On all sides the battle raged now. My men though scattered like wild turkeys came together again, like wild turkeys at the bugle’s call; the sharp cracking of their carbines was answered as they fell into skirmishing line now firing, now retreating as it became necessary to elude their pursuers. Many were crack shots, indeed, and unless there were bullets struck the trees, it was Crawford ordered masses which caught them. Over to the right, we could hear the hot volleys of Ransom and Wallace, and now McGregor‘s horse artillery, with Ransom, began to boom; shells went shrieking and screeching through the air or dropped into a long and mullifulous wh-o-o-m into the tops of the burning pines. Soon came the great bursting fusillade of Pickett’s entire line; then the roar of gallant Pegram’s thunderous guns, and the cracking of Torbert’s 10,000 carbines gave volume to the tumultuous voice of battle. The earthwards trembled under the shock of the thunderous guns; rolling volutes of sulfurous smoke wreathed the trees in ghostly garments. The low sun showed faintly [page 29 ends] through the smoke clouds, like a pale Moon and the woods were still clad in their sulfurous draperies. No enemy was in sight because of the smoke, but still the hellish din of war arose on every hand, the deadly balls spat against the boughs or whined like a pettish voice above our heads. Occasionally a man crumbled down in his place and a little rivulet of blood trickled away on the ground. It was bloody war.
But it did not last long. The day was fast drawing to a close, and we were falling back. We had heard nothing from our three ranking major generals. We knew not if Lee, Pickett, and Rosser were lying dead, or prisoners in the enemies ranks. We had not heard of them. Meantime, we were being pressed back as slowly as we could make it. Crawford had extended his right and in consequence we were forced to extend our left to keep from being turned by him. It was a rough broken country, cut up by creeks, covered with briars and brambles, and in places exceedingly boggy. Only at certain places could the creeks be crossed and the mire was so deep at one of these, Sergeant, Major Harrison of the fourth Virginia cavalry went in above his knees. When he came out, he was obliged to leave one of his boots; the mire wanting it more than he did. However, he kept on with the command, swearing that he would “kill Yankee before night just to get his boots.” I was riding beside the gallant Colonel W. B. Woolridge, the senior officer of my brigade, when suddenly his horse stumbled, and the Colonel himself manifested signs of having been shot. A little investigation disclosed that the bullet, which killed his horse had, indeed, hit the fighting colonel, but in his artificial leg. My own horse, at about the same moment, got mired up to his belly, but being a great power, he finally [page 30 ends] extricated himself and carried me across the brook.
Over this miry country, the men were ably handled: Colonel Cary Breckenridge of the second Virginia and Colonel William Morgan of the first Virginia; major Charles Irving of the first and lieutenant-colonel Charles old of the fourth Cavalry, especially distinguished themselves. But we were steadily pushed on further and further back until at last arrived we arrived at Hatchers Run and crossed the Ford Road. Here the main body of my division reached their horses and mounted, but a portion of the third Virginia Calvary under adjutant Hubard crossed a little higher up and joined Colonel Hutter of the 11th Virginia infantry. A moment later, the federal general, Joshua Chamberlain, who had broken off from Crawford and attacked Ransom’s left with great dash and spirit, brilliantly captured Hutter and the entire 11th regiment, but Hubard and his men managed to escape
When we reached the Ford Road, I came upon General Pickett. Although the attle was now practically over, we were still being vigorously pushed by Crawford’s men, and as Pckett came galloping towards me he saw the Federals, not 100 yards away. He was coming down the road, evidently on his return from the wagon train on the northside of Hatcher’s Run. Looking at the bluecoats advancing so closely upon us from the east, he asked me,
what troops are those? “!! I told him, and he said,
“do hold them back till I pass to five Forks “
Captain, James Breckinridge of the second Virginia Cavalry overheard our conversation. He was in command of a sharp shooters, and he at once turned his men, move to the front, and with a magnificent attack, checked the enemies advance. But alas! Breckenridge yielded up his [page 31 ends] He has glorious career and doing it I say glorious career, because if there was ever braver soldier, then James Breckinridge, I never saw him, James M Rucker, dashing color bear, who was always conspicuous in danger rushed to Breckenridge is aid, but already just had claimed him, and he lay “like a warrior, taking his rest with his Marshall cloak around him quote in the language of a nightly soldier who fought upon the other side on the same field “I saw him fighting like a very God… Half an hour afterwards, amidst the smoke a battle, as in the chariot of fire, he was lifted to his like. “
His body phone to the hands of the enemy, and now it rests in an unknown, an unmarked grave. .
Meanwhile, general Pickett threw himself forward upon his horse, and, leaning on the right side, ran the gauntlet of a withering fire for several hundred yards. He made it successfully and dashed onto his broken lines ahead of him. It was the first time he had been with them since the battle began – – – these things I saw with my own eyes. I do not know the exact time of it, as I did not look at my watch – – – but the attack was begun after 4 o’clock, and we have been fighting in skirmishing over a rough country for two full miles by actual measurement. The long shadows of the evening were very perceptible as the sun was but little above the trees.
That shows where General Pickett had been during the battle. He had been with the wagon train behind hatches, run 2 miles in the rear of his fading line. I did not see General Lee there, but I will quote now a part of his testimony given during the Warren trial, and we shall find out from that where he was. The court asked him; [Page 32 ends] ……..
After General Pickett had escaped and passed up to join his command, I called to my much stretched out and scattered troops and mounted them. We moved then steadily through the woods in a northwesterly direction toward the Confederate right front, having just made in our retreat, a complete half circle around the rear of our own army, with the federals pursuing us as far as the Ford Road. We left Crawford in full possession of the crossing and the Ford Road to Five Forks, and also left a small rear guard from my command to watch him. When we [page 35 ends]. had made nearly to Pickett’s right front on the White Oak Road, we halted, a little in rear of General Corse’s position, well, I rode on up to the front, hoping to get orders, and find out the real condition of affairs from general fits Lee who I supposed was there. (I did not then no that he was still beyond hatchers run) I found everything in confusion along the front with Pickett working energetically to stave off utter rout. It is my desire to be wholly fair in this account, and so, and now discussing Pickett’s conduct at Five Forks more in detail, will let him speak for himself. His official report can be found in a book, published by Colonel W. H. Harrison, of Pickett’s noble division, whose glorious charge at Gettysburg will be told as long as the four winds blow, or those bloody heights, stand sentinel over the embattled earth