Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 34.djvu/277

 Men of Virginia at Bait's Bluff. 269

Thereupon Captains Edmund and Wm. N. Berkeley; Lieutenants R. H. Tyler, L. B. Stephenson and Robert Cue; Sergeants. F.

Wilson, I. O. Adams and Gochenaner; Corporals B. Hunt,

W. Fletcher, R. Hutchinson, Wm. Thomas; Privates A. S. Adams, J. W. Adams, F. A. Boyer, I. L. Chinn, G. Crell, R S. Downs, W. Donnelly, G. Insor, C. R. Griffin, John George, D. L. Hixon, T. W. Hutchinson, I. F. Ish, R. I. Smith, W. C. Thomas, J. W r. Tavenner, I. M. McVeigh, L. W. Luckett, M. H. Luckett, A. M. O'Bannon, Rev. Charles F. Linthicum, R. O. Carter, Geo. Roach, E. Nails, Howard Trussell, D. Rouke, T. E. Tavenner, P. Goch- enaner, F. Tinsman, T. H. Benton, T. Kidwell, C. Fox, V. R. Costello, Will Moore, J. Ellis, Wm. McCarty, J. M. McClannehan, E. Herrington, R. Julian and C. D. Lucket in all, fifty-two came forward promptly, saying to White: "We will follow you."

WHITE BREVETTED "GENERAL."

I should like to give in extenso Colonel White's stirring account of the incidents of that dark and eventful night of his own hair- breadth 'scapes, and how, because he knew the ground, and was, moreover, full of resource and initiative, he was made the leader, and brevetted for the nonce "General" of the expedition of his good tactics in placing Berkeley and his squad on the Bluff, until the flank- ing party under his guidance, moved up along the bank of the river, under the Bluff, to the point of co-operation, where the surrender was to be demanded, or, in case of refusal, the enemy was to be fired on how he called for a sunender, and receiving no reply ordered "Fire," which caused a stampede, "a large number of them jumping into theriver, while some ran along the shore above" and how, immediately after the firing, a gallant Irish captain, named O'Meara, who had swam the river to get some means to save his men, and failing, had swum back to share their fate, recognizing the inevitable, had called out: "We surrender; who is in command ?" whereupon Captain W. N. Berkeley, replied: "General White" how the "general" offered "the terms of war, " which were satis- factory, and how the gallant Irish captain gathered the Federals together from the river and the woods and " marched them up the bluff to the plateau, where he formed them in line and handed over to our charge 325 prisoners, with many arms, ammunition," etc., but we cannot tax your space farther than to give this imperfect