My War Record

My War Record

by 6. W. F. Hummer

Parc IV

About the 23rd of May '64, we were ordered to join Gen. Lee at Hanover Junction. Col. Norbourn Berkeley's family was living on a high hill three miles from Hanover C. H. in Caroline County. When Col. Berkeley heard that Gen. Lee was at Hanover Junction, fearing there might be a battle nea r Hanover Court House, andj thinking his family would be in danger, he told me to move them over into Hanover County where his brother William’s family lived. I moved them over as requested. They were now in the house near the old Fork Church in Hanover County, five miles from Hanover Junction. After getting my supper and getting my horse fed, I went to Hanover Juncj tion. I got there just as my I command was marching, pat. We marched all night, but only marched five miles, to Anderson's Turnout, where we were put in line of battle, in front of Gen. Grant’s army, two miles from where I had moved the Colonel’s family the day before. There had been cannonading during the night within the hearing of those families. I rode over to let them know that their friends were all alive and well. I found Gen. Lee’s line of battle close to the house, with four pieces of artillery about 400 yards from the house, pointing almost directly over the house. As soon as I told the Col. and Maj. where our line of battle was, and where the artillery was, they told me to move their families again. There were in that house seven women and twelve children, besides their servants. We had to take their provisions, clothes, and beds; it was eleven o’clock when we started and we went about twenty miles up into Goochland County, where we found an old lady living in a large house. She let them have all of the first floor, consisting of four large rooms and a wide hall, and the cellar for a kitchen. They stayed about two weeks; when they returned, the armies had left without a battle and had moved towards Coal