Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 34.djvu/160

 152 Southern Historical Society Papers.

Hill. From there we went to Petersburg', arriving on the i4th of May. Then on the 24th of May we were sent to Drewry's Bluff, and at midnight on the 28th reached Richmond, sleeping the balance of the night on the stone steps of the custom house.

Next morning, Mrs. K. Adams, who kept a bakery, generously treated the whole company to a hot breakfast, which they enjoyed and so highly appreciated that the men afterwards held a meeting and adopted resolutions of thanks, which were presented to her by a special committee. That clay we turned our faces toward McClellan, who was advancing on Richmond from the Peninsula.

On the 25th of June we had two guns in action at French's Farm, and on July ist our battery was hotly engaged at famous Malvern Hill, where we lost three men killed and seven wounded, and had fifteen horses killed and wounded. The conduct of our company was highly complimented by General Armistead.

On the night of the 28th of July we were in action with the gun- boats and transports at City Point.

When we turned westward for the first Maryland campaign, we were, on the 26th of August, engaged in an artillery duel at Warrenton Springs, Va., where we lost three wounded, one of whom, mortally. Then moving forward we were engaged in the battle of Second Manassas; then at Crampton Gap on the i4th of September, and, finally, as a distinct organization at bloody Sharpsburg.

There were three sections of Grimes' Battery. I commanded the right section at the Stone Barn when we went into action at Sharpsburg. The left section was about 200 yards distant. Captain Grimes, while directing the fire of the guns on the left, was hot from his horse, and while being carried from the field received two more wounds, and two of the men who were bearing him were killed before they got him under cover.

I was ordered to move the battery back about two hundred yards to a range of hills, and then I heard for the first time that Captain Grimes was wounded. I found him sitting up against a hay rick, almost unconscious. I dismounted from my horse, went to him, put my arms around his neck, drew his head over my shoulder, and said: " Carey, do you know who I am ? " He did not speak, but nodded assent. I saw he was dying, then I put my mouth close to his ear and said: " Carey, this is our last meeting on this earth ; if you have got any message for me to carry home, if I should