Chapter 19: Spottsylvania
- Death of a gallant boy -- Mickey free hard to kill -- the 10th and 12th of May -- handsome Conduct of the “Napoleon section” of the Howitzers -- frying pan as sword and banner -- prayer with a dying Federal soldier -- “trot out your deaf man and your old Doctor” -- the base of the Bloody Angle -- the musketry fire -- majestic equipoise of Marse Robert.
At Spottsylvania Court House, when the artillery and infantry arrived and took the place of the gallant cavalrymen, who had saved the day and the place for us, the guns of our battalion, as I remember, were the first to reach the field. As adjutant, I had ridden with the old battery to its selected position, and, these guns in place, had returned to the column and was aiding in locating another of the batteries, when the fire upon the Howitzer position became so heavy that I galloped back to see how they were faring and if they needed anything. As I rode rapidly in rear of the first gun of the battery, at which my youngest brother, Eugene, had been made a driver, I noted that the fire had slackened considerably, but that one of his horses had been killed; that he had very practically pulled the dead horse around into proper position, and he.and the driver of the other team were fast. constructing quite a passable earthwork over and about him. Just as I observed this, “Genie” caught sight of me, and springing up, shouted after me, in fine voice and good old Georgia nursery phrase:
Bubba, Bubba, I wasn't scared a bit — not a bit!A line of stalwart veteran infantry was lying down behind the guns, and as the plucky, but uninitiated, boy shouted this reassuring greeting, several of these seasoned old fellows raised up partly and looked around, and one of them
