Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 25.djvu/146

 142 Southern Historical Society Papers.

men and fell back to our original position. While Captain Barlow, of Company A, was endeavoring to reform his men on my company, which was the color company, he was shot through the head and in- stantly killed. I regret that I cannot give a full list of those who fell. We had hardly regained our former position, when Sheridan's cavalry came down on us from the rear. A young cavalry officer, riding in among us, begged us to surrender, telling us that we were entirely surrounded, and that further resistance was useless. It was so gallant an act no one attempted to molest him.

In the mean while the infantry, which had been driven across the creek, had reformed and were advancing in force. Our men then threw down their arms, and we were prisoners of war. I remember that in the hot blood of youth, I broke my sword over a sapling, rather than surrender it. When the infantry which we had so re- cently repulsed, came up to us again, it was with smiling faces. They commenced opening their haversacks, offering to share their " hard tack" with us, which in our famished condition we most eagerly and gratefully accepted. They, moreover, complimented us on the gal- lant fight we had made. In this connection, I will add that we were always treated with every consideration by the veterans at the front. It was only when we fell into the hands of the provost guard that any harshness was shown. About dusk that evening we were taken back across Sailor's Creek, and camped that night in an old field. The next morning (yth), we started on our long march to Petersburg and City Point, en route to northern prisons.

TO POINT LOOKOUT.

The non-commissioned officers and men were mostly taken to Point Lookout, while almost all of the officers were eventually taken to Johnson's Island, in Lake Erie. We took a boat at City Point, and when we touched at Fortress Monroe, on the morning of April 1 5th, learned that President Lincoln had been assassinated the night before. We were taken to Baltimore and from there to Washington. The city was draped in mourning. The excitement was intense and we had to be marched through the city to the old Capitol prison under a double guard, to protect us from a threatened mob. After remaining in the old Capitol about two weeks we were taken to Johnson's Island, where I remained until June 18, 1865, when I was released, our cause being then a " Lost Cause." Arrived in Rich- mond June 25th.

Several years ago a friend of mine in St. Louis gave me a copy of