Notice of Chew's Battery,
Sir—Having read much of your valuable history of the war, giving battles, heroic charges and repulses by different commands, I have never seen mentioned one battery, viz.: it was organized in Charlestown, Jefferson county, Virginia, in the early part of 1861, by Captain John Chew, with James W. Thompson as First Lieutenant, Tuck Carter Second Lieutenant, and John J. Williams
Third Lieutenant, and was assigned to Ashby's (afterwards known
[215]
as Rosser's) brigade, as a light battery.
After the battle of New Hope, Virginia, Lieutenant Thompson was promoted major on Fitzhugh Lee's staff (he was afterwards killed at the battle of High Bridge and interred at Stonewall Cemetery, Winchester, Virginia), Carter Captain, Williams First Lieutenant, and Yancy Second Lieutenant.
After our misfortune at Woodstock or Tom Brook, in October, 1864, losing part of our guns, we moved in the vicinity of Staunton, feeling the loss of our guns and being laughed at by our comrades in the cavalry.
The men of the battery talked of making independent raids and trying to recapture their guns, or gain new laurels, but they had not long to wait.
General Rosser started on that famous raid which resulted in the capture of General Kelly and his entire army of four thousand men at New Hope, West Virginia, including a large number of animals, wagons, arms and ammunition, and other valuable property.
Lieutenant Carter and fifteen men of the battery volunteered to join in the raid.
Many others would have joined but could not for want of mounts.
The morning the attack was made, Lieutenant Carter and his fifteen men were ordered to charge and take a battery inside the enemy's works, and well they did it too, Lieutenant Carter himself shooting down No. 4 as he was in the act of pulling the lanyard.
The guns were turned on the enemy and used with good effect.
It is the only time during the war that I ever heard of a battery charging and taking a battery.
It was a glorious charge and, in my opinion, worthy of publication.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
