a large white oak gate-post which obstructed our movements and in full view of the enemy. Under a severe infantry-fire he wielded his axe as lustily and effectually as if no danger was near him. Corporal William L. Strickler, thinking that Whitt had chopped long enough, volunteered, and took the axe and finished the job. Both men covered themselves with glory, and escaped without a wound. The battery encamped five miles below (north of) Winchester. It turned into the ordnance department its one Tredegar iron eightpounder rifle, and received instead of it one ten-pounder parrot rifle. On the 28th, went with the First, the "Stonewall Brigade," to Charlestown, in Jefferson county, where the enemy was encountered; and thence down to Harper's Ferry. On the 31st returned up the Valley-passing Winchester that day. The battery was engaged on the 2d of June in a skirmish with the enemy near Woodstock. It reached Port Republic the 6th of June. On the 8th, from the western bank of the Shenandoah river, it engaged General Shields' forces, which were on the east of it. On the 9th, crossed North river near its mouth, on a bridge, and within a few hundred yards of this bridge crossed South river, just above where these two rivers meet and form the Shenandoah. Here the battery was hotly engaged in the battle, in which General Shields' troops were defeated. The loss in the whole brigade was considerable. Here Lieutenant Davis and three men were wounded, and one six-pounder brass field-gun was lost. On the 12th, by order of the chief of artillery, two of its parrot guns were sent to Richmond to be "bushed." On the 16th, the battery was ordered by General Jackson to Staunton, to refit and recruit. On the 19th it set out for Richmond, and reached the vicinity of Cold Harbor on the 27th, but was not engaged in the battle at that place; on the 28th and 29th it bivouacked on the battle-field. Here it received one of the ten-pounder parrots which had been sent off on the 12th for repairs, and it exchanged its twelve-pounder Howitzer for a Napoleon gun. It removed to the vicinity of White Oak, and was there on June 30th, when the pay-roll was made off, which reports four guns only as belonging then to the battery. Dr. Douglass was acting surgeon in the battery in June, but his name does not appear on the roll. The roll made off as of June 30th, notes the following changes since the last preceding muster, to-wit: Sergeant John L. Massie, commissioned lieutenant in Confederate States army, March 10, 1862. Corporal John G. McCluer, transferred to Ashby's cavalry, April 28th. Robert S. Bull, captured March 23d, and in prison in Fort Dela ware. William F. Singleton, captured March 23d, and in prison in Fort Warren. Daniel Blain, detailed on duty in ordnance department, by order of Secretary of War, September 1, 1861. John T. Gibson, relieved November 12, 1861, by order of General Jackson, to take command of Fifty-fifth Virginia militia. William W. Houston, discharged April 14th, by order of General Winder. James H. Phillips, dropped from roll, and afterwards discharged for disability. Summerfield Smith, detailed April 10th for engineering duty, by order of Secretary of War, and since commissioned lieutenant. John F. Tompkins, detailed as medical steward by order General Johnston. Robert B. Winston, discharged March 12th, by order Secretary of War, No. 57. Napoleon B. Ayers, transferred April 28th, to Ashby's cavalry. Samuel R. Bane, transferred April 28th, to Ashby's cavalry. George R. Bedinger, transferred April 28th, to Ashby's cavalry (afterwards made captain in Thirty-third Virginia infantry, and killed at Gettysburg. Jesse T. Bealle, transferred to Ashby's cavalry, April 28th. Charles P. Boteler, transferred to Ashby's cavalry, April 28th. William G. Crosen, transferred to Ashby's cavalry, April 28th. Robert M. Dudley, transferred to Captain Hamilton's company, Fourth Virginia volunteers. J. Campbell Heiskell, transferred to Wooding's Battery. James N. Lepard, transferred to Carpenter's Battery. Joseph S. Smith, transferred to Ashby's cavalry, April 28th. Charles O. Veers, transferred to Ashby's cavalry. George A. Walker, transferred to Ashby's cavalry. Samuel D. Anderson, died from wound at Kernstown. Charles A. Wilson, deserted from Camp Buchanan, April 1st. John A. Wilson, deserted from Camp Buchanan, April 1st. Pendleton Brooke, discharged May 2, 1862, by order General Winder. Edmund Bryan, discharged June 14th, by order General Winder. Mouina G. Porter, discharged May 16th, by order General Jack son. Charles A. Rutledge, discharged June 10th, by order General Winder. Willoughby N. Brockenbrough, transferred May 26th to Baltimore artillery, by order General Jackson. William C. Kean, transferred May 21st to Eubank's artillery, by order General Jackson. Jonathan Agner, killed at Winchester, May 25th. Robert B. McKim, killed at Winchester, May 25th. Other notes, opposite names of the members indicating cause of absence, which are not here given. On a pay-roll dated October 31, 1862, is entered the following brief history of the movements of the battery during the preceding two months, into which are interspersed brief additions furnished by one of the company who was through all the hardships of the period, and knew whereof he spoke: "Last muster was at White Oak swamp, on the 30th June, 1862. [There the battery had been engaged.] On the 1st of July, engaged [again] at Malvern Hill, where [John M. Brown] was killed [a projectile from the enemy's gun passed through a tree and took off his head; one man, Francis T. Herndon, was