Nesbitt Memorial Library Journal, Volume 9, Number 2, May 1999 Page: 76
[57] p. : ports. ; 28 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Nesbitt Memorial Library Journal
to the support of the battery on the "Mesa,"
there were, however, but two peices of cannon
on the "'Mesa" the other four peices were posted
in the valley at the foot of the "Mesa" to play
on our left.
And now reader, under all military rules
and science we are whipped, out flanked on
our right, out numbered more than two to one
in the centre, and an enfilading fire on our left
that threatened our entire line, and under mili-
tary science we have but one or two things to
do, either to retreat of surrender, and perhaps,
if we had been under command of a man well
versed in military science one of these courses
would have been taken, but just at this time a
messenger from Gen. Sibley and announces the
fact that he is too sick to command, and directs
Col. Green to take command, and Col. Green
knows nothing about military science, but he
knows how to fight and win battles, we can't
retreat for we have nowhere to retreat to, and
we have no thought of surrendering,-we've
come too far for that.
December 15, 1887
Chapter VIII
The Battle of Val Verde
When these two regiments moved around
on our left it created a good deal of flutter among
our company, who were holding the extreme
left wing, there was a very tall 4th regiment
man went up to Capt. Shropshire-I see that
man now-although he fell before the words
were well out of his mouth, said he, "Captain,
did you see that movement on our left?" Shrop-
shire said that he did but that he was not com-
manding, when a grape shot from McRae's bat-
tery cut the tall soldier down.
When Col. Green saw the emeny weaken
his centre, he sent orders along the entire line
to charge, when he gave the order in the centre
he instructed the men to fall at the flash of theenemy's cannons and after the shot passed over
to rise and go on. Our company did not receive
this order, hence did not know that a charge
was contemplated.
When the sound of the cannon that laid the
tall soldier low had died away, Tom Slack and
Hamp Townsend cried, "Capt. Shropshire, the
boys are charging on our right!" Dock Walker,
who had been lying in a hole for seven hours,
jumped up and replied, "We are charging here
on the left, too." And Shropshire glancing up
the line, put his long legs in motion with the
order: "Come on my boys!" Scarcely had we
started on our charge, when a cannon shot from
the "Mesa" struck in the hole that Dock Walker
had patiently lain in for seven long hours, and
if he had lain there two minutes longer there
would not have been much of him left, and,
not much of our line.
So now, reader, we can't tell you whetherr
these men will fight or not, we have seen them
exercise a great deal of patience-they have
patiently lain for eight hours and a half behind
a sand bank and let the enemy's cannons play
upon them with shot and shell, and those 300
riflemen posted behind trees have shown that
they could do good execution in that position,
and the men who have worked our cannons have
shown that they can stand the shot and shell of
the enemy at long range, but now we are charg-
ing the enemy and bearing our breast to his
leaden and iron hail. We have to run 600 yards
through an open plain to reach him, with six
peices of artillery playing upon us. Can any
man live through that fire'? Will one man ever
reach the enemy's line? Pyron leads the 2nd,
Suttoin leads the 7th, Scurry leads the 4th and
Lockridge leads the 5th, while TIom Green di-
rects the whole. On, on they press, men fall,
and falling rise and press on, there's no falter-
ing, no lagging behind, shoulder to shoulder
the 2nd, 4th, 5th and 7th press on. One yell as
they started and then an ominous silence, bro-
ken only by our gallant officers as they cheer76
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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/m1/28/?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.