Richard Lee Tuberville Beale

“ The squadrons on picket fell back at dawn to the position held by the others. The enemy appeared close in their rear; halted on coming in sight of us, and threw out a skirmish-line of dismounted men, which, extending across our front, sought to reach a wooded ridge on our right and a stone fence on our left. Our Mountsville captures now proved of essential service. The long-range rifles in the hands of our dismounted men defeated every effort to reach our flanks, and finally drove the skirmishers back to the cover of the hill. ”

“ The infantry had won a full measure of glory, the artillery had achieved its laurels, while the cavalry in its flank marches, its scouting parties, its lonely picket posts, had not attracted any special attention, or gained any new reputation. A feeling not wholly exempt from contempt was entertained by many towards the trooper. Evils, too, were now developed, from which this arm of the service was never afterwards wholly free. No adequate supply of rations for man or horse was provided. The trooper rode his own horse, and if lost, he alone had to replace it. ”

“ Each foe, in every clash of arms, sought to arouse all of the military energy, the enthusiastic vigor, the martial spirit, and the determined endeavor, which could possibly impress upon its enemy the overwhelming force with which its charge or its resistance was made, and no feature added more to the accomplishment of this purpose than the enthusiasm of the yell.
I was a member of the Ninth Virginia Cavalry, a follower of Stuart and his successors, and on many a well-fought field I have seen, listened to, and participated in charge after charge. ”

“ A gentle slope was seen to lead up from the edge of the wood to a heavy line of breastworks extending from the railroad for a quarter of a mile along the crest of the hill. The woods to our right receded from these formidable works, and a tremendous volley issued from the enemy occupying them against that part of our line, now on open ground and fully exposed. Nothing could stand against such a fire. The men were ordered to lie down. The fire had in a measure ceased in the breastworks in front of the left of our line, and Pratt's squadron was ordered to scale the rampart. ”

“ Heavy bodies of mounted men dashed up to support the enemy's broken line, and for some minutes, with broken ranks, in confused order, and without leaders, we fought hand to hand. We were being forced back by the weight of superior numbers, when our support, the Thirteenth Regiment, came up, and, making a magnificent, dashing charge upon the enemy, enabled us to rally, reform our ranks, and charge again. This last charge was decisive, and we were victors on this part of the field, the enemy being driven back under cover of their infantry and artillery on Miller's Hill. ”

“ The villagers seemed to be ready for church, as the doorways were thronged with ladies in their scarfs and bonnets. Many waved with their handkerchiefs a graceful greeting, and manifested evident pleasure at seeing us. On clearing the village, by order of General Stuart, one of our companies was thrown out on the right to guard our flank, and the remaining five were sent in pursuit of the enemy, who were retreating down the 'pike towards Washington. General Stuart informed us they were a wagon-train, attended by a strong guard, and that another regiment would be sent forward to our support. ”

“ The regiment remained here until the evening, feeding the horses, cooking, and eating. A party of women seemed amused and delighted at the ragged outfit of our men, and were certainly as intensely hostile as any blue-stocking "school marm" of Massachusetts.
At four o'clock the bugles sounded to horse, and after a march of four hours we halted with our wagon-train, which we found camped near Boonsboro'. We had heard heavy cannonading in this direction during the day, and now the sound of artillery and wagons passing rapidly down the 'pike leading through the village could be distinctly heard. ”

“ The open land as far as we could see was thickly dotted with the dead, who lay as they had fallen under a burning sun, many of them with their faces to the sky, and quite black from incipient decay.
One of our squadrons, under Captain Robinson, which was on detail duty when we left camp the evening before, had followed us, and upon reaching the plank road, discovered a Federal regiment close behind them. ”

“ Southerners have always been recognized by those who have known them best as a people possessed of unbounded enthusiasm and ardor. They have been considered and often called a "hot-headed," a "hot-blooded," people. Among the rank and file, as well as among the officers, of the Confederate armies, were to be found men of intelligence, birth, position, and distinction in the communities in which they lived; men in whose veins ran the invigorating blood of the noblest ancestry; men who were proud in peace, courageous and fearless in war. ”

“ The enemy now advanced, showing in line a number of men quite double that of our own, and seemingly determined to force a passage at Sappony. The location here was admirable for defence. The meeting-house stood upon a narrow tongue or strip of land flanked on either side by a small stream, and the intervening ground not over five hundred yards wade, and passable by cavalry only at one or two points. It was past twilight when we reached the church-yard, and were ordered to dismount and occupy the road and ground to the left, between the two regiments already in line. ”

“ One man of Company E lost his life, unfortunately, by the accidental discharge of his gun, the ball having entered the lower part of his head and, passing out at the top, carried his hat many feet into the air. Our route was through Fredericksburg, and here all was hurry and confusion, army-wagons rattling away, steam engines hissing, women lamenting, and bodies of troops moving towards the old Telegraph road leading to Richmond. ”

“ It seemed to one who stood in a place of comparative safety that the enemy slackened their fire, curious to see if so few would dare to cross sabres with them. When the fence had been thrown down the brigade, with headlong impetuosity, hurled its columns upon the enemy's line, and for a few moments sabres flashed and pistols cracked. The work was soon over. Pierced and doubled up from centre to flanks, the enemy fled in disorder, leaving many prisoners in the hands of our men. ”

“ Many of you may fall, but if there is any man here not willing to sacrifice his life in such a great and glorious undertaking, or who does not feel capable of meeting the enemy in such a desperate fight as will follow, let him step out, and he may go hence to the arms of his sweetheart and read of the braves who swept through the city of Richmond. We want no man who cannot feel sure of success in such a holy cause. ”

