Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 39.djvu/205

 Dixie Batterv at Second Manassas. 193

I will relate incidents connected with this matter which you will probably remember :

Between the hours of two and three o'clock, on the evening of the 30th^ I had ridden to the position occupied by Feather- stone's brigade, to which brigade I had been assigned for this campaign, and while at the highest point occupied by it, we could see the enemy's infantry, about a mile distant, moving in large bodies to the left and disappearing in a body of woods in front of Jackson's right wing. I hurried back to my battery, which was on the left of the turnpike, about fifty yards from it, and immediately behind Hood's division. I had only reached there a few minutes when I saw you, accompanied by some of your staff and orderlies, passing along the turnpike to the front. Believing that if you passed through the skirt of woods in front of us you would discover these movements of the enemy and need batteries, I directed my men and drivers to be ready to move. My recollection is that hardly five minutes had elapsed before a messenger, whom I took to be Col. Manning, came back at full speed, saying that Gen'l Longstreet wanted bat- teries. Being ready, we moved instantly, and at a gallop, soon reached the point where you were, on the left of the turnpike, fifty or one hundred yards from it. and in front of Whiting's brigade of Hood's division. We went into position where you indicated and commenced firing at a heavily massed body of infantry on our left, not more than 400 yards distant. You remained several minutes watching the effect of the shots and asked me if I had any grape shot. I fired from this position until their ranks were broken and driven back and I moved toward Groveton and took a position in an old apple orchard, from which we fired at the retreating infantry about thirty minutes and afterwards changed to positions at and beyond Groveton. The firing from their batteries at us while in the orchard was terrific 'while there the horse I was riding had both hind legs carried away by a cannon ball, and while at Groveton the second one was killed by a shell which exploded in front of me.