Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 35.djvu/25

 Rh Others showed no less bravery. I was informed that Mr. W. C. Bannister, who was very deaf, on being summoned to surrender, either not understanding or showing fight, was shot dead. Mr. James Kerr, a staunch and true man who had already done good and faithful service, determined to give them a parting shot before he retreated. He got down on one knee and, taking deliberate aim, fired into the Yankees, who were clustered like bees in Mr. Rives' front porch. Fortunately he escaped with only a slight wound. But the enemy having gotten completely around kept pouring in such a merciless fire that one after another fell until fourteen were killed outright or mortally wounded, and the earth that day was crimsoned with the life blood of some of the noblest and purest of the citizens of Petersburg.

The fight had now assumed such a character that Major Archer ordered us to fall back. I had scarcely gotten twenty yards from the breastworks when I received a shot in my right wrist. Being exposed to the fire which was sweeping across the field from our left, I took refuge in a little ditch near by. The tide of the battle swept by.

I caught Major Archer's eye for a moment as he stood to the last, giving orders. Events succeeded each other rapidly and in a few minutes all was over and the enemy in full possession. The firing in a measure having ceased I got up to make my escape, but hearing some one roughly ordering me to halt I looked around and noticed two troopers a short distance off, who covered me with their carbines. Up to this moment I supposed I was the only man who had fallen into the hands of the Philistines, but was speedily deceived. I was marched down to the low ground that. lay between our camp and the breastworks and there found quite a number of our men, some wounded, Lieutenant G. V. Scott among the latter, having a dreadful wound in his face, having been shot through both cheeks. Among the wounded was a Federal trooper shot through the calf of the leg. Including killed, wounded and captured our loss was just about one half of our force engaged.

In the old colonial church in Blandford, a marble tablet