Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1866-03-03
", A. r 7 E II z.
General Longstreet and the Battle Of the
. WilHarnaaa
HIGHLY INTERESTING SKETCH OF THE
CAMPAIGN OF THE f" WILDERNESS"

an, hard fighting to be done After the Sec.
ond Maryland campaign we had been sent out
to the Army of Tennessee; our corps had
maintained the high reputation of the Vir-
ginia troops;" at the bloody battle of Chicka-
mauga the old Sharpsburg soubriquet was set
aside, and General Longstreet, no longer called
the MWar Horse," was generally known as
the "Old Bull of the Woods" Then cawe
the skirmishes of lie Noirs and the Camp
bells Station the siege Of. Knoxville and
the terrible winter of ls63-64, in desolate
East Tennessee
Our men had borne, unmumeringly, hard
ships greater than any to which ever they had
before been accustomed; they had not CON-
planned, although with insufficient food, with
out blankets, with ragged clothing, and, too,
often without shoes, they had tramped with
bleeding feet for many weary mile. On the
march, aud in the bivouac, during thefreezing
day and comfortless night, in hunger and in
thirst, they had been sustained by the remem-
brance of their dear Southern land. All
things however have an end, and in the spring
of 1864 we ioyfully returned to Virginia
On the Sd of May, 1864, we left our camps
rcsr Gordonsville, and on the night ofthe 5th
our two divisions -Meld's and Kershaw's-
went into bivouac few miles from the Will
derness. by daybreak in the morning the
troops were again in motion, and marching
towards the field of battle The Federal
troops made fierce attack upon the right of
General Lees line and had been repulsed. L.
Again they came on and in increased force,
until at last Heath's and Wilcox's divisions,
in spite of their steady and determined fight
ing, were driven back in confusion. With
cheer the Federal troops pushed forward our
exhausted men could do no more; there seemed
no hope of further successful resistance, but
there was cloud of dust on the road, and
General .Longstreet followed by his column,
came rapidly on. Kershaw's division was in
advance; without halting, the men filed into
lline, and charged with furious yell.
Nothing could stand before thcm-they
were inspired with furious, unhesitating valor;
The onset Of the enemy was checked and the
next moment they were being slowly driven
back. Repeatedly did the Federal officers
bring up their shattered regiments reinforce
ments were put in only to be speedily broken,
and the arrival of Fields division and the
magnificent body of men commanded by Gen.
Robert Anderson, enabled Gen. Lee to re-
establish his line. We lost heavily, many Of
our most gallant men had fallen, but the re-
verse Of the early morning had been retrieved
and our success was so far complete.
1t is wel-known that the section of coun-
try usually called the Wilderness" is COW
cred with dense growth of pines, the under
growth of bushes and briars being so matted
and tangled that it is very difficult to force a
way through it, while at distance of forty or
fifty yards the form of man could scarcely be
distinguished by any but quick sighted OBJ
server. The Federals were now resting COM
paratively quiet, taking, perhaps, a long breath
before "trying it on" again, but they were
not to have it all their own way, and we, in
turn, became the aggressors. Nlahoue's brig
ade, with, think, two others, was ordered to
move around and attack Grants left; Gems.
lee and Longstreet lying OF the ground near
the plank road. quietly awaiting the result.
The rapid firing told us quickly that the
" boys" were at them; and before long a
mounted officer rode up to announce the sue
cessful completion Of the movement Grants
left had been routed and driven bac, on the
centre, and the plan now was to make g vigor-
Gus assault while the iron was hot, and so
finish the work before us. The Whole of our
corps was in readiness to move, and General
Jiongstreet and staff rode down the plank road
whore portion of the corps was already formed
so columns. We had ridden but short dis
tance, when Lieutenant Colonel G.. NJ. s.,
Assistant Adjutant General of the first army
corps, joined us.
He had accompanied the Asnkng party,