Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 27.djvu/54

 46 Southern Historical Society Papers.

from Beverley to join Garnett at Laurel Hill, and was then ordered back "to the forks of the road on Rich mountain, some half mile from the entrenched College Boys, and hold the position to the last man."

Colonel Scott reached this "forks of the road" point about I P. M. July nth, when immediately 5,000 Federals, who had passed this "forks of the road" point, I presume, before Scott got there, attacked Pegram's force on th'e mountain summit. Now, let's see how " things " stood just at this point of time.

The Confederates under Pegram on the mountain summit were aligned across the road, facing in a somewhat northeast direction, the Federals under Rosecrans attacking Pegram and facing in a somewhat southwestern direction. Immediately behind these Fed- erals and within a "half mile" of Pegram was Colonel William C. Scott, with 800 men and six pieces of artillery, all eager to go to the rescue of the brave Pegram and his fast-falling men ! My con- science ! What havoc Colonel Scott could have played with his 800 brave men and six pieces of artillery by a dashing attack on the Federal rear ! His artillery could not have done much real service owing to the topography of the ground surrounding him, but his men with rifles and muskets, aided by the uproar that could be created by six pieces of artillery firing even blank cartridges, could at that early period of the war have " raised the siege " of Pegram and his men and saved the day. But Colonel Scott didn't " budge " one inch. There he stood, an " idle witness " of brave comrades praying him to come to their rescue, calling for his help, but fighting and dying at their post ! No wonder Colonel Scott's braves " cried in agony to be led to their help, even almost to mutiny."

I never knew Colonel Scott personally, I do not now know whether he be dead or alive. I have never known what reason he gave for not helping Pegram that day. Dr. Price says Colonel Scott was "held under Garnett's positive order at the forks-of-the-road point," and couldn't leave. I have no doubt at all of the truth of that state- ment. But let us look at the situation, and perhaps we will see that Colonel Scott was not justified in fulfilling literally his order.

General Garnett first ordered Scott to join him at Laurel Hill. Then Garnett didn't know that David L. Hart, a mountaineer, who lived on the mountain summit, was leading Rosecrans with three full regiments to Pegram's rear. But he soon became aware of it, and realizing Pegram's extreme danger of being overwhelmed and