Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1868-08-06

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now found himself placed, filled their leader with
painful anxiety and solicitude. Hehad the utmost
confidence in the patriotism and courage of the
material ofHhioh his, regiment was composed but
they were wanting in that discipline and training
which can onlybe acquired lin active campaigns,
where hourly emergencies and continual exposure
to attack, beget that mutual confidence in one an
other, and In their commander, without which the
bravest regiment how perfect soeyer in drill and
|exercise, is but an armed mob. .sHc." j !. ] .
r The trial to which he was now about to subject
The handful of brave men under his command was,
indeed, of q most terrible character. None but
veteran soldiers thoroughly Injured to all the dan
gers and vicissitude of actual conflict, could have
Been led to cope with overwhelming forces OF the
enemy, with any reasonable hope, in case Of deeat
of escaping utter decentralization. I,.,,1 i
The die, however, was cast. With q face as Sc
rene rs ifmsrching TO MEASURED victory, the brave
Colonel Giles hurried hiS men upon the carr, to
hasten to the point where the battle was to be
fought - = .l5ez..., ,isa' .Eaifsz9 I'd !.
: As the cry of !ssall aboard T. was given, q noun
ted scout, whoseho reeled under him, came gal
loping up with the latest news from the from.
A column Of the enemy, some twelve thousand in
number, advancing along the road from City Point,
had arrived within FIVE miles Of Walthal Junction.
It was now evident thatther design was to cut the
road, and prevent reiGfofcements Being sent from
Richmond, byrailway, before making their demon.
stration against Petersburg. 1t was q matter OF
doubt, indeed, whether or not the force under
Colonel Giles, could anticipate The enemy in reach
ing the Junction. The train, bearing bis command,
was liable to be intercepted and attacked by some
force thrown forward for that purposeY and the ut
most cireumspee6on was necessary ineeder to pre-
vent such o contingency. Several soldiers WERE
stationed on the roofs Of the cars with orders to
keep careful lookout for the enemy, and the tram
rolled on, bearing ax hundred brave men to
most desperate and unequal conflict q Avoiunteer
force of some fifteen or twenty cavalrymen consist
ing chiefly of soldiers enjoying .furloughs from
their commands hanging upon the TANKS Of the
enemy, watched all Their movements and promptly
reported all information gathered by them, which
might possibly be Of service to an officer charged
with the dificule duty of arfesting their advance.
Colonel Giles had ascertsined every afactin regard
to their numbers and movements, which twas, i'm
portant to know, and all that remained TO be- done
was to hasten forward and place his men in the
most advantageous position to, receive the attack
Of their advanced regimenta' Coloha GAes,i with
the caution of an old soldier, when he approached
the point where the enemy might Be expected tc
debouch upon the railway, .freqqentlyg gave the
signalfor the to pause that his lookouts upon
the roofs Of the cars might Be the better enabled
to examine the appearance Of affairs in froht and
closely scrutinize every thing Of O. suspicious ma
ture. Even a.group of fcountrymen, standing neal
the line Of railroad, few hundred yards ahead ID
the train, was closely examined through bus field.
glass, lest it might be straggers from portion ol
the enemy force, lying in wait to begin murder
fous attack upon the occupants of the cars SO soon
as the train should come within easy TaDge Of thail
fire. It was time of deep and painful suspense
Soldiers going into their first battle, Ignorant o
the position, and not knowing at what moment .
volley of musketry may be poured intotheir ranks,
may press onward with the confidence and dash ot
heroes, but the suspense is terrible and oyerp
ering They long for its termination, and the
heart leaps with feeling akin to relief, when the
suspense and silence are at an end, even though
Il tbey mayb broken by therattle of hostile mus
kerry, and the roar of cannon ploughing through
their ranks.
The station was nearly reached when the sol.
ders on the lookout deserted across the country,
at the distance of some miles, volumes of smoke
rolling upward from various points, marking the
route and progress Of the enemy. Their track
was shown along the sky by volumes Of smoke
rolling upward from ruined habitations, where the
torch was invoked to destroy all that the most IN.
satiabe rapacity was unable to appropriate; While
she soldiers were gazing at their track along the
sky, outbursts of famean smoke began to ascend
at nearer and nearer intervals, telling OF the on
L \ &c
'"Ini warfare, such as this, exclaimed Colone
Giles, who sat upon, the roof of car, with his
field -glassin his hand, 81 need no scoutto tel! me
of the position Of the enemy. The smoke along
the sky tells everything Their diaboical and say.
Eaee disposition, their movements and their ha.
tred wanton and merciless as it Is are allimprin.
ted upon thesky." "gs..y - Eg.5 30 3lt {, I5s;s =
The cars had paused temporarily on the track,
but the signal was now given to proceed, and 10
ten minutes the train had reached the junction,
and the soldiers, full of confdence and spirit,
poured forth from the cars, animated BY the hope
of soon meeting the enemy. "A small scouting
force lay between them and the !enemy, TO whom
orders were ut once sent notifying them OF the ar
rival Of the Confederate force at the junction. te
| the commander of which they were Instructed tc
lcommunicate everything of interest which should
occur. Feeling now secure of receiving timely in
formation of the enemy movements, 80 as to en-
able him to post his men at his leisure, GoL titles
rode forward to examine the ground in 'front.' saf'
lfering his men, in the meantime TO employ the IN
terval in any way they might desire. ....
The soldiers, quite weary of their long eontne-
ment upon the road, found this interval OF rest
especially grateful. .s-s,. =, bssse1r4, ..l@
The country upon which they now gazed, and
where they were destined to pass through some OF
the most marked and eventful scenes IN their his;
tory. was undulating and broken, with here and
there q spring of chrystal water breaking brightly
forth from the foot Of the bills and near each sil,
ver-gleaming fountain gathered some group OF sol-
diers with unslung canteens and open hayersacks,
carelessIy flung on the grass at their side, taking
their midday meal-to many, the last they should
ever enjoy on earth And yet, the song and the
lest went round, and the merry laugh was heard
on every side, from men around whom, IN brlef
interval, wall of deadly fame should play, and
long line of bristlng bayonets gather, seeking TO
crimson the hillside and the valley with the red
current Of life that now leaped 50 happily and
ioyously in their veins.
s:Oh strange and wonderful thing, that men can
feast so blithely, and pass the laugh and jest go
gayly, while the Angel of Death is swooping down
upon them in his dark and terrible wingsl Did
no guardian angel lay his spirit hand upon bis
mortal ward, and with an invisible touch in the
midst Of madness and mirth and gaiety, whisper
in his ear chilling pressntiment, that when the
eyes of Night next peered down upon the earth,
their wondering stare would rest upon his grave,
newly filed up ON the hillside Such thoughts
may have visited many one amid those laughing
groups, like hot and unhealthy exhalations that
rise from the roadside at night and flush our