Nesbitt Memorial Library Journal, Volume 9, Number 2, May 1999 Page: 73
[57] p. : ports. ; 28 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Reminiscences of the Old Brigade
Col. Green.
There is one peculiar feature about the battle
now about to be fought that has not before oc-
curred during this war, and that is, the Confed-
erate side is represented by and composed alone
of Texans, and if victory perches on our ban-
ner all the honor and glory goes to Texas, if,
however, misfortune comes upon us-if the
enemy should overpower us-we promise you
dear old Texas, that none of us will live to see
your banner grovelling in the dust. Your sons
from Red river; your sons from the Rio Grande;
your sons from the mountains; your sons from
the Sabine; your sons from the coast; your sons
from the cities, and your sons from the country
are standing united and are determined to con-
quer or to die, and if we can't bear you the
news of victory, there will not in that line of
your sons be one living messenger left to bear
you the tidings of our defeat and your dishonor.
As recorded in a previous chapter of this
history, Pyron, with the 2nd Texas, had been
ordered in the morning at day-light to push on
the river, take a position there and hold it until
the arrival of the Brigade, this order he had set
out from our camps in the mountains about sun-
rise to obey, when he reached the valley he
found the opposite bank of the river occupied
and lined by the enemy, who greeted his ar-
rival by a discharge of six peices of artillery
and a rattle of small arms, while this was a
very warm reception yet Pyron deployed along
the upper end of the ravine before described
and returned the fire, sending a messenger back
to Gen. Sibley, but long before that messenger
reached Sibley the command was hastening as
fast as their jaded horses could carried them to
his relief, for in those days when we heard fir-
ing indicating our advance or rear was being
hard pressed our officers did not wait for them
to send a dispatch for assistance but hastened at
once to the scene of action, the messenger was
met about half way to our camps but no stop
was made to parly with him, when Lt-Col.
73Sutton with the 7th reached Pyron, he immedi-
ately deployed along this ravine on Pyron's left,
and such men as had long-range guns began to
play upon the enemy. Lt-Col. Scurry with the
4th formed on the left of the 7th and Col. Green
with two companies of the 5th coming up,
formed the two companies in a space left be-
tween the 4th and 7th, thus throwing the left of
the 4th at the foot of the "Mesa." Our men
were spread out considerably in order to cover
the entire line. The enemy having long-range
guns were firing along our entire line with their
small arms and fifteen peices of artillery. Our
command, with the exception of the 2nd Texas
(who had long-range guns) were mostly armed
with double-barrel shot-guns, and of course, as
the enemy was from two hundred and fifty to a
thousand yards distance our shot-guns were
useless; hence, those who had long-range guns
were ordered to play upon the enemy, while
those armed with shot-guns were ordered to lie
down in this ravine, and when everyone of those
who had a long-range gun was wounded or
killed, his gun was given to one of the shot-gun
men, who was put in his place.
In this way the battle raged for an hour, the
enemy playing upon us as fast as they could
with shot and shell, about 9 o'clock a tremen-
dous cheering on our left announced that some-
thing had occurred on that end of the line. Cast-
ing our eyes in that direction, we find that the
cause of this cheering is that the gallant Phil
Fulcrod is just coming up with his artillery. He
comes up at at a gallop, forms in front of our
line, and amid the cheering of the "boys" opens
fire upon the enemy. Heretofore their artillery
has had everything their own way, but now we
are going to show them that we too know how
to use cannons. But scarcely has Fulcrod be-
gan firing before the enemy concentrated all
their fire upon him and soon killed all of his
horses and disabled so many of his men that he
did not have men enough to work his guns, but
nothing daunted the gallant fellow stood his guns
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Nesbitt Memorial Library. Nesbitt Memorial Library Journal, Volume 9, Number 2, May 1999, periodical, May 1999; Columbus, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth151406/m1/25/?q=nesbitt%20memorial%20library%20journal: accessed March 29, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Nesbitt Memorial Library.