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Battle of Wilson's Wharf

......Captain James Breckinridge...('s regi)..ment being in front, we charged the ......before dismounting, the detail from our squadron being at the head of the regiment. Afterward we dismounted and formed the line of battle, and charged through a piece of woods up to the breastworks, on the right and was repulsed. As we fell back, four of our company carried back Joseph Grayson, of Company K, Albemarle Troops , who was mortally wounded. Color Sergeant Peachy Gilmer Breckinridge, who commanded the detail from Company B, Wise's Troop, from Lynchburg, was also wounded in the right arm in this first charge. We were afterwards marched under heavy artillery fire from the gunboats. The shells looked like turkey gobblers flying over. There was also heavy infantry musketry around to the left of our line adjoining the Fifth North Carolina Cavalry, behind a high rail fence. Several hours elapsed before we made the last charge on the fort through an old field with fallen trees, with limbs sharpened, stakes and abbatis. When the signal gun was fired for the charge over the fence we went up to the breastworks, but were repulsed. At this point Major Peachy G Breckinridge was killed. Of the ten men detailed from Company C, Second Virginia, two or three held the lead horses; the rest were wounded - viz, Samuel White, wounded and taken prisoner, his life being saved by giving the Masonic sign; Sandy White, James Denton, George Denton, Cephus Switzer and Haslet Kyle. I was lucky not to be hurt. Sergeant John A. Biggs got a trucker's wagon and took our wounded back to Richmond under a flag of truce. The description of the fight given by Colonel Paul B Means is the first I ever saw in print. The few of us who are left can testify as to this being one of the worst fights of the war. It had been reported by the Charles City Troop that there were not more than three or four companies of negro troops at the fort, but we found when we reached there they had heavily reinforced by the gunboats and infantry to about 6,000 troops. Very truly yours, Charles T Price Company C, Second Virginia Cavalry, Munford's Brigade - (from a torn newspaper clipping notated by Sarah Robertson, granddaughter of Gilmer and Julia, from the Fincastle Herald, 1865)