ask leave to speak of him through the columns of your most excellent paper.

The Fifth Alabama Regiment was organized in the spring of 1861, with Robert E. Rodes, late Captain of the Warrior Guards, of Tuscaloosa, as its Colonel, and Edwin L. Hobson one of its subordinate officers. Very soon it was sent to Centreville, near Manassas, where it was organized into a brigade with the Sixth, Twelfth and Twenty-sixth Alabama regiments, and the Twelfth Mississippi, under the command of Robert E. Rodes, who had just been made a brigadier-general.

The brigade, thus constituted, did effective service in the vicinity of Manassas, was conspicuous for gallantry at Williamsburg, and greatly distinguished at Seven Pines. Soon afterwards, about the time General Lee assumed command of the Army of Northern Virginia, the Twelfth Mississippi was transferred from Rodes' brigade, and its place taken by the Third Alabama, a splended regiment that had formerly belonged to Mahone's brigade. During the Seven Days' battle around Richmond, the brigade was organized as follows, the commanders ranking in the order named: Twenty-sixth Alabama, Colonel E. A. O'Neal; Sixth Alabama, Colonel John B. Gordon; Fifth Alabama, Colonel J. M. Hall; Twelfth Alabama, Colonel B. B. Gale; Third Alabama, Colonel C. A. Battle. General Rodes and Colonel O'Neal having been wounded at Seven Pines, the command of the brigade in the Seven Days' battles devolved on Colonel Gordon, and then and there he laid the foundation of his world-wide fame. In his report of these battles Colonel Gordon, while paying merited compliment to Rodes' entire brigade, especially made honorable mention of Major Hobson, of the Fifth Alabama.

At Boonesboro and Sharpsburg General Rodes was upon the field, and in his report of these engagements says: While all the troops did well, I especially commend Colonel Gordon, Sixth Alabama, Major Hobson, Fifth Alabama, and Colonel Battle, Third Alabama, for highly meritorious conduct throughout the campaign." Very soon after the battle of Sharpsburg Gordon was promoted to brigadier-general, and assigned to a Georgia brigade.

A little later Major-General D. H. Hill, who had commanded the division, was made lieutenant-general, and sent West, and BrigadierGeneral Rodes was assigned to the command of Hill's division, while E. A. O'Neal, as senior colonel, commanded Rodes' brigade. With the brigade thus organized, the battle of Chancellorsville was fought, and it was here that Hobson was shot down while gallantly leading

his regiment. At Gettysburg Colonel Battle was promoted to brigadier-general, and Rodes' brigade became Battle's brigade, the only change in its constitution being the transfer of the Twenty-sixth Alabama to the West, and the substitution of the Sixty-first Alabama in its stead.

From this time forward Hobson was constantly under the eye of the writer. He was distinguished in the Wilderness campaignespecially so at the "Bloody Angle" and second Cold Harbor.

Battle's brigade was a part of Early's forces in the Valley, and participated in all the engagements of that memorable campaign. General Early gave it the honor of having saved the day in the enemy's first attack at Winchester on the 19th of September, when General Rodes was killed, and was succeeded by Major-General Ramseur. General Grimes, who assumed command of the division after the gallant Ramseur fell at Cedar Creek, on the 19th of October, in his report of that engagement, says: * * *The order of march was as follows: Battle, Cook, Cox, Grimes. On arriving within half a mile of the Valley pike, Battle's brigade was formed parallel with the same, and moved forward in line of battle. The other brigades continued moving by the flank for about 300 yards, when they were faced to the left and ordered forward, changing direction to the right. Battle soon struck the Eighth corps of the enemy, and, charging gallantly, drove them in great confusion, but. was himself seriously wounded while nobly leading his brigade, the command of which then devolved on Lieutenant-Colonel Hobson, Fifth Alabama. Cook and Cox continued to advance, swinging to the right, driving the enemy in their front, with but little resistance, for upward of half a mile. Cook captured several cannon, caissons, ammunition, wagons, etc. This movement left a wide interval between Cook's right and Battle's left, which was subsequently filled by Pegram's division. In the mean time, Grimes' brigade was recalled from the left and moved by the right flank through the abandoned camp of the Eighth corps, which had been completely routed, faced to the front and advanced to the pike, connecting with Battle's right. This projection was perfected about sunrise, the enemy being then in position on a small creek to the left of the pike, with their artillery on a high ridge in their rear, and firing into our line of battle, but the smoke and fog obscured the troops so that their fire was inaccurate. Here Major-General Ramseur had skirmishers thrown to the front and to the right, driving the sharpshooters of the enemy from Middletown. The division remained here perhaps

half an hour, until a battery was brought into position on the right of the pike, when General Ramseur again ordered an advance, which was made in good order and with a gallantry never exceeded. In this advance Battle's brigade charged a battery in its front, capturing, in addition to six guns, many prisoners and a flag."

