Personal Recollections of the American War

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brought; and I remember asking for volunteers to handle them, but with¬ out response. I asked a corporal to take one. " Certainly, sir, but I am too old a soldier to volunteer for that job," was his reply. Not a man grumbled when assigned to this precarious task. At eleven o'clock we cautiously filed outside of our works, and formed in the rear of the pickets, where We lay anxiously awaiting the appointed hour.
The faint light of morning came, when with a loud cheer we swept over the open space. It was still dark, and the blaze from the rebel guns were the deadly beacons which indicated to us our destination. On we rushed, without firing a gun, into the works; a momentry struggle, and they were ours. Some of the charges were less successful, but Lee's position was now untenable, and he telegraphed to Jefferson Davis that his lines were broken in three places, and that Richmond must be evacuated.
Our corps was hurriedly reformed, and moved in line of battle towards Petersburg. I had command of the skirmishers covering our regiment, and was pressing forward rapidly, when suddenly we stirred up a battery of flying artillery, posted in a farm-yard, its only protection being a wide swamp, through which we were then wading. It was admirably handled, but firing percussion shell (scarecrows in battle) it did but little damage. I made sure of its capture, and my men had entered one end of the small orchard, when it limbered and galloped away at the other. I sent to the farm-house to ascertain who the old grey-bearded officer who commanded the battery was. The answer I received was that it was General Lee himself. It is possible that the commander may have been with his rearguard at such a crisis, but I do not vouch that it was Lee.
Night came, and we dropped upon our arms for the rest and sleep we so much needed, but without my friend Doughty. He girded on his armour to the sound of the first gun on Sumpter, and fell pierced through the head, when crowning victory was ours, to the booming of the last hostile cannon in the land. England did much, through many of her statesmen, and a devoted little band of her press, to cheer us on in the path of duty; but she offered no brighter, holier tribute at Liberty's shrine than the life of John B. Doughty.
Next morning, the identical flag that was hauled down at Sumpter was seen floating in the breeze from the building recently occupied by the rebel Congress.
Lee was rapidly retreating on Lynchburg or Danville, where supplies had been gathered for his much-fatigued, hungry army ; but he found Sheridan, with a small force entrenched across his line, determined to give battle to his entire command ; anything to detain him till Grant could come up. Lee, however, well knowing every road and path, kept far to the right, and escaped under cover of darkness. Sheridan, leaving his infantry behind, made vigorous pursuit with his cavalry. On coming up with the enemy, he immediately charged them with a brigade; any tactics to compel them to make a stand, and afford time for our infantry to come up ; and he fulfilled his mission. By forced marches by night and day, part of our infantry were up with the enemy by April 6th. We were at once thrown forward, when a spirited engagement took place, and Ewell's corps were cut off. That general chose a strong position, with a heavy skirmish line  in  front,  posted on a ridge covered  with