After the war he devoted his life to teaching the youth of the South, and died in Amherst county, Va., in June, 1896.

Yours very truly,

THOMAS BALLARD BLAKE, late Captain, etc.

ST. LOUIS, December 29, 1897.

To the Editor of the Dispatch:

While on a visit to Richmond last spring I gave some reminiscences of the evacuation, retreat, Sailor's creek, &c., which appeared in your issue of May 22d.

I had to rely entirely on memory, and was, therefore, very careful in my statements. I have recently been looking over the "Records of the Union and Confederate Armies," published by the government, and in Series 1, Volume xlvi, Part 1, found the official reports of commanding officers of both armies, which confirm, in a striking degree, my recollections. These reports make special mention of the conspicuous part borne by the "Artillery Brigade" at Sailor's creek. I quote as follows: Major-General G. W. C. Lee, commanding the divisions, composed of Barton's and of Crutchfield's Artillery Brigade, says:

'Before my troops got into position across the creek the enemy opened a heavy fire of artillery upon our line, which was continued. up to the time of our capture. After shelling our lines and skirmishing for some time-an hour or more-the enemy's infantry advanced and were repulsed, and that portion which attacked the Artillery Brigade was charged by it and driven back across Sailor's creek.

"This brigade was then brought back to its orginal position, under a heavy fire of artillery. Finding that Kershaw's, which was on my right, had been obliged to retire, in consequence of the enemy having turned his right flank, and that my command was entirely surrounded, to prevent useless sacrifice of life, the firing was stopped by some of my officers, aided by some of the enemy's, and the officers and men taken as prisoners of war. I cannot too highly praise the conduct of my command, and hope to have the opportunity of doing it full justice when reports are received from the brigade commanders. Among a number of brave men killed or wounded, I regret to have to announce the name of Colonel Crutchfield, who commanded the Artillery Brigade. He was killed after gallantly leading a successful charge against the enemy."

66

Retreat from Richmond.

287

Lieutenant-General Ewell, commanding the corps (Kershaw's and G. W. C. Lee's divisions), says that the Artillery Brigade of Lee's Division displayed a coolness and gallantry that earned the praise of the veterans who fought alongside of it, and even of the enemy." Our dashing cavalry leader, General Fitzhugh Lee, says: "Though portions of the force, particularly the command of General G. W. C. Lee, fought with gallantry never surpassed, their defeat and surrender were inevitable.”

I will now quote from the report of the Federal commander, Major-General H. G. Wright, commanding the Sixth Corps, Army of the Potomac. After describing the disposition of his troops and our position on the opposite side of Sailor's creek, General Wright

says:

"The 1st and 3rd divisions charged the enemy's position, carrying it handsomely, except at a point on our right of the road crossing the creek, where a column, said to be composed exclusively of the Marine (artillery) brigade and other troops, which had held the lines of Richmond previous to the evacuation, made a counter charge upon that part of our line in their front. I was never more astonished.

"These troops were surrounded. The 1st and 3rd divisions of this corps were on either flank; my artillery and a fresh division in their front, and some three divisions of Major-General Sheridan's cavalry in their rear. Looking upon them as already our prisoners, I ordered the artillery to cease firing, as a dictate of humanity.

"My surprise was, therefore, extreme when this force charged upon our front; but the fire of our infantry, which had already gained their flanks, the capture of their superior officers, already in our hands, the concentrated and murderous fire of six batteries of our artillery within effective range, brought them promptly to a surrender."

It is needless for me to add a word to the proud record of the "Artillery Brigade" at Sailor's creek. That record is now a part of the history of this great country, but by giving this a place in your Confederate column, it will doubtless reach the eyes of many to whom the voluminous government records may not be accessible." THOMAS BALLARD BLAKE,

Late Captain Co. E, 10th Virginia Battalion, Artillery Brigade.

[From the Richmond, Va., Dispatch, March 28, 1897.]

FAYETTE ARTILLERY.

The Movement on New Berne Thirty-three Years Ago.

A RICHMOND BATTERY'S PART.

Both Land and Naval Forces A Singular Charge and a Singular ChaseA Quick Surrender.

RICHMOND, VA., March 23, 1897.

To the Editor of the Dispatch:

Enclosed find an article on the movement to New Berne, N. C., by Pickett, in 1864. Much has been said about this movement, but very little credit given some of the Richmond men engaged.

Yours, etc.,

E. W. GAINES.

THE MOVEMENT.

Thirty-three years ago the Confederate government conceived the idea of capturing New Berne, N. C., the movement being proposed by General George E. Pickett, who was at that time in command of the Department of North Carolina. As to why the movement was entertained, and what was to be gained, many opinions have been expressed by soldiers who were on the outside, rather than the inside, of councils held by their superior officers.

It was known that the government was preparing to build boats on the Neuse river at Kinston; in fact, one was under way. The movement was finally made, the forces engaged on the south of the Neuse river, consisting of Generals Hoke's and Clingman's North Carolina brigades and a portion of Corse's brigade, with the 38th battalion of artillery, consisting of the Richmond Fayette artillery, Caskie's battery, Stribling's battery and Latham's battery; General Dearing, with his cavalry and three regiments of infantry, was to threaten the north of the Neuse, while Benton's and Terry's Virginia brigades and Matt. Ransom's North Carolina brigade, with some cavalry and artillery, were to move on the Trent road.

At the time of issuing of orders for the above movement, the

Fayette Artillery, of Richmond, was in winter-quarters at Petersburg. The men had erected good quarters, and were greatly enjoying the rest so much needed by them. In fact, they were so nicely fixed that they entertained strong hopes it would be a long time ere they should have to take another long march, or participate in some bloody struggle.

It was near the close of December, 1863, when this company was ordered into line, and orders were given to prepare rations for a march of several days. Here the hopes entertained by the men, as expressed in the preceding paragraph, were dashed to the ground, and all kind of conjectures were expressed as to what this movement meant-where were they to go; what was to be undertaken; what was to be gained, and lastly, but not the least, would all hands come back again?

The members of the company needed rest; they desired a relaxation from the long marches and severe struggles so recently undergone; but orders issued during war are inexorable; so to the work the men went. Camp-fires were kindled, and rations, composed of the best of the land that could be furnished by the powers that then existed, were prepared and packed away in haversacks In a few hours all was in readiness for the march. The drivers here received orders to harness and hitch horses to the guns, the ammunition in the gun-chests and caissons was examined as to condition, etc., and a report made to the commanding officer, Lieutenant William I. Clopton. As soon as this report was received, the drivers were ordered to mount, and to the command, "Forward, march!" the battery moved off, the men still wondering, where!

The battery had not been on the road but a very few hours before it was discovered that the company had crossed the line and were in North Carolina. The march was continued on to Goldsboro, when the cars were taken to the town of Kinston, on the Neuse river. On reaching Kinston we encamped for several days, in order to give the men and horses rest.

On the 1st of January, 1864, the weather being as warm as an August day, the company was again ordered on the march. The sand in the road just below Kinston was several inches deep, and the pulling of the guns and heavy caissons was exceedingly hard. After we had proceeded about ten or twelve miles the horses, covered with a lather of foam and the men considerably fatigued, on account of the heat and the tramp through the heavy sand, a countermarch was ordered. Back to Kinston we went, where we encamped until February.

During this encampment the men learned through some source on what point this portion of the army was expected to move. It was whispered through the camp that the march was to be on to New Berne, and it was further said that the land forces were to be supported, or assisted, in the attack on the town by men in long boats on the Neuse river, under command of Colonel R. Taylor Wood. These boats, it was stated, were to be equipped with all necessary appliances and the men were to be armed with cutlasses, etc., for boarding vessels, and on arriving in sight of the town, and if gunboats should be seen in the river, the men were to lay to their oars and secrete themselves as best they could under the over-hanging boughs of the trees on the banks of the stream, when they were to remain until nightfall, when a concerted move on the part of the crews of the several boats was to be made on the Federal gunboats and the latter taken, if possible, by boarding; or, finding that this would be an impossibility, they were to make the attempt to blow them up if they could do so. A boat was captured by this expedition, but not without severe resistance.

The month of February at last arrived, camp was broken, and the forward march again resumed. As the battery, with the infantry and other artillery took the road toward the little seaport town of the Old North State, the boats above spoken of, with their crews, the latter being in high spirits and proposing to give a good account of themselves, moved off quietly down stream.

UNKNOWN ROAD.

None of the men of the land forces knew anything of the road upon which they were traveling. They did not know what was in front of them or how many of the enemy they might encounter before they reached the goal the government at Richmond seemed to be so desirous of possessing. The forces had traveled three days and had not obtained sight of a single man decked out in blue. On the night of the third day there was a halt, orders were quietly issued that there were to be no camp-fires, and all talking must be done in a very low tone.

The guns stood in line in the middle of the road with the horses still hitched to them, and the men lay on the ground to get, if possible, a few minutes' rest; for they fully realized that they were in the enemy's country, and knew not what was in store for them on the next day, or how severe a struggle they might have to go through. The morning broke with a thick fog or mist hanging low, and the