General Battle never sufficiently recovered from his wounds to enable him to return to the field, and Colonel Hobson remained in command of the brigade until the end, and surrendered it at Appo

mattox.

I have known many men of character and renown, but I have never known one who more admirably combined the officer and the gentleman than did Edwin LaFayette Hobson. He was the flower of chivalry and the soul of honor.

Petersburg, Va., November 11, 1901.

CULLEN A. BATTLE.

[From the Richmond, Va., Dispatch, November 17, 1901.]

DREWRY'S BLUFF FIGHT.

A Letter from the Late Major A. H. Drewry on the Subject.

The following letter, written by the late Major Drewry, of "Westover," was only delivered to us a few days ago, and hence the delay in its publication. It will doubtless be read with interest, not only because it refers to an important event, but because it will revive memories of one of the most useful, enterprising and hospitable citizens ever reared in Virginia:

To the Editor of the Dispatch:

In your issue of the 1st,* I observe your mistake in saying the position was held by the heroic men of the Virginia in the engagement at Drewry's Bluff on the 15th of May, 1862. The guns in the fort were in charge of soldiers for the most part drawn from the county of Chesterfield, who had been stationed there from the breaking of the first ground, contributing much from their own means and drawing largely upon their friends to assist in the work, and were under my command, as may be attested by the order of Gen

* We do not know what date he refers to.-EDITOR DISPATCH.

eral Randolph, then Secretary of War, now in my possession, promoting me to major of artillery, and in the body of my appointment directing me to remain in command of Fort Drewry. It cannot be shown that the crew of the Virginia fired a shot from this fort on that occasion. It is true that the gallant Jackson, of the Patrick Henry, had casemated near the entrance to the fort an 8-inch gun, but much rain having fallen the previous night the ground became very soft and its whole superstructure fell in at the onset of the fight, so that the engagement was far advanced before any help could be rendered us. It is also true that Lieutenant Jones had a 9-inch Dalgren gun in position, but the sudden turn in the river at this point placed him out of view of the enemy, and he could not help us. With all due respect to the well-earned reputation of the Virginia crew and the remainder of our navy who had landed on our shore above the fort after the retreat before the Federal fleet from Norfolk, I have never understood that they had been able to render us any particular help on that occasion. The men who bore the brunt of that fight were substantial farmers from the surrounding country, not caring for the attainment of military glory, but well satisfied to know that they had rendered important service to their country, and stood for their friends and firesides against our common enemy; and this statement is made in justice to them, whilst yet they have the evidences to substantiate the facts.

A. H. DREWRY.

[From the Philadelphia Record, April 7, 1901 ]

GRANT'S CHANGE OF base.

The Horrors of the Battle of Cold Harbor.

FROM A SOLDIER'S NOTE BOOK.

Sights Which Filled Even Veterans With Horror-Why McClellan Failed-A Mistake That Cost Many Lives.

Cold Harbor was one of the most desperately contested battles of the Civil War, and more men were killed and wounded there in a shorter space of time than in any other of the many bloody engage

ments of the war, for the battle proper did not last over ten minutes, and that was when the grand charge of Grant's troops was made on the Confederate works at early dawn of June 3, 1864. The loss was confined principally to the Federal army, in comparison to which that of the Confederates was insignificant, as they fought from behind well constructed breastworks. Indeed, I think the loss of the First Maryland Battalion was proportionately greater than that of any other Confederate regiment, and that because of their desperate efforts to recover the works from which Echols was driven, of which I wrote in my last article.

This was the only point along the whole Confederate line where the enemy gained a lodgment, but from which they were quickly driven back through the combined efforts of the Marylanders and Finnegan's Floridians.

A SIGHT DREADFUL EVEN TO VETERANS.

The sight that was presented to the Confederates after this repulse was one more dreadful than they had ever before witnessed, accustomed as they were to scenes of carnage and bloodshed. All along their line the intervening space between the contending forces was covered with the Federal dead and wounded. The day passed and night came on, and yet there was no succor for those poor bleeding men, as the fire from both sides continued without intermission. That night the cries and groans and appeals for help appalled the sternest. And yet another day and night passed, and still a third, and the fallen lay where they had been stricken down. The cries of hundreds had ceased, as death had mercifully come to their relief.

On the third day after his bloody repulse, General Grant, that man of iron will, was constrained to ask for an armistice to enable him to remove what wounded yet remained alive, and bury his dead. This he did reluctantly, as such a request was indicative of defeat.

For twelve days and nights the two armies confronted each other, and both were during that time busily engaged in strengthening their works, all the while keeping up an incessant artillery and musketry fire. General Lee confidently expected a renewal of Grant's desperate effort to carry his works, and was fully prepared to meet his attack. A Federal officer, who lost an arm in the assault on the 3d, not long after told me that General Grant did wish to make another assault, but was informed by his corps commanders that their men would not respond to the order.