Rebel Private (eBook)

General Jackson’s Flanking General McClellan and Seven Days’ Battle before Richmond, Virginia

IN THE COURSE OF TIME we were ordered to prepare to move, so we were marched to Richmond and boarded a train and ran up to Staunton. There were but two incidents of note. The train that I was on broke from the engine on a long downgrade between Richmond and Lynchburg and the experience of my indescribable feeling with the train of flatcars, well packed with men, going at high speed and the engine keeping out of the way, is well imprinted on my memory. We changed to boxcars at Lynchburg and passed through a long tunnel before arriving at Staunton. The tops of the cars were well strewn with men when we entered the tunnel and we had to lie down and flatten out, but the feeling of insecurity was felt in entering, for there appeared but little room between the roof and top of the tunnel. There were reported two men crippled and one of them with a broken leg. We arrived at Staunton and remained a few days. Learned that chestnut rails were the only safe fencing in time of war, as they were a poor thing to make fire with which to cook by.

From Staunton we were carried some distance by rail then marched across a rough, hard road country — here is where our soft feet suffered. My old friend A. N. Vaughn of Company “F” suffered tortures on the march, as one of his heels had blistered so badly nearly all the thick skin under the heel had separated from the foot, but with all the persuasion and abuse that I could bring to bear, he would not drop out of rank. He would say: “Bill, I have unfortunately been sick at each fight and the boys will soon take me to be a coward, and I would prefer death than to be looked upon in that light; and there is no use of you saying any more, as I have made up my mind to go into the next fight if I wear off to my knees.” So with that set determination he stuck seven days of it that I think were sufficient to dispel all his fear.

On our march we found that we were under Stonewall Jackson, and from that we supposed (from the direction we were moving) we were flanking General McClellan, which proved to be the case. About twelve hours before striking the enemy, I was ordered to select a man and report to General Jackson to the front. I selected a Charles McCauley, a young man who had only resided in Beaumont a short time before enlisting. “Mc” was of great vital force, ever active and courageous; was educated as a civil engineer and at a glance could take the lay of the surroundings and was a fast runner.

When we reported, our orders were to move to the front of the advance guard. This we did, with the general riding close behind so we were not challenged. Some distance ahead we received our instructions, which were: to proceed cautiously, keeping just out of sight of advance guard and flankers, and to report to him if the enemy were sighted or any sign of them. We proceeded in this way for some time — part of the time the general was with us and other times he was a short distance behind. The country that we were in was timbered, with now and then an opening, and to keep as directed, it was necessary to mend our pace when we saw an opening that we were to pass through, so we would be on the opposite side, or rather out of sight when the advance entered the opening.

At a point of this kind, we discovered a burning bridge on the opposite side. A glance was all that it took to satisfy us to make a correct report, so “Mc,” as I called him, and I double-quicked back, but did not have to go far before we met the general. We reported and made good time back with the general to the point of observation. He, taking in the situation instantly, ordered us to cross the stream and investigate some distance beyond; and, looking well to both sides of the road, we went forward at fast time and found the stream to be a sluggish, boggy drain, about thirty feet wide, with good high banks.

We crossed about two hundred yards above the bridge, nearly dry footed and went forward in the direction to strike the road about four hundred yards from the bridge; were traveling hurriedly, and nearing the road, when we discovered a line of “bluecoats,” not being over thirty yards of them, near their right flank. We halted instantly and they ordered us to come in, with a few guns pointing our way. I said “Run,” and we sure did — they never fired a shot. When we struck the creek we did not look for a favorable crossing, but made a leap and landed well in the mud, nearly waist deep. We scrambled across and were on the home side in short order.

Just then I saw a straggling Yankee who had been up to a farmhouse and was making his way back to the bridge to cross, not knowing it had been fired. He was not over fifty yards off and as I saw him first I leveled my gun and ordered him to “trot in.” He obeyed promptly. I pointed the direction and told him to trot on ahead.

The general was where we left him and it seemed he had anticipated his needs, for there was a battery at the rear, just in sight, with a clear track. I had no more than gotten through reporting, when the battery came forward in quick time and were in line for firing. When the officer in charge of the battery reported, the general called him by name and said: “Fletcher, instruct as to point of enemy’s location and return and investigate, and report the effects of firing.”

I did as instructed and there was soon a rain of shell pouring in on their position. The battery was well elevated and “Mc” and I were making fast time under their firing. The battery ceased firing as we crossed the stream and went into the woods; found the enemy had gone, and from the looks of the battery work, their position was well shelled. When we returned we reported all clear. There was a force of men putting out the smoldering fire and filling the stream up with logs and other material near at hand. The work was soon completed and the delay in moving was shorter than one would have supposed, as quick time seemed to be the order of the day. I had heard of forced marching and was satisfied that I was in one, for from the time that we left Staunton, men were moved at the full speed of endurance and after “Mc” and I went to the front, the speed we traveled to keep as directed, would give one an idea that the nearer our approach was to the enemy, the faster was our march.

After passing the burned bridge, the country up to the time we struck the enemy, was the same as that we had passed that day, but with less openings. The woods were well underbrushed and we could see but a short distance, only in straight parts of the road. After crossing the stream, the general stayed close up with “Mc” and I the balance of the time we were with him. After we had gone some distance we came to a road that intersected ours on the right. Here we were halted and in less than five minutes the cavalry came up; so as it were, our cavalry and infantry had joined forces. The cavalry halted and the general had a few words with the commanding officer. We moved on, but did not go over one-fourth of a mile when the general halted us and instructed that we travel some little distance to the right of the road, as only a short distance ahead there was an opening and he thought that we would see the enemy’s pickets. I asked that, if we did, should we shoot and he replied, “Yes.”

So as “Mc” and I turned out of the road the general turned back. We made our way quickly to the edge of the opening, about fifty yards from the road, and as expected, there were the cavalry pickets about one hundred and fifty yards out in the opening. Just then there was an officer whom we took to have the rank of colonel, who seemed to be inspecting the picket line and had, what we supposed to be, two orderlies with him. I whispered to “Mc” to fire as I did. In a few moments the opportune time had arrived and there were two reports, near as one. He reeled to one side just as his aides caught him; but by the time we had reloaded, the picket line were all out of shooting distance, and our cavalry was thundering by on a charge.

Less than half a mile ahead our cavalry ran into the picketing reserve, and from the appearance, where they were camped, there must have been a regiment. “Mc” and I moved on to where the cavalry were fighting, but before we reached the point, the enemy were falling back — from the firing, our men were in close pursuit. We stopped here to wait for our command as we knew our mission was finished. We waited until nearly dark before our command came up. The cavalry continued skirmishing till dark. We struck camp just before dark, in sight of the skirmishers.

During the night there was what was called a “loose horse.” This sometimes happens when a horse is under great excitement, and may be from either side, when the combatants are at close quarters. At the instant the horse is sighted, the words “loose horse” are heard and will be repeated by hundreds of voices along the line, although the animal may pass directly through the camp to the rear, the whole encampment has been notified. In this instance the horse passed quartering through camp and about fifty yards to the rear of where I had been sleeping. I know of no words that will bring the sleeping soldiers to their feet as quickly as “loose horse,” for everyone feels the necessity of clearing the track. The word “whoa” is a very popular one as the horse is passing through, but the users know it will have no effect on the distracted animal and would be about as much heeded as if directed at a whizzing cannon ball.

The next morning we were in line by the time one could see, and moving to the front. I soon saw that we were the reserve, which is a dreaded position...