From the Richmond Dispatch, 5/24/1862, p. 3

An Omission

In our notice of the recent fight at Drury's Bluff published in this paper a few days since, we unintentionally omitted to mention the participation of the companies of Captains J. D. Pearce and Wm. N. Patteson from Lynchburg and Campbell respectively. These companies, together with those of Captains Sale, Bowyer, and Jones, owing to the urgency of the case, had been used as a fatigue party for several days previous to the fight; and on that memorable day were engaged in removing the obstructions caused by the caving in of the casemate over the best gun then in the battery. They were exposed for nearly three hours to a most terrific storm of shot and shell, being within 350 yards of the enemy's gunboats, and at point blank range. As an evidence of the destructiveness of the enemy's fire it may be well to add that all the casualties that occurred that day were at the point at which the above companies were employed.

Two men, M. Snead and Wm. L. Dodson, of Capt. Pierce's company, were slightly wounded; of Capt. Patteson's, John Lewis was slightly wounded.

Go to top