Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 29.djvu/246

 230 Southern Historical Society Papers.

Men. Lieutenant George a worthy son of a worthy sire, reared in the seclusion of the mountains, an athlete by nature, and a soldier by birth responded promptly to his country's call, and followed the fortunes of his brigade (Echols') from the Kanawha to the Blue Ridge, and until he was finally thrown into the vortex of battle which tried men's souls and made heroes in an hour's time. His battle was short but glorious.

But for my positive and persistent insistence, this record of his valor never would have been known outside of the circle of his im- mediate friends, and it is with the greatest pleasure I chronicle these facts :

W. W. George was second lieutenant in Company H, Twenty- sixth (Edgar's) Battalion, Echols' Brigade, Breckinridge's Division. This command arrived at Cold Harbor from Monroe Draft (now Ronceverte, West Va.) They had been on the road one month and three days and had fought Sigel at New Market, May I5th. From there they went to Staunton, and thence by train to Hanover Junction, and joined Lee's immortals.

Hard fighting commenced at once and continued all along the line to the Patawet river. We fell back from this point to Cold Harbor (June 2d) and relieved General Lomax's division of cavalry. Gen- eral Grant had consolidated his forces at and around this position, and Lee had gathered his invincibles to oppose him.

On the afternoon of the 2d the enemy obtained an advantage by capturing our picket line, but this was of short duration. With the alacrity only known to the southern soldier, we recaptured the line, and were fully established in our first position, where we remained, soldier-like, oblivious to the coming storm. On the morning of June 3d, just at dawn, the artillery pealed forth its death melody, and in an incredibly short time, division after division, and corps after corps, of blue-coats came thundering in their mighty charge upon us, broke through our lines, and captured our breastworks at this point.

AN AWFUL SCENE.

And here was enacted one of those awful scenes so seldom known in wars. The fighting was at close range, and hand to hand. The Yankees who succeeded in getting over the works were literally tossed back by the stalwart Confederates.

For fully thirty minutes this frightful struggle lasted, and during that time a minie ball cut its channel through Lieutenant George's neck, and then a bayonet pierced his left side, but woe unto him who