mortally wounded], John Doran and two others severely, and five slightly wounded. [This battery, and Carpenter's, were selected by General Jackson for this serious work, under General D. H. Hill, and commended to him as batteries 'which he could depend on,' and proved themselves worthy of the commendation of their great leader.] July 3d, went into Charles City county, remained several days, and returned to the vicinity of Richmond. On the 15th, set out for Louisa Courthouse; got there the 17th July, and joined its brigade on the 19th. Went to neighborhood of Gordonsville, and was there till 7th of August, when it went toward Culpeper Courthouse. On 9th August, engaged in the battle of Cedar Mountain. [General Winder, commanding the brigade, was killed near one of the guns, which held their position amid some confusion and semi-panic among some of the infantry at the crisis of the battle.] Returned to vicinity of Gordonsville on the 13th. On the 16th, started to Rappahannock river. On 21st and 22d, engaged the enemy's batteries across the river. On 25th, commenced its march through Salem and Thoroughfare gap, and reached Manassas Junction the 27th. Engaged in attack of and rout of two brigades and a battery of the enemy. On 29th and 30th, in the battle at Groveton. Sergeant Henry R. Paine was killed, and one man wounded. [This battery, with General Jackson, pursued fugitives to Bull Run; General J. waving his handkerchief and calling on them to surrender. Alexander was wounded here.] Crossed the Potomac 5th September, near Leesburg. [Captain Poague and other battery commanders, put under arrest for allowing men to ride across on the carriages.] On 6th September, encamped near Frederick City, Md. [where Henry Font joined the company], and remained till about the roth; then passing through Boonsboro, and Williamsport, crossed the Baltimore and Ohio railroad at North Mountain depot, about seven miles west of Martinsburg; thence through Hedgesville to Martinsburg. As they were moving from Martinsburg en route to Harper's Ferry, Sergeant Moore's detachment and gun, under Lieutenant McCorkle, and one hundred and fifty men of the Tenth Virginia infantry, were ordered back to North Mountain depot to drive out some of the enemy's troops who had closed in on our rear and captured a few of our soldiers. After this gun returned to Martinsburg, it was ordered to remain there for further orders. The remainder of the battery reached Harper's Ferry the 13th. The 14th and 15th, engaged in the attack on and capture of Harper's Ferry, and on September 16th reached Sharpsburg and engaged the enemy's batteries. On 17th again engaged, losing one man [Samuel R. Moore] mortally wounded, and one lieutenant [William M. Brown] and four privates [W. H. Eppes, J. K. Hitner, Ed. A. Moore, and William H. Effinger] severely wounded. On 9th, engaged at Opequon. On 26th, went to Bunker Hill. Turned in to the Ordnance Department one brass six-pounder; exchanged Napoleon gun for a ten-pounder par rat, and received two twenty-pounder parrot guns. On 16th, by order of General Jackson, reported to Colonel J. Thompson Brown.” On 28th, changed camp to the vicinity of Berryville, the camp where the roll was made. Whole distance marched since last muster, two months before, three hundred and seventy miles. The detachment under Lieutenant McCorkle, which was left at Martinsburg, took part in an independent movement which mystified the participants in it, and is briefly alluded to in one of General J. E. B. Stuart's reports, though he erroneously describes the artillery which took part in the movement. Soon after the battle of Sharpsburg, according to one of the men who was there, but just before that battle, according to the memory of another of the participants, this detachment, which was encamped in the northern part of the town, received orders to be ready with three days' rations, and early one morning marched into a designated part of the turnpike leading toward Williamsport. It found itself in company with one of the Richmond Howitzer batteries, which was under the command of Lieutenant Jones, and found soon that they were under the command of Colonel J. Thompson Brown, who, with his staff, soon made his appearance. Soon the Second Virginia regiment of infantry, under Colonel Colston, and probably a part of another infantry regiment, but not a part of the Stonewall Brigade, fell into line of march. After marching a few miles a halt was called, and from a by-road there appeared a body of cavalry, and it soon became known that this small army was under the command of General Jeb. Stuart. We supposed, naturally, that he was after some of his fun, which meant damage to the enemy somewhere. Before reaching the Potomac, the artillery was halted on a high hill from which was an extended view, embracing the village of Williamsport, Md., and the level lands east of it. The cavalry crossed the river at the ford, under the immediate command of General Stuart, and was seen moving eastward till it was concealed by a body of timber. The infantry also crossed, and remained near the river till the artillery crossed and passed through Williamsport, when it marched eastward parallel with the route taken by the cavalry, but nearer to the river. The artillery, after a brief delay, was marched about a mile eastward from the village, and was placed in position in open ground about a quarter of a mile from the large body of woodland into which the cavalry had disappeared. The four guns of the Howitzers and our one gun formed the artillery of this small army, and |