ON THE RETREAT

CHAPTER XII

FROM Gettysburg we fell back toward Hagerstown and occupied a very strong defensive line, and remained here for several days waiting for Gen. Meade to come on if he proposed to follow up his success. However we remained there and finally left without being molested, and President Lincoln remarked that, "it seemed his generals were doing all they could to get Gen. tee across the Potomac without a fight." We left Hagerstown, and I have clear recollection that it was an all night march in the rain, the road working up into slush and mud under the tread of the thousands of feet passing over it, making it extremely disagreeable and unpleasant. Coming near the Potomac opposite "Falling Waters"1 tired, foot-sore, wet, hungry, and literally frazzled out, our division lay down in the old field in the edge of which was an apple orchard. My brigade occupied the apple orchard, everybody stretched out under the trees fast asleep, their guns and clothing wet, muddy and dirty; they presented a pitiable spectacle indeed. I took my old horse a little way out in the field back toward Hagerstown to "graze", as he had been without anything to eat for some time and I was sorry for him and wanted to give him a chance (Page 106) to get at least a bite of grass. Everything was calm and still and my old horse was nibbling his grass for dear life and I was enjoying seeing him devour it with so much eagerness, when suddenly I caught a glimpse of something on the hill just beyond me that at once riveted my attention and brought me to my feet in a jiffy, for there on that hill within a stone's throw was a company of Yankee cavalry forming in line to make a charge on our boys lying asleep in the apple orchard, whom they mistook for stragglers. Straining my eyes to their fullest capacity that I might not be mistaken I realized in a second what was coming and ran with all my strength toward my sleeping comrades, shouting as I ran, "The Yankees! The Yankees!" As I jumped in among our fellows who were beginning to rouse up and rub their eyes, here were those cavalrymen right on my heels riding in among those "Rebels", cursing and swearing and shouting, "Surrender, you sons of guns!" The boys of my old brigade finding that they could not use their guns, because everything was wet from the night's rain, used them as clubs and knocked the Yankees off their horses and even pulled them off, and soon things were too hot for them and as many as could hurried back the way they came. Gen. Pettigrew, a brave North Carolina officer, was killed in the melee trying to rally some men who were disposed to be stampeded by a (Page 107) little handful of Yankee cavalry. Nothing is said of this little affair in history, as it is too insignificant, but it was exciting and interesting while it lasted. My old horse, I suppose, ran off with the fleeing Yankee cavalry as I never saw him afterwards. In other words he was a deserter; left me afoot and went over to the enemy. We recrossed the Potomac here at Falling Waters and marched to Martins-burg where we went into camp. From here we went to Culpepper Court House and remained there quite awhile. From there we marched to Orange Court House. There was considerable maneuvering between Gen. Meade and Gen. Lee about this time, each trying to strike the other a telling blow. Longstreet had been sent west to assist Gen. Bragg and this weakened our army to such an extent that Meade thought to use the opportunity in inflicting a damaging defeat. But Gen. Lee was too wary an antagonist to be caught off his guard.

Soon Gen. Lee assumed the aggressive and by a skillful move had Meade on the retreat. We followed rapidly and Meade continued to fall back until he reached Centerville about twenty or thirty miles from Washington. Gen. A. P. Hill in this pursuit overtook Warren's corps at Bristol Station and at once made an attack with two brigades, but was repulsed with considerable loss. During the night following Gen. Warren withdrew and joined (Page 108) Gen. Meade at Centerville. Gen. Lee had endeavored to cut Gen. Meade of f from Washington and inflict a defeat on him before he could get away. In this he failed as Meade was too fast for him. Now it was useless to pursue any farther as his army at Centerville was well fortified and even if driven out could easily fall back on Washington City. At Bristol Station where Gen. Hill made the attack on Warren we were lying in a skirt of woods just in the rear of the attacking party. There were some troops in the wood ahead, and a lot of camp followers and tramps between us and these troops. When the fighting opened between Hill's two brigades and Warren's command these troops commenced popping caps on their guns to clean out the tubes before loading, expecting every minute to be called on to assist those already engaged. Imagine several thousand men, hid by the woods and undergrowth, popping caps on empty guns all along the line-it produces a noise peculiar to itself. Anyway these stragglers and negro cooks thought so, and they broke for the rear in a wild rush, and as we were immediately in their path they ran squarely over us. Nothing could stop them. Neither commands nor threats had any effect. They were wild with fear. Some of our boys got an idea that something terrible was about to happen, seeing the wild stampede of that demoralized crowd of non-combatants and hear- (Page 109) ing the frightful noise made by the caps popping together with the rushing through the woods, the rattle of empty canteens, the clatter of frying pans and other culinary articles, all fleeing for dear life like a drove of Texas cattle, and as they bore down on us some of our men started to join the stampede. Officers drew their swords and waved them in the air threatening to cut down any man who moved from the ranks. In the hubbub many of the soldiers were literally borne along by this wave of fleeing stragglers and the officers would chase them with drawn weapons and force them back to their place in the ranks. I saw a private of Co. C, by the name of Dial do a gallant act. He put a cartridge in his musket, planted himself in front of his company, and called out, "Men this is only a stampede of some negro cooks and cowardly stragglers and the first man of Co. C. to break ranks I will shoot down on the spot." And his looks and actions showed that he meant what he said and soon the excitement was off and the men were laughing at the joke. For a few minutes it was anything else but a joke. A very small thing sometimes may produce a great result. A match may ignite a city, a small leak may cause a break that will devastate thousands of acres and cause untold destruction. So a very small matter may stampede an army and once started it is as hard to stop as a prairie fire. (Page 110) The pursuit of Meade being abandoned, Gen. Lee withdrew toward the Rappahannock River. As he did so he ordered the destruction of the railroad from Cub Run to the Rappahannock so as to embarrass any movement by Gen. Meade as much as possible. Reaching the river he occupied the south bank on both sides the railroad, Ewell on the right and Hill on the left and the cavalry on either flank, Longstreet being absent with the western army about Chattanooga. Gen. Meade endeavored to advance but had first to repair the railroad, which caused considerable delay. He arrived at the Rappahannock on the 7th of November, intending to force a passage of the stream. Gen. Lee not wishing to -be drawn into a general engagement withdrew behind the Rapidan. Here we went into winter quarters. But Gen. Meade was not content to suffer us to rest in quiet yet awhile. He thought he saw an opening to inflict a blow that would crush Lee's army. By crossing the stream at the lower fords which he detected Gen. Lee had left unguarded, and by a rapid movement thrust his army in between Ewell and Hill, he would crush them in detail. This was good generalship and might have worked all right with any one else besides Gen. Lee, but he was never to be caught napping in this style. Meade began his move on the 26th of November, and he had barely started before Gen. Lee had begun his preparations to meet (Page 111) him, being cognizant of his every movement. Ewell's corps was held in readiness at Orange Court House to advance as soon as Gen. Meade's plans should be deve1oped. On the 27th of November it was ascertained that he was moving toward Mine Run, a small stream emptying into the Rappahannock. Gen. Ewell's command was soon across his front and a sharp skirmish ensued. This was in the evening of the 27th of November. Ewell and Warren were busy with their formations and skirmishing until nightfall. During the night our corps, A. P. Hill's, came up and took position on the west side of Mine Run. Ewell also withdrew to the same side of the stream. Here we took our final stand to await Gen. Meade's wishes. Those who ought to know, say this position chosen by' Gen. Lee was most admirably designed for defense. Nature had so arranged it that no force or forces within reach of the Federals at that time could ever have taken .it. Anyway, after a careful reconnaissance Gen. Meade promptly concluded to withdraw and retrace his steps to the north side of the Rapidan. This was the end of operations for the year 1863, and both armies now settled down for the winter to await the opening of another spring. (Page 112)

Family Record and War Reminiscences
by William Frierson Fulton, Jr.
Livingston, AL, 1919
Transcribed by James W. Martin