The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1869-08-05
"Reminiscences of tho War.

"reminiscences of the War.
The recollection of General Wade
Hampton's foray upon General Grants
beefpen in the fall of 1864, is still fresh
in the minds of the men who lay for 80
long q time half starved in the trenches
around Petersburg. 1t was quite bril-
liant and well.executed affair. Hamp-
toms chief scout, Sergeant Shadbourne,
of tho Jeff Davis legion of cavalry, had
made a daring reconnaissance into the
enemy's lines, and ascertained the exact
position of the beefpen, and assured the
General that he could guide our command
within q mile OF the camp of the cavalry
guard detailed by Grant to watch his
neat supplies. He was perfectly familiar
with all the roads and by-paths leading
to Sycamore Church, at which poirt the
animals were being grazed. So We wero
marched to within ten miles of the church
and halted to rest men and horses, and to
perfect the details OF the next mornings
work. Pickets were posted, the scouts
sent out to scour the roads leading to the
church, and the weary command lay down
to sleep. Some hours before daylig ght the
bugle sounded merly "to horse,'' and off
we trotted, feeling confident that our ex-
perienced leader was up to something
which would rebound to the glory of our
arms and the benefit of our cause. just
as day dawned the charge was sounded,
and tho front regiment dashed ahead up
On the enemy's vidctte and inso the camp
cf the sleeping Federals, Shadburne and
his gallant band of scouts at the head.
The enemy's vidette fred his piece, rous-
ed his comrades, and the shots few thick
and fast for while. The wild shout Of
victory was but the death-krell to some
OF the bravest spirits there, and many of
the men and officers of both sides were
killed. A hasty prayer for the Aeeting
spirits of their dying comrades, and the
men dashed on to where the vast herd of
splendid cattle stood stupidity gazing at
the wild route into which their Federal
protectors were plunged. And then be-
gan the plundering Of the rich commits
sary and sutler stores Men were seen
everywhere smoking the finest cigars,
drinking toasts to fine liquors, laden down
with blankets, boots, butter, cheese, and
a confused mass, such as only hungry,
halffamshcd rebel plundcring Yankee
camp could gather up. The camp having
been thoroughly ransacked, Hampton or
dercd his Gcnerals-Rosser, Dearng and
w. H. F. Lee-to get their men together,
and then camo the command, "back to
camp" Colonel White, ssot tho flowing
locks" in the advance with his splendid
battalion of Virginia cavalry Then came
the balance of Rosser's command, then
Dearing, and far in the rear, to keep dam
GER away from the bovine prisoners, 1890
strong-came W. H. F. Lee, with bis di.
vision. The sun was sinking in the West,
but not down, when courier from White
announced that he had met the enemy's
cavalry on the Jerusalem plank road, and
they wcre too many tor him. The spurs
we're dashed into the sides Of the horses,
and soon the wild yell announced that
Rosser's troopers had made charge under
the lead of that daring General. AS Gen
eral Hampton spurred to the scene of ac-
ton a courier was met, "on foaming
steed," from Rosser, saying ho had dis
mounted his men and foughs on foot until
not ten rounds of ammunition remained
to the man. Courier after courier was
dispatched to hurry up General Lee. The
cattle wero turned off into another road,
and in the mean timo our horse artillery
had been placed in position to respond 10
the shots of tho enemy. Who that was
there can ever forgot the wild grandeur
of that scene? The sun shedding it's part
ing beams upon tho battling hosts, the
heavy plunging of the shot and shell
through the ranks of men and horses, the
waving of battlo-hags, the galloping Of
staff officers and couricrs over the field
tho defiant shouts of our men calling to
the Yankees to "come and get some beef
for supper" all made up scence strange
ly mingling the sublime and the ridicu,
lous. Thc enemy left our front just at
dark, and we quietly took up our line OF
march to camp. The hungry infantry in
the the trenches received the news of our
good fortune with shouts of joy, and they
did not call in question the fighting quail,
ties of the cavalry any more. And yet
we had only kept up the brilliant reputa-
ton they had always given US as foragcrs.
Never had such steaks and roasts been
seen in the army since our Pennsylvania
campaign. 1t is needless to add that
everybody enjoyed the ocef-Natehe-
Democrat.
USE OF LEMoNs.-Halrs Journal of