“ There is a natural tendency in the minds of most men, as they move onward along the "River of Time," to forget, or in a great measure to obliterate from their memories, unpleasant things, and, on the contrary, to recall and treasure those that have contributed to their joys, comforts, and successes. With no one is this peculiarity more marked than with the old soldier. ”

“ General Chambliss, commanding the brigade, was met and told that General Stuart had been seen surrounded, and was probably captured. He then ordered the writer to go rapidly to the wagons on the hills and to collect all the men that could be found, reform them, and march them back. To our great joy, we met General Stuart, smiling as ever, and found a line of dismounted skirmishers was forming to meet that of the enemy. ”

“ The march was resumed at dawn next morning. An order detailing a squad of men and an officer from each regiment to collect horses for our dismounted men satisfied us that we had passed from Maryland, and had entered the State of William Penn, whose armed sons we had so often seen upon the soil of our native Virginia. The time had come to pay back in some measure the misdeeds of men who, with sword and fire, had made our homesteads heaps of ruin, and, in many instances, left our wives and children not a horse, nor cow, nor sheep, nor hog, nor living fowl of any kind. ”

“ Here some of our men were busy in a search for rations, but most of them, suffering an agony for sleep, lay on the road with bridles in hand, some on rocks, and others on the wet earth, slumbering, soundly. ”

“ The men of the foraging party whom he met returned with him. When within a few hundred yards of the station a pistol-shot was heard, followed by the sound of horses' hoofs coming rapidly towards us. The regiment was instantly halted, and, with sabres drawn, prepared to charge. The men proved to be the party which had ridden ahead, who stated they had discovered what they took to be a Yankee picket stationed at the intersection of our road with the railroad. ”

“ As Lieutenant Ball advanced against a line of dismounted men who occupied a body of woods about two hundred yards in front of him a heavy fire of rifles from the right was concentrated upon his squadron. He was now ordered to form a line on the right of the road, and to charge into the small body of pines from which this fire came. The charge was promptly and beautifully made, the squadron dashing into the pines and up to a barricade too high to leap, behind which, and partly concealed by a young growth of pines, the enemy was in force. ”

“ In this charge Captain John W. Hungerford, of Company C, was killed. He was the sole remaining male member of a noble family. Few nobler gifts were laid upon the altar of civil liberty than the life-blood of this heroic Virginian. ”

“ We hope to release the prisoners from Belle Island first, and, having seen them fairly started, we will cross the James river into Richmond, destroying the bridges after us, and exhorting the released prisoners to destroy and burn the hateful city, and do not allow the rebel leader, Davis, and his traitorous crew to escape. The prisoners must render great assistance, as you cannot leave your ranks too far or become too much scattered, or you will be lost. Do not allow any personal gain to lead you off, which would only bring you to an ignominous death at the hands of citizens. ”

“ With rare coolness and courage this little band of seventeen men, fording a stream waist deep, traversed an open country for two miles, and repeatedly halting and facing them, kept a squadron of the enemy at bay, and made good their retreat to the woods.
As soon as the intelligence of the enemy's advance reached our camp, the Thirteenth Regiment, supported by the remaining squadrons of the Ninth, was sent in pursuit. Upon nearing Welford's the enemy was seen retreating rapidly to the ford. ”

“ Flying in dismay and receiving an enfilading fire on the left as they ran, the enemy in considerable numbers threw down their fine rifles and ammunition in the road. They proved to be a regiment from Washington—the First District of Columbia Cavalry—who had been armed by our Yankee sisters. They acted ignobly in running, suffering an inferior force in numbers to drive them from a position which a few brave men could have held for hours. ”

“ All mills must be burned and the canal destroyed, and also everything which can be used by the rebels must be destroyed, including the boats on the river. Should a ferry-boat be seized and can be worked, have it moved down. Keep the force on the south side posted of any important movement of the enemy, and in case of danger some of the scouts must swim the river and bring us information. As we approach the city the party must take great care that they do not get ahead of the other party on the south side, and must conceal themselves and watch our movements. ”

“ Meanwhile fresh troops of the enemy were dashing to the rescue, and our brigade, threatened in the rear, had in turn to fly. The captors of prisoners became now prisoners themselves. The charging party pursued our men to the barn-lot, where Lieutenant Beale's horse fell, pierced with three balls. The shouts of Hampton's men, hastening to their support, are heard as our brigade pass the barn, near which they speedily reform. Upon looking towards the plain, the Federal line is seen now to have grown in numbers, and extends so far that we cannot see the end of it. ”

“ The bugle calls in the enemy's camp, beginning about three o'clock in the morning, caused some anxiety. They died away, however, as did the tramping of their horses. The signal gun was fired about sunrise. We fell quietly back, and crossed the river before many of our wagons reached it. It was not until ten o'clock in the day that we saw from our side of the river small bodies of the enemy's cavalry cautiously advancing over the hills we had left. Quite a large number of our wounded were left to the care of the foe, and many of our dead lay on the field unknelled. ”

“ Replacing the infantry outposts as they retired after nightfall, our regiment held the extreme left of our line. This was regarded as full of danger. The right wing of the army was at Sharpsburg, and the left some two and a half miles north of it. A vigorous pursuit at dawn was expected by all, and, owing to the remoteness of our position from the point of crossing at Shepherdstown, we concluded the enemy on the right would reach it before we could. In moving to the posts assigned us, our march was over the fields so hotly contested by Hooker and Jackson. ”

“ Leaving the field of Appomattox, they dispersed, some in companies, some in squads, and some alone, to march to their homes, there to weep with their loved ones over a fate which no sacrifice could avert and no bravery postpone. ”

“ Diminished as our numbers were, if we met all whom General Meade had on that flank, we might have ridden through his line of communication in the morning more easily than we hurled back his attack upon us in the evening. We moved back early in the night, and bivouacked on a road leading into Gettysburg. ”