Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1868-07-16
riasF HoIn chem. Yon beloved ike a. bull; calf

v
:! siWhy, dspmoney' to buy dat boy to tote you
gun iEnty you know / tell you; I Ican' Z keep VI
when you white folks charge dem yankees r. re
piled Pompey. '1'o2s foSIr.2@
| rf'Yss, Pompey, Fisawt the Colonel about lit, Nre
piled dHaryeywho Wasdsposed to practiceo theme
gro fears Sand ho says no soldier must have ,nort
than oneEboy to Waiton hmsaiW Whenever you an
killed, Victor can draw the money to- buy aboy II
yoar place, but not I'LL them! yu:yi, II oL.@ III
u .What good dat gWine to do me, WhenI dead
No, Mass Vic; when you go toIfgh, you haye!te
lebe me behind tocook gainst younner come back.
In idle talk like this the day passed away. -
Groups of soldiers were ;iounging all around the
tents. Some were busy with the thread and nee.
die, patching aren't; others we're playing cards,
and others again, gathered in groups were suo.
king their pipes while the frequent and noisy
laugh,toldp Of good fellowship and jOvial disposi'
tions on which danger, Absence hard fare and dis.
comfort, made but little impression. Afew, inthe
retirement of their tents, or withdrawn apart from
the crowd to some comparatively deserted spot,
were writing home to friends and relatives those
mute messengers that were 80 anxiously longed
for.sisS z!S ,%.sdaf-.a g.@,tog 10 ESD .4.I! =.
Victor had just completed a letter to his wid:
owed mother, enclosing in it the ring whose pur-
chase had indirectly led to the detection Of the er
ring and unfortunate Isolette. and giving graphic
detail of the many incidents that had befallen him
since his first partial induction into soldier 8 life
and the thoughtful youth, remembering tho hard
necessity that sat, but half hidden. at the moth
er's hearth, enclosed his bounty, which had just
been paid him, and all Of the unexpended fund
which had been furnished him to pay any expense
he might incur while tracking up thespies whom
tested the city. 1t was the first pecuniary aid he
had ever been able to render her to whom he owed
so much, and prayer went with his little gift that
it might tighten or remove care, orsuppy need
ed want. He had just completed his letter when
word was brought him that, at sunset, he was to
20 on picket The letter was re-opened, and his
pencil resumed to add postscript, telling of the
new duty to which he was appointed, but q mo
ment's thought made him fear that such intelli-
gence might occasion unnecessary sohcitude, and
the letter was reclosed sealed and delivered at the
regimental post office. -.. -. ........ q, -.
Going on picket for the first time, is something
Of an event to young soldier especially, when
the enemy forces lie near, and there is every pros
pect of a collision. To keep the soldier ever on
the alert, their superiors seldom fail to- employ
their efforts to impress upon them the imminence
of an attack while on post, and q young recruit
who has not heard the cry of wolf raised, day after
day, in vain, until it falls on callous ears seldom
goes to his post without experiencing those very
vivid sensations which exposure to danger and the
stern responsibilities of his situation quite natural
y excite. .-,....g ...,........ .-........r n
The detachment with which Victor went forth,
consisted of about thirty men, mere cautionary
guard, not deemed sufficient to repel the landing
of the enemy, should they come in force; but SER
wing only to give the alarm and prevent the camp
being taken, by surprise. The post which they
were ordered to hold lay some three miles in ad-
7ance of the lines, upon the sea-ward side OF the
Island, accessible in barges and boats to the enemy
who held the Islands lying upon the open sea-
Between the point where the picket line was es-
tablished, and the Islands which the enemy held
in force, lay wide marsh, through the midst OF
which flowed creek which separated the islands,
and through which, at full tide, the waters Of the
sea rushed in and covered the whole marsh.
The course by which the detachment was led,
carried them through lands which had, ut no dis
tant day, been under cultivation; and many of the
fields we're surrounded with bitches, on the high
banks of which, thick hedge-rows, formed OF a
small thorny bush resembling the yeopon, served
in the place of the usual rail fence to protect the
fields from the depredations Of cattle. Some OF
these fields had been under skilful and profitable
cultivation up to the beginning of the war, but
large proportion of the way lay through old fields,
thinly covered with diminutive pines, with here
and there magnolia or oblolly bay, and OCCASION
al dense patches of the thorny shrub, spoken OF
above. After awhile, the detachment was halted
and ordered to break ranks and rest until the sun,
which was just setting, should disappear, and the
deeper shades of evening render it safe to advance
to relieve the detachment whose place they were
sent to supply. "A few scattered old field pines
were still around them, and served as shelter
from the view of the enemy. ...s.. .......
The soldiers in groups scattered themselves a
round, most of them lying upon the ground in
few feet of the spot where the line stood when dis
missed ready to sprngto their places again at the
word of command Victor advanced to the edge
of the scattered growth of pines, about one hun
dred yards to the front, and there the enemy were
for the first time in his soldier life within his view.
There was nothing to intercept or break the view.
Clear to the edge of the marsh, which was but
half mile from where he stood, the land was low
and level, and covered, only here and there, by
dense green patches of tborny plant, which sci,
dom rosa above three feet in height About halt
way between himself and the larger marsh, which
separated the island on which he stood from that
occupied by the enemy, the island was intersected
lby an oozy creek which was covered with water
only when the tide was up 1t communicated with
the marsh on the right, and running up into the
island, for few hundred yards, formed narrow
peninsula Of about two hundred and fifty yards,
near the point of which the picket line was usually
stationed. Just at the head Of this creek, to the
left of the spot where Victor now stood, was the
Grimball House, so called from planter of that
name by whom it had been occupied previous te
the war. The soldiers sent to picket this portion
of the island, found their way to the peninsula BY
turning the head of this creek just at the building
referred to, and by turning to the rightand march
ing some four or FIVE hundred yards, took their ap
pointed post on the extremity ofthe peninsula
One great risk they ran was that of being cut OF
hy force landed in their rear for the oozy creek
was too miry to be crossed by man or beast. Al
the extremity of the peninsula was struggling
growth of trees, covering perhaps half an acre
but the growth. op the remaining portion was 81
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