The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1882-09-28
THE SECOND MANASSAS.
hoS FROM one OF the Great Battles ,,,
the Civil War.
'"' r. w. MMasttr, in Giulsstou uerIhy

imen', when dying from wound at t6.
oa'tie OF Cherubusco, that he replied r.
some comrades who were attending him
Leave me and let me die! Go and
ueiend the honor of Fairfield ~ II wa.
WIN me same sort of spirit the Confeder.
M @.e solhier died, and the survivor of the
confederate cause feels similar impulse
10 vlndicate the honor of his State hv
reci'ing the deeds Of her soidiery.
SOUTH CAROLINA
iulhishcd ii'tT distinct regiments during
me war, besides number of batteries
al! separate companies. but their histo.
~ Is So lntermingled with larger bodies
OF men that it is difficult matter ia
make any detailed account, especially of
our infantry regiments, which had none
OF tue individuality, none of the nano.
ramlc scenes that attach to other branch.
es sol the service and render them more
attractive to the Imagination. The in.
iantry Is literally the food for gunpow.
uer ana presents generally in all wars
.he same sombre and sickening view of
.he COLLISION OF masses of men slaughter.
| ing each other with ball and bavonet,
All that can be done by the chronicler
OF the history of individual regiments is
to recite the details of its battles and the
number of it's slain.
THoRoUGHFARE GAP.
Two or three days before The battle of
second Manassas, Jackson with 10000
men passed the Rappahannock few
miles above Waterloo Bridge and got in
The rear of Popes army, seized the stores
AZ Manassas, and Pope, confident of victo.
ry, prepared TO attack him. Jackson took
advantage of the railroad embankments.
and on the 2Sth of August, 1862, repell.
ei the Federal army as:s::c. t,ooaT hs,:,z
at this time the Seventeenth Regiment
III Longstreets Corps, composed of four
companies from York, two from Cheste;
two from Barnwell, one from Fairfield
ana one from Lancaster, was nasteninp
through Thoroughfare Gap to the support
OF Jackson: The distant booming of ar
tlllery betokened heavy work ahead.
The constant command of the officers
to "close up" the wild scenery of the
Gap and the occasional view Of a dead
Confederate soldier produced strange
and solemn impression upon the men, the
great majority of whom had never been
in regular battle
But bravely and earnestly they march
ed on, never doubling that victory would
reward their suffering. About sundown
the Seventeenth reached the little village
of Groveton and the firing had partially
ceased. After short rest, early in the
night, it marched across the railroad.
down the turnpike and into field. cross.
ed and recrosscd Bull River Pickets
were thrown out silently and carefully.
ttlr 40 I,IS raI H..
few yards ahead
We remained for some hours in corn
field and the men cut down some stalks
and rested rs well ms they could. The
air was cold and sharp and the silence
profound. About IL o'clock at night the
Twenty third Regiment joined US and the
ringing, merry voice of Col. Benbow was
heard: The cavalry charged US on the
turnpike and we did not leave seed of
them" This hopeful expression cheercd
the spirits Uf tile whole command. In &
short time we were ordered to n hillside
to the rear, amongst some trees, where
we rested all night.
AT MANASSAS.
Early in the morning the Seventeenth
was marched through the woods, about a
mile to the right, and changed from time
to time. About II O'Clock q. m. the brig.
adler in great excitement double uuicked
the regiment back again and formed il ~
skirt of woods adjoining an open field,
where there were some fostering bodies of
Federals killed the day before. The Sew
enteenth at this place was near the right
centre Of Longstreet's Corps, which was
perpendicular to Jackson's line on the
left.
Here we remained for some hours and
the impression began to gain ground that
it was too late to begin battle. But
about 8 o'clock p. m. firing began in the
distance aud ws knew that Jackson was
engaged. About an hour afterwards,
Stephen d. Lee, with twelve or sixteen
Napoleon guns charged up the hill, half
a mile to our left, and after running his
horses for hundred yards, would unlim-
ber his guns and fire on the enemy, who
were attacking Jackson's Corps then he
charged again and delivered another fire.
This was continued repeatedly until he
gained the crest of the hill. We had
full view of a number of brigades of the
enemy, who seemed to stagger and then
retreat from the fire. There was never
grander view On any battlefield and the
enthusiasm of the soldiers was wonder.
full. Cannon balls began to fly over our
heads.
Gen. Evans turned his brigade over to
Col. Stevens Of the Holcombe Legion,
the ranking officer, and we double quick
ed across field some three hundred
yards and entered body of woods,
through which the enemy's shells were
crashing. Occasionally n soldier was
killed or disabled, but We hurried on.
We went down hill and crossed branch
where we were in maner sheltered; we
saw here nearly one hundred dead bodies
of redlegged Zouaves whom Hoods
men had killed, and then skilfully moved
to the right to flank the heavy line of
battle on the crest of the hill.
4 MAGNIFICENT LINE OF BATTLE.
In rising the hill we had emerged from
the woods and were in an old field cover
ed with small pines, which seemed to be
q bay in the oak woods TO our rear and
right. In marching up the hill the can
non balls passed over us. Our lines were
dressed and remember, as Of yesterday,
on going up the hill, the musical voice
Of Col. Means addressing me faniliarly:
::1T'hut is magnificent line of battle"
These were the last words I ever heard
from his lips.
A minute later the left of our brigade
emerged from the pines into the open
field and 4 murdcrous fire was opened
upon us from brigade Of the enemy
Just in front. Col. Stevens gave the
command "Lie down." and in few mo-
men,s he dashed along the rear Of the
line crying out: "Charge!" Immedi-
ately We rushed forward, up the hill.
ri, % Twanfu. third E,inhtaenfh and mart