The Battle of Glendale by Douglas Crenshaw

Author:Douglas Crenshaw
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing Inc.
Published: 2017-09-17T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 10

HAVOC AT RANDOL’S GUNS

Cadmus Wilcox’s brigade had arrived around 2:00 p.m. It was clear that Federal troops were in his front, and his brigade, along with Pryor’s and Featherston’s, was ordered to advance about one mile to the edge of the woods. He was to the left of Jenkins, across the Long Bridge Road. His brigade had a clear field in front of them. Wilcox threw skirmishers out, feeling for the enemy, and waited in position for three hours. Around 5:00 p.m., Federal artillery began firing; “shot and shell passed over and fell beyond us, some exploding near us.” One of his batteries returned the fire, but owing to the wooded terrain, little damage was incurred by either side. Around 5:40 p.m., Wilcox saw Hunton’s (Pickett’s) brigade moving across the open meadow, and then he was ordered to form his brigade in the field, while Featherston was to his left, shifting to the left to reach Huger, who was expected to be attacking.130

Ordered by Anderson to press forward, Wilcox was instructed to shift to the left to keep in touch with Featherston. He was ordered forward and again was told to shift to the left. One more time he received both instructions. Following this confusion, he ultimately was ordered to press forward. Wilcox knew nothing of the strength of the enemy in his front and knew little of the terrain. Then the command came: “Forward…every man was on his feet, and with a savage yell sprang into the opening. With all possible speed” they rushed forward through the field, “guided alone by the artillery fire of the enemy,” which passed over them, still causing little damage. Soon they entered more woods, which were so “thick with undergrowth that a forward movement in line of battle was impractical.” By constantly adjusting his angle of approach, Wilcox was able to reach a more open area. Wilcox said that the trees and undergrowth were so thick that he couldn’t see his men on the left or on the right. Randol’s guns were blasting away at them. Many of his men “had their lives snuffed out by iron missiles hurled from those blazing cannon.” Still they pressed on. Two of his regiments, the 9th and 10th Alabama, had crossed over the Long Bridge Road where it curved and joined Jenkins in the attack on Cooper’s battery. The 8th and 11th Alabama, plus four companies of the 6th South Carolina, stayed to the left of the road, which descended and crossed a small stream. The area was boggy, “with a dense growth of trees in it, rendering it difficult for the regiments on this side to make their way through it.” The cannons of Alanson Randol’s six-gun Battery E of the 1st U.S. Regulars had been facing toward the attack on Cooper, but now they were turned toward the Alabamians. Thompson joined in with his six guns. Behind Randol’s guns, between them and their caissons, were the 4th, 7th and 11th Pennsylvania Reserves. The

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