Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 28.djvu/377

 The Cremhaw B> 871

FIRST VIRGINIA REGIMENT

among them and shaking hands with Theodore Martin and other Richmond boys, we pushed on and came up with the cavalry, where I s.iw these troopers make a dashing charge across a creek, driving Sheridan's troops before them. The Crenshaw Battery followed close behind the cavalry, crossed the stream, on and up to the top of a hill and unlimbered in an open space. We did not remain in this position long before we were ordered back, and moved on to

FIVE FORKS.

The battery took a position behind a fence, or rather we pulled the fence down, the guns being separated by a space of some one hundred yards or more. In our front was an open field.

Look with me, my comrades, as I attempt to picture to you this beautiful field, the foliage of which was now bursting out in all its glory, all nature bearing testimony to the goodness of Him that causeth the earth to praise Him, as the April sun, now in all its re- splendent glory, is attuned in attestation of its loveliness, now so peaceful yet soon to be the seat of carnage.

Standing in line the eye is first attracted by a neat frame-house, situated in the right corner of the field, whose inmates are seen hastily leaving, making for the woods to the right the field itself, covering an area of some 500 feet or more in length by about the same in breadth, skirted on either side by a dense growth of trees. In our front, for about 500 yrfrds, the surface was even, after which it partook of a slight inclination until it receded into a valley below, the ground upon which the enemy were then massing for the despe- rate work of the evening.

General Corse commanded the infantry that supported us. The skirmishers in our front in the field were commanded by Captain Allen Lyon, of the "Virginia Life Guard," Company B, i5th Virginia Infantry.

After remaining in this position from early morn until evening, the enemy in the mean time making assaults all along the line to our left, we heard the sound of a bugle and presently our skirmishers were seen coming into our lines to be quickly followed by a charg- ing column of Federal horsemen.

What a sight! On they come, firing, shouting the earth almost trembling with the heavy weight the field being filled as they ap-