Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 33.djvu/366

 362 Southern Historical Society Papers.

Please take my name and if I get killed inform my officers of it." I said: "I have no time now for writing". How high up did they blow you?" He said: "I don't know, but as I was going up I met the company commissary officer coming down, and he said: 'I will try to have breakfast ready by the time you get down.' "

I have often since wished I had taken his name and regiment, for he was truly a "rough diamond," a brave fellow. He went in the charge with us, but I do not know whether he survived it or not. I never saw him again.

THE ALABAMA BRIGADE.

This brigade was composed of the 8th Alabama, Captain M. W. Mordecai, commanding; gth Alabama, Lieutenant-Colonel J. H. King, commanding; roth Alabama, Captain W. L. Brewster, com- manding; nth Alabama, Lieutenant-Colonel George P. Tayloe, commanding; i/j-th Alabama, Captain Elias Folk, commanding.

This (Wilcox's old brigade) was commanded and led in this battle by the gallant and intrepid Brigadier-General J. C. C. Saun- ders, with Captain George Clark, assistant adjutant-general, an- other brave officer.

The Qth Alabama being on the right of the brigade, was in front as we ascended the ravine or depression to form line of battle. I copy from the Petersburg Express the names of the officers who commanded the companies of this regiment, and would do the same for the other regiments but for the unfortunate fact that they were not given. They were as follows:

"Company A, Captain Hays, commanding; Company C, Ser- geant T. Simmons, commanding; Company D. Captain J. W. Cannon, commanding; Company E, Lieutenant M. H. Todd, commanding; Company F, Captain John C. Featherston, com- manding; Company H, Lieutenant R. Fuller, commanding; Com- pany I, Lieutenant B. T. Taylor, commanding; Company K, Lieutenant T. B. Baugh, commanding."

By the report of Captain George Clark, assistant adjutant-gen- eral, Wilcox's Alabama brigade of five regiments carried into the battle of the "Crater" 628 men, and of this number it lost 89. The brigade early in the war numbered about 5,000.

It will be observed that such had been our losses in former bat- tles that regiments were commanded by captains, and companies