The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1882-08-17

! the WcOOS was calm anu Pcaceirl,
! save so long As our soldiers re-
"'aineG awake busted ABOUT their
frugal supper, or making Efer&ra.
; ton for their rest upon the ground.
! The march was resumed at an
early hour the next morning, aud
! continued without interruption,
: except for an occasional brief rest,
! until about 4 o'clock, or a liltIe
! later, in the afternoon. About II
! Or l O'Clock we had glimpse Of
a few mounted men Of the enetoy
ten Or twelve in mum ber-on
our right, and at the distance Of
! TWO hundred and fifty cr three
hundred yards. These rode off in
a few seconds, however, and we
moved Or. We now began TO
find where the leaves in the woods
! had been fred, and towards three
O'Clock, or whereabouts, We saw a
Federal trooper, here and there,
lying dead by the roadside. Thus
were we admonished Of the prox-
ity of the enemy. But so far We
heard DO firing, as l now recall
the history Of that day, although
it is said that Ewell's corps be-
came engaged with the enemy as
early as noon, along the turnpike,
and not more than FIVE or SIN
miles from the point where we
were at that time.
Heth's division of four brigades
was in front Of ours-WilcoX's.
At about 4 o'clock we-McGaw-
ans briga3e-were marched from
the plankroad to the left, and to.
wards Ewell's point Of operations.
As We were leaving the road, or
very soon after we left it: We
hoard the fire Of skirmisaes in
front Of Hetb's division, which
had been posted in line Of battle
in advance OF the point where We
Quilted the plankroad, and across
that road, at about right angles
with it. We were marched near
q mile westward and as we moved
we heard Heth's FIRE gradually
swell to a continuous roar, and. we
also new heard muskctry and an
occasional boom Of artillery aEo3g
Ewel,'s front, with which VIC ia1-
agined we were intended 70 con.
meet. But we were soon marched
back rapidly 10 the piankrcad
and our brigade was deployed in-
to line Of battle across the road
and at about right angles with it
the lst Regiment being the
right of the brigade, O"r's Rifles
next ii, then the 18th, ther lhe
18th, then the 18th. The FIRST
two regiments were on the right
Of the plankroad, the other three
on the left of it. Now the battle
between Heth's division and.their
opponents ragged fercely, and
balls wbistIed through our ranks
and over our heads in large num-
bers. Que shell from {. gun Of
the enemy exploded IN the road
as the 1st Regiment-the one t.
which l belonged-crossed it.
But the ground was too fat and
too closely wooded for artillery,
and l do not recollect hearing the
discharges of artillery from that
time till night.
THE ADVANCE.
We moved forward, cheering,
and passed over Heth'S men. The
advance was difficult through the
thickly set sapliugs that covered
probably several hundred acres of
ground here, and over the logs,
brush aud other impediments TO
DO found in q wild forest. Be-
sides, we could not see the cne-
my, and could DOT expect to see
them beyond the distance Of forty
or fifty yards; so that there was
no definite point in the great,
tangled, smoking, roaring wood
toward which to direct q charge.
And, III addition TO these tron-
bles, Heth's men, mostly lying on
the ground, Kept up scattering
fire through our ranks and over
our heads, it was difficult tc say
which, after we bad passed in
their front. The result then was
that our men sIackened their
pace, gradua!Iy opr"ed lire, lost
the touch