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[From the Rockbridge County News, February 5, 1897.]

THE SECOND ROCKBRIDGE BATTERY.

Its Roster and Career.

Compiled by W. F. Johnston. Valuable services were rendered in getting up the lists by Captains John A. M. Lusk and W. K. Donald, and Orderly-Sergeant S. W. Wilson.

The Second Rockbridge Battery was called such on account of being the second battery as to date of organization in the county. The list of officers and men who served in the company is given below. Being made up chiefly from memory, after a lapse of thirtytwo years, it is probable that some omissions and inaccuracies may occur. This company was organized as an infantry company, owing to the want of artillery equipments at the time, and served as Company B of the 52nd Virginia Regiment, then under Colonel Baldwin, and was a part of General Ed. Johnson's Brigade, doing service on Alleghany and Shenandoah mountains until the fall of 1861, when it was made an artillery company, and was attached to the same brigade till the artillery was made a separate command. After this it was a part of McIntosh's battalion, in General A. P. Hill's corps, until the close of the war.

It was mustered into service as the "McDowell Guard in honor of Miss Lillie McDowell, then of Lexington, Va., a daughter of Governor James McDowell, now Mrs. E. P. McD. Wolff, of Georgia, who made the company a present of a pair of horses, harness and ambulance, besides furnishing a considerable amount of means for clothing equipment of the company. She also paid a bounty to a young man who was under military age, to go as her personal representative in the war. Her substitute, Alfred Sly, proved himself faithful to the trust until a few days before the fight at Gettysburg, when having been sent out with others on detached service, he was captured and held in prison until after the surrender of the army.

This company was made up largely of farmers and farmers' sons and laborers. Practical knowledge of caring for and driving horses gave the battery an advantage over many others; being able to move with promptness under the most unfavorable circumstances. Quite a number of the men were from the Blue Ridge and vicinity, without the advantage of education, and nothing but principle to fight

for; yet none bared their bosoms more willingly to the foe nor stuck to it more faithful to the last than they.

The company was organized at Fairfield July 10, 1861, with Rev. John Miller captain, and Lieutenants Samuel Wallace, J. A. M. Lusk, and J. C. Dickinson, in the order named. In the reorganization May 1, 1862, J. A. M. Lusk was made captain, and W. K. Donald, Samuel Wallace, and A. J. Hayslett lieutenants in order named. Captain Lusk resigned June, 1863, on account of ill health. W. K. Donald was made captain, and served as such until the end. A. J. Hayslett, previous to May 1, 1862, served as company surgeon, and in 1863 was made surgeon of the battalion, and William T. Wilson, then a member of the Danville Blues, of Eighteenth Virginia Regiment, was elected lieutenant, and served as such until the close. After the promotions in consequence of Captain Lusk's resignation, Daniel Paxton was elected lieutenant, and remained such to the last. The battery did a great deal of hard service, and certainly deserves to rank below none in the faithful discharge of duty with alacrity to the last. Owing to the capture of a large number of the members on the morning of April 2, 1865, where the Confederate line was first broken, near the P. and W. railroad, there were only about forty of the company in the surrender.

LIST OF MEMBERS.

W. P. Alexander, James G. Allen, William Allen, B. F. Barnett, Hugh S. Beard, William Bartley, John Bowman, M. B. Campbell, James A. Campbell, W. A. Campbell, Sr., W. A. Campbell, Jr., N. M. Campbell, W. H. Cash, William Cash, J. W. Cash, John Cash, B. D. Cash, Joseph Cash, James P. Cash, Valentine Carver, John Cave, William Chandler, W. L. Clemmer, DeWitt Cline, A. A. Cochran, P. J. Coffey, Robert Coffey, Marvel Coffey, William M. Coffey, William M. Crist, Z. J. Culton, James B. Culton, J. W. Cupp, H. W. Decker, John F. Doyle, J. E. Drayton, J. L. Drawbond, L. C. Drain, Eugene Durham, J. M. Eakin, John T. Ford, William A. Ford, James P. Ford, Gaylor, William C. Goolsby, James Goolsby, Thomas Gordon, A. J. Griffin, W. L. Hamilton, Harvey Hamilton, John F. Hamilton, J. J. Hamilton, Henry Hamilton, George J. Hamilton, Joseph Heslep, Ed. N. Heiger, John M. Hite, Samuel Hite, W. N. Hite, W. P. Hite, W. H. Hinty, George Hoyleman, John B. Hoyleman, Jacob B. Holler, Houchen, James A. Humphries, E. M. Hughes, J. P. Hughes, Calvin Hughes, James E. Jarvis, Churchville Jenkins, R. W. Johnston, Henry Keffer,

L. D. Kerr, W. D. Kerr, L. T. Leech, J. G. Leech, Preston Lawhorne, William Lawhorne, William M. Long, William Lovegrove, J. Ludwick, J. C. Lynn, Moore, J. A. Mann, Nat. Moran, Dudley Morris, S. S. Miller, D. L. Miller, John Miller, R. S. Miller, J. P. Meeks, Thomas N. McCormick, William T. McCrory, Ed. H. McCrory, James H. McCown, Thomas P. McDowell, William W. McGuffin, S. R. McGuffin, Thomas P. McManama, Robert McNutt, David A. Ott, L. O'Brian, William Orenbaun, James H. Painter, A. J. Paul, Wm. D. Patterson, Wm. A. Patterson, John Patterson, S. D. Paxton, Jas. T. Paxton, Jas. P. Paxton, John Paxton, Wm. H. Paxton, James H. Paxton, Thomas Paxton, Sam. Patter, John Pearl, William Pugh, James H. Pugh, John W. Risk, James P. Risk, Dabney Ramsey, William H. Selvey, Franklin Shewey, William C. Shields, Franklin Shaver, Cooke Sloan, Alfred F. Sly, Adolphus Sly, William A. Smiley, John B. Smiley, Joseph Sorrels, Geo. Sorrels, James E. Steele, Arch. W. Strickler, J. Ed. Taylor, Joseph Taylor, George W. Taylor, William P. Templeton, Benjamin Templeton, Job Thorn, R. R. Tribbett, F. M. Tribbett, Matthew Vess, C. D. Vess, Albright Wallace, Ed. Wallace, J. W. Wallace, George White, Robert White, I. M. White, John White, J. W. Whitesel, E. M. Wiseman, James A. Wine, John A. Wilson, S. W. Wilson, Joseph M. Wilson, J. Womeldorf, George Wood and Cyrus With

ers.

LIST OF CASUALTIES.

Killed—J. H. McCown, Alleghany Mountain, December 12, 1861; W. P. Templeton and J. Ludwick, Cross Keys, June 8, 1862; Adolphus Sly, Chancellorsville, May 3, 1863; Preston Lawhorn and Robert Coffey, Bristoe Station, October 14, 1863; George Hoyleman, William J. Bartlett, and George White, Gettysburg, July 3, 1863; Cyrus Goolsby, Thomas N. McCormick, and John T. Ford, Petersburg, July 30, 1864; John L. Drayboud, James T. Paxton, Franklin Shaver, and Lieutenant Samuel Wallace, Petersburg, April 2, 1865.

Died from Wounds-W. H. Paxton, wounded at Strasburg, June I, 1862; Houcher, wounded at Cross Keys, June 8, 1862; James P. Risk, wounded at Bristoe Station, October 14, 1863; James B. Culton, wounded at Bristoe Station, October 14, 1865; A. J. Griffin, wounded at Alleghany Mountain, December 12, 1861; Gaylor, Cross Keys, June 8. 1862.

Died from Sickness-William Allen, Joseph Cash, John Cash, William Cash, and Marvel Coffey, at Staunton in 1861; Eugene Durham, 1864; James Goolsby, 1861; Thomas Gordon, 1861; W. L. Hamilton, Petersburg, in 1865; John F. Hamilton, in prison, 1864; Ed. N. Heizer, at Charlottesville, June 1865; Samuel Hite and W. N. Hite, at Staunton, 1861; William Lawhorn, at Staunton, 1862; S. S. Miller and Thomas P. McDowell, at Gordonsville, 1862; William Orenbaun, 1861; James P. Paxton, in prison, 1863; John Paxton, at Richmond, 1862; Cooke Sloan, at Staunton, 1861; James Steele, at Point Lookout, April, 1865; Benjamin Templeton, at Staunton, 1861; John White and Cyrus Withers, at Richmond, 1862; J. Womeldorf, 1861.

Wounded and Recovered-Hugh S. Beard, Charlottesville, May 3, 1862; James P. Cash and William H. Cash, Fredericksburg, December 13, 1862; William M. Crist, Petersburg, April 2, 1865, lost leg; H. W. Decker, 1862; James P. Ford, Petersburg, July 30, 1864; George J. Hamilton, Petersburg, April 2, 1865; Robert W. Johnston, Petersburg, 1864; Robert McNutt, Spotsylvania, May 1864; D. A. Ott, Strasburg, June 1, 1862, lost arm; Thomas Paxton, Strasburg, June 1, 1862; Franklin Shewey, Bristoe Station, October 14, 1863; C. D. Vess, Cross Keys, June 8, 1862, lost leg; Albright Wallace, Alleghany Mountain, December 12, 1861; Robert White, E. M. Wiseman (lost foot), W. P. Alexander, Valentine Carver, J. F. Doyle, J. J. Hamilton, John M. Hite, J. B. Holler, L. D. Kerr, L. T. Luck, S. S. Miller, Arch Strickler, and Lieutenant W. T. Wilson, at Bristoe Station, October 14, 1863; Lieutenant W. K. Donald, Charlottesville, May 3, 1863.

RECAPITULATION.

Number of men in all, 171.

Number of men killed, 22.

Number of men died from sickness, 25.

Number of men wounded, 27.

Number of men captured, 28.

Retreat from Richmond.

285

[From the Richmond, Va., Dispatch, June. 3, 1897-Jan. 18, 1898.]

RETREAT FROM RICHMOND.

THE ARTILLERY BRIGADE.

Its Heroic Conduct at Sailor's Creek-Additional Details.

(See Ante, pp. 38, 134, 139.)

To the Editor of the Dispatch:

RICHMOND, VA., May 31, 1897.

Since writing my reminiscences of the retreat from Richmond, Sailor's Creek, etc., which appeared in your Confederate column on 2d of May, I have visited my old comrade, Captain Shirley Harrison, at "Brandon." While there, he spoke in the highest terms of the gallantry of his first lieutenant, J. M. Green (Company D, 10th Virginia Battalion of Artillery), and especially of the nerve and coolness displayed by him in a memorable night attack, while we were on the retreat. He explained how Lieutenant Green had been separated from his command, which accounted for his absence at Sailor's Creek, I noticed in your issue of yesterday a note from Lieutenant Green (now of New York), calling attention to the omission of his name and explaining his absence. I am glad of this opportunity of doing justice to a gallant comrade, who did not shirk his duty at the critical moment.

I did not undertake to give a complete roster of the officers of my battalion, in fact, could not do so; but merely published the list of officers captured at Sailor's Creek, as it appeared in the New York Herald.

There are, doubtless, others whose absence can be satisfactorily accounted for, and I am glad, in justice to his memory, to be able to explain the absence of my first lieutenant, Robert Elias Binford, as I am now reminded that this accomplished young officer was sick at Chimborazo Hospital, in Richmond. He was convalescing at the time of the evacuation, and left the city with the ambulance train; was captured on the retreat, but made his escape on a captured horse, and being unable to join his own command, was assigned to Dance's battery, and surrendered with the army at Appomattox.

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