by Colonel J. E. Dart
Mr. Editor-
In this article I approach a subject so fraught with all those noble attributes that go forth to make up all that was brave, unselfish and reaches out and leaves an impression of worthy deeds amidst the everyday life of men, often so little appreciated and so soon forgotten.
I would wish that an abler pen than mine should write the history of J. S. Blain, as a soldier, physician and citizen, but the duty is left to me, and if I fail to do full justice to his character, it is not the want of fidelity to his memory, but for want of ability.
In the early fifties his family moved to Brunswick. He was then a medical student, I think at Augusta or Penfield, Ga. As a boy I knew him and was deeply attached to him.
When the (Brunswick) Riflemen were first mustered into service on May 27, 1861, for 60 days, Captain B. F. Harris was elected Captain and we did duty in and around Brunswick.
At its re-organization on July 27th., 1861, Blain was elected Captain, N. Dixon 1st. Lieut. Charles Flanders 2nd. Lieut. and Joseph Hernandez 3rd. Lieut.
Our first duty was at the South end of Cumberland and , after the evacuation of Fernandina, we were transferred to Smith Island on the Savannah River in charge of a six gun battery where we remained untill the latter part of June 1862, when ordered to join our regiment the 26th. Georgia in Virginia, where we arrived on July 1st. the date of the battle of Malvern Hill. Our first experiences of real war-fare was on our march to join our regiment which had been through the terrible seven days battle. Dead men were passed lying unburied, broken muskets, abandoned cannons and all the horrible panoply of "War's grim visaged front."
A few of the boys were anxious to go to the front where real fighting was to be had, but the facts are that those "enthuasista" never fired a shot.
Then came the campaigns resulting in the second battle of Manassas. After the battle of Cedar Mountain, when our corps checked Pope's advance, Gen. Jackson fell back to await the remainder of the army watching the movements of McClellan at Harrison's Landing, on the James River.
As soon as General Lee became aware of the transfer of McClellan's Army to join Pope on the Rappahannock, the remainder of the army was set in motion to re-enforce Jackson. Watching Pope, General Lee conceived the bold plan of detaching Jackson's corps for a flank movement around Pope's right flank and seize his communication with Washington. Jackson's corps was composed of the division of Ewell (our brigade under Gen. A. R. Lawton) the division of A. P. Hill and his old division (Jackson) under command of Brigadier General Taliferro, pronounced Tollivar. The march was rapid 60 miles in two days. At Manassas Junction a vast supply of stores had been accumulated for the use of Pope's army. The stores were captured that night, August 26th., and after the boys had supplied themselves with everything they could carry they were destroyed 50,000 pounds of bacon, 1,000 barrels of corned beef, 2,000 barrels of pork, 2,000 barrels of flour and vast quantaties of other supplies.
Now let us refer to the second battle of Manassas. General Jackson's whole corps did not exceed 25,000 men, General Longstreet was two days march or about 40 miles away. Pope, with 70,000 was trying to press Jackson before the arrival of Longstreet, in fact he, (Pope) was so certain of Jackson's defeat or capture, he sent a dispatch to Washington stating that the enemy was retreating in the mountains. But Jackson was not retreating, he was simply holding the enemy in check until he could form a new line near Groveton in an unfinished railroad cut (Jackson's report). With Trimble's and Lawton's brigades advancing from the woods to the open field, moving in galant style, both lines stood opposed to the discharge of artillery and musketry. The loss on both sides was heavy, and among our wounded was Major General Ewell and Brigadier General Taliferro.
In this sanguinary engagement was the Brunswick Riflemen, Captain Blain, Commander. He (Blain) was the first surgeon, though holding the rank of Captain, to reach General Ewell, and although wounded himself, gave instructions to have him removed to the rear. To show the loss in Lawton's brigade, there were out of the Brunswick Riflemen, but two unhurt, and those were Sergeant Sam Brockington, and a boy by the name of McLemore. No wonder General Jackson in his official report says, "The conflict here was fierce and sanguinary." And if I dwelled too much on his character as a soldier, I can give as an excuse, "a life that is worth writing at all, is worth writing minutely."
On our march in 64, down the Shennandoah Valley, as we approached Kenniston, we found enemy strongly posted on both sides of the Turnpike. To the left or west, they were in strong force occupying a hill, protected by a battery of artillery. General Gordon instructed Colonel Blain, (he having been appointed Colonel) to take his regiment, the 26th Georgia Regiment, and drive the force in his front to the right or east of the Pike, so as to act in concert with Breckenridge's Division, which was to assault the hill on the left.
I can plainly see Col. Blain pictured on memory's page, as he aligned his two regiments for the charge. He was riding a beautiful black mare, and as he rode from one end of the line to the other, giving instructions to the various officers, he appeared the incarnation of a soldier. Riding to the right of our line, he said to Lieut. Dart, "Take your sharpshooters and develope the position of the enemy." Soon the crackle of musketry was heard in the woods in front, and we knew the skirmishers were heavily engaged, then came the order forward, double quick! charge! We over ran the sharpshooters who fell into line (those who were left) and found a heavy line of battle behind a stone fence. There was Colonel Blain, hat in hand, in front, leading his men in the charge. He was almost as much in danger from his own men as from the enemy's in front. As he spurred his horse to leap the fence, the horse fell, pierced with two bullets, but extricating himself from the fallen horse, he led us on foot. (To our left, it was then growing dark) we could trace Breckenridge's advance up the hill by the flashes of the muskets. Soon the rebel yell was heard and we answered in chorus. Breckenridge had carried the hill and the enemy in front were in full retreat. The colonel came up to the writer and asked; "Jake, have you any water?" I answered, "Yes Sir". Then I asked, "Where is your canteen?" and turning his canteen around, he said "One of those blue coats has sent a bullet through it and spilled all the water," and sure enough a bullet had passed through the canteen near the bottom, letting out all the water.
In my next I shall continue his military career up to the time he was so seriously wounded near Harper's Ferry, then his life as physician, citizen, and friend.
J. E. Dart
By Col. J. E. Dart
I think it was the 2nd. of July, 1864, of which I wrote in the preceding article.
Kenniston is about two and one-half or three miles from Winchester, and Martinsburg about twenty-two miles from Winchester, due north. As strange as it may appear, there was a very pronounced union sentiment in Martinsburg, and they had prepared a bountiful 4th. of July dinner for General Siegel and his officers; but after his defeat at Kinneston, before spoken of, he did not stay for dinner but crossed the Potomac in all haste.
We arrived at Martinsburg late on the evening of July 3rd. Sutler's stores were hidden in cellars and in charge of Union sympathizers, but we soon caught on to the game and all public property or Government property was soon our property. It was a grotesque sight to see an old Confederate in tattered jacket, with a broadcloth coat on and patent leather boots. Some even had beaver hats.
I remember going down into a cellar of a house owned by a German, a little boy told several of us that Sutler's stores were in that cellar. We at once proceeded to investigate in spite of the protest of a buxom German Lady and, upon going into the cellar we found kegs of butter, cheese and all manner of other food. I wanted some butter and finding nothing better than the head of a keg, I proceeded to place on it all it would hold for it was very soft. When I reached the head of the stairs, who should I meet but the German woman, and without a word she tipped the keg-head butter and all, into my face. I was besmeared with butter from head to foot, and I have never been very fond of soft butter since.
There were several Union ladies who had prepared a bountiful repast for the Union officers the next day.
Captain N. Dixon, Lieut. Dart and other officers called at a very imposing residence and asked for something to eat. The lady of the house told them she was a Union Lady, but as her friends had left in haste, and she had more than the family could consume, they could go in and help themselves; and such a feast of roast turkey, pork and all that partook of an old Virginia family and their proverbial hospitality, even if they were Unionists.
With all these gala day festivities we little reckoned of what a few days would issue in. First came the fight of the 6th of July at Maryland Heights, then on the 9th. at Monocacy, near Frederick City, where we were told cavalry werein front, but as our brigade advanced across an open wheat field, we were soon under fire of a masked battery and in a deep cut where a division of the Sixth Corps (Sedgewick's) our old antagonist upon many a hard fought field under General Lew Wallace, author of "Ben Hur." Our losses were frightful, one half of our brigade then under command of General Evans (but recently gone to join his old comrades, full of honor as a soldier, full of Godlike charity as a Christian).
Colonel Charles Lamar, of the 61st. Georgia was instantly killed. Major Van Walkenburg, of the same regiment, and General Evans, severely wounded. As General Evans fell from his horse, he was very near me. The litter bearers rushed up to take him from the field, but one of the bearers was instantly killed, and I took one side of it to help him off the field. He and I had often spoken of the occurrence.
It was an ill advised movement to send one brigade of about 800 men to fight 10,000 veteran troops of the Army of the Potomac, and they in a chosen position, while just across the river (Monocacy) were 13,000 Confederates, silent lookers-on of the desperate and heroic struggle of their comrades on the other side with not a piece of artillery to aid them. After a while Hay's brigade was sent across the river to aid us, then Terry's brigade of Virginians, under Colonel Peck, who got an enfilade fire down the road on the enemy's right flank which soon stampeded them and the field was ours, but at frightful cost. I saw a shrapnel shell strike one of the sharpshooters and explode, leaving not enough of him to bury.
I recall another strange incident; on the field after the enemy's retreat, I saw a young man kneeling by the side of one whose left leg had been carried away by a shell and I asked him if I could do anything. He either said "get a doctor" or "I want a doctor", I cannot say which. He said the injured man was his brother, and in just a short while he was dead.
The anxiety on that brother's face as he bent over his dying brother made a deep impression on me.
Some years after the war my sister married while on a visit to friends in another city and when she and her husband came to visit the family, there was some indefinible likeness to him. "I have seen you somewhere, your face is is familiar;" but in my mind I could not locate when or where. In conversation about the war, I found that he belonged to the 12th. Georgia Battalion, attached to our brigade, and I related to him the occurrence of what I saw on the field of Monocacy, about one brother bending over the other. Then in a moment it was clear it was (Doc?) Stallings, now at the quarantine station, and his brother.
I perhaps have digressed too far from the original subject, as I go back again to the solider career of Col. J. S. Blain, for a while after the Washington fiasco.
Whose fault it was we did not capture the City the first evening we arrived before it, is a mystery, which will perhaps remain forever unsolved. We fell back in and around Winchester. Sometime in the early part of September, 1864, Crook and Averill's federal cavalry became very aggressive and it was determined by quick flank movement on their right to cut off their retreat to Harper's Ferry, and capture them as our cavalry force with us was far inferior to their own. Infantry was to be used. At daylight we began the turning movement of our brigade (Gordon's) on the left. It was a running fight; we would drive them up one hill only to see them in position on another, opening with artillery and musketry.
Late in the evening as Colonel Blain was leading his regiment to charge a hill, a shrapnel shell exploded in front; he turned his head slightly to the right and as he did so a fragment barely missed his head and striking him upon the right shoulder, tore off the upper portion. I think Sergeant John Spears was the first to reach him, and with others bore him from the field.
And it can be truly said of him, "He who did well in war just earns the right to begin doing well in peace."
How well he is entitled to that distinction, let his presence around the couch of some suffering loved one in the many homes of Brunswick attest. His very appearance in the sick room was the harbinger of relief and hope.
I saw an old letter a few days ago breathing the inspiration of all that was noble in man's character. There was an only little girl, the light of a household. One night she awoke tossing on a feverish couch. Dr. Blain came, and with that frankness which was proverbial with him, told the father that it was a desperate case. He remained for two days and nights, except at short intervals for needed rest and when the dread summons came, and those little waxen hands were closed forever over the pulseless heart, his sorrow mingled with that of mother and father. A few days after the father recieved the following letter.
"Dear J: Please find enclosed receipted bill for services rendered in your great loss. Accept same in the spirit it is intended. I grieve with you. May God temper your great sorrow."
As ever, your friend.
J. S. Blain
I remember so well our last hunt together. He was fond of the chase, in crossing a swamp where often we had been led in the chase after the antlered buch. He turned to me and said "Jake, this is our last hunt, We have tented for the last time on the old camp ground."
It was pathetic. We had campted together for the last time here, but thank God, there is another and a better world.
If I have shown too much of my own feelings and appreciation of my comrade in war and friend from boyhood, I please that no word of mine could do full justice to a character as pure and unsullied as his, as soldier and citizen.
His lifework was ended in the very zenith of its usefulness in behalf of suffering humanity, and he died as brave as he lived.
Many men in all ages, have triumped over death and led it captive, converting its physical victory into a moral victory for themselves--into a seal and immortal consecration for all their past life had achieved.
Such was J. S. Blain.
J. E. Dart
The preceding "Life of J. S. Blain" is reproduced from a type-written copy provided by James Blain of Burke, Virginia, whose is the Great Grandson of James Simeon Blain. According to Mr. Blain, "I have an extensive article entitled "Life Story of Dr. James S. Blain", by Colonel J. E. Dart (It might be an H or M as the middle initial, but Private J.E. Dart was part of the original roster, and a Private Jacob Dart (the author is known to be nicknamed Jake) surrendered with the troops at Appomattox) that probably was written for the Brunswick newspaper shortly after my great-grandfather's death in 1886."
Last Updated: Feb. 4, 1998