Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 3.djvu/801

excelled service throughout the war. The howitzer battery was first under the command of Maj. George W. Randolph, at a later date secretary of war, served at the battle of Big Bethel, and in the latter part of April had 225 drilled men. Increased in numbers of men and guns, the battery was divided into three companies, and the Second, at first under command of Captain Hudnall, after the Peninsula campaign came under the leadership of Capt. David Watson. Subsequently Watson's battery; the Third howitzers, under Capt. B. H. Smith; the Powhatan artillery, Capt. W. J. Dance; the Rockbridge artillery, Capt. A. Graham; and the Salem artillery, Capt. A. Hupp (later Capt. C. B. Griffin), formed the First regiment Virginia light artillery. The Second howitzers served under the command of Col. J. Thompson Brown in the Maryland campaign, and a section aided Gen. J. E. B. Stuart in a demonstration at Williamsport, covering the crossing of Lee's army after the battle of Sharpsburg. At Fredericksburg the Second howitzers served under the command of the gallant John Pelham, repelling the dangerous advance of the enemy in the vicinity of Hamilton's crossing. This battery, as well as the others, was admirably managed and bravely fought. It went into action after marching all the previous night, and coming upon a field strewn with the wrecks of other batteries, behaved in a manner that elicited the praise of observers. The First artillery regiment rendered important service in the battle of Chancellorsville, where, after Colonel Crutchfield was wounded, Colonel Brown took command of the artillery of Jackson's corps. The regiment was under the command of Captains Watson and Dance. The fame which the First regiment and the Second howitzers had by this time obtained, was fully sustained by their effective service on the field of Gettysburg. Taking position on the ridge near the Lutheran cemetery on the second day, they became at once engaged; and on the third day they fought on the right of the Fairfield road. Colonel Brown reported, "the First Virginia artillery and a portion of Carter's and Nelson's battalions engaged the enemy's batteries in order to divert their fire from our infantry advancing from the right. This fire was well directed and its effect very noticeable." Subsequently when the army was withdrawn to the Hagerstown line, and the larger part of it had moved thence to cross the Potomac, an advance of the enemy was so firmly and gallantly met by Ramseur's men and the Second Richmond howitzers, so General Rodes reported, that the Federals fell back with a loss of many killed and wounded. During the campaign of 1864 the regiment was known as Hardaway's battalion. Col. J. T. Brown was in command of this battalion, Nelson's and Braxton's. On the 10th of May, after going through the Wilderness fight, the battery did very effective service at Spottsylvania Court House, and Major Watson was mortally wounded. On the 12th, where the battery did much to save the battle lines, Colonel Hardaway was wounded and Captain Dance took command of the battalion. Throughout the subsequent campaign, which ended with the Federal army crossing the James river, and all through the siege of Richmond and the final Appomattox campaign, the Second howitzers were distinguished for faithful and effective service. Robert S. Bosher, beginning his service with this gallant battery as a private, shared all of its battles, and at the time of the surrender at Appomattox held the rank of sergeant. Since