Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 31.djvu/285

 History of Crenshaw Battery. 277

it fought for several hours a large force of artillery and infantry strongly entrenched, losing one sergeant and many men and horses, and having the guns (the axle of one broken) and caissons badly damaged, it held its position on the field until the ammunition was exhausted, when it was ordered to retire. As soon, however, as the ammunition chests could be refilled, the battery was again ordered back to the same position it had occupied, where it remained under a very hot artillery and infantry fire until nearly sundown, when ordered to retire, Marmaduke Johnson's battery taking its place.

The battery went into action with about eighty or ninety men, and came out after a six hours' fight with one killed and eight wounded. Sergeant Sydney Strother was mortally wounded, and died the next day, and was buried by the battery on Sunday, June 29th, in Holly- wood Cemetery. In this action three guns were disabled, about twenty-five horses killed and wounded, three caissons damaged, and harness very much injured.

The next morning the battery was ordered forward to join the division. Captain Crenshaw sent word that he could only bring three pieces. General Gregg's reply was: " Bring them along; they are as good as six of the enemy's." When the battery reached the brigade, Major-General A. P. Hill ordered it to go to Richmond and refit. Captain Crenshaw insisted, with the wish of General Gregg, that it should be allowed to go with the brigade, but Gen- eral Hill said: " No! I have plenty of artillery, and you deserve to be sent to the rear, and go you shall."

And go it did.

On July 3d, after being nicely refitted, the battery started to re- join General A. P. Hill's Light Division, which, with the rest of the army, was driving McClellan towards the Federal gunboats on James river.

The battery was then assigned to Maj. R. Lindsay Walker's Battal- ion of Light Artillery, and the scene of operations having shifted to Northern Virginia, we were soon on the road to Culpeper, and on the Qth of August, 1862, when Jackson came up with Pope at Cedar Run, took part in that battle, where "Stonewall" pretty effectually disposed of the man who ' ' had no lines of retreat, ' ' and whose "headquarters were in the saddle." ' v ^

Pushing on to Warrenton Springs, on the 24th of August we took part in a furious artillery fight, preliminary to Jackson's move around Pope's army, which was soon accomplished, when the battery