Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 28.djvu/10

 4 Southern Historical Society Papers.

duty, whether of dangerous enterprises or laborious watching, which has distinguished your actions since the campaign began. With great respect, your obedient sevant,

E. J. HALE, JR., A. A. G.

By command of Brigadier-General J. H. Lane.

E. J. HALE, JR., A. A. G.

The Major was never more happy than when engaged in his " seine hauling," as it was called by the brigade. He would steal up to the enemy's skirmish line, sometimes crawl until within easy running distance then dash forward, halt on the line of pits, and just as the rear of his command passed him he would order both ranks to face outward and wheel, and they, coming back in single ranks and at a run, would capture everything before them and not fire a gun. In all of his dashes he never lost a man, killed, wounded or captured. The Yanks often called to our p.ckets to know: "When is your Major Hooten coming this way again."

The morning of the 3Oth of September troops were ordered from the right of Petersburg to support those engaged on the north side of the James, leaving the works at the Pegram house to be defended by a weak skirmish line of dismounted cavalry*. The order was countermanded soon after we had crossed the Appomattox, and we were moved back, as our right was threatened in force. That after- noon the brigade was ordered to the right of the road leading to the Jones house, and as the enemy were driving the cavalry rapidly, Wooten came up at a double-quick, deployed, pusht-d rapidly to the front, opened fire, and the blue-coated prisoners came streaming to the rear. The whole affair was witnessed by a group of general offi- cers, one of whom declared it was the handsomest thing of the kind he had seen during the war.

Next day, when Major Thomas A. Brander had thrown the enemy into confusion at the Pegram house by his well directed artillery fire, Wooten dashed into the works, and brought back more prisoners than he had men in his command.

After Gordon's attack on Fort Stedman, the enemy swept the whole Confederate skirmish line, from Hatcher's Run to Lieutenant Run. General Wilcox was sick at the time and Lane was in com- mand of his division. Next morning General Lee sent for Lane to know if he had re-established his part of the line, and when told that he had with the exception of a hill, from which the enemy