pay-roll was made off, which reports four guns only as belonging then to the battery.

Dr. Douglass was acting surgeon in the battery in June, but his name does not appear on the roll.

The roll made off as of June 3Oth, notes the following changes since the last preceding muster, to-wit:

Sergeant John L. Massie, commissioned lieutenant in Confederate States army, March 10, 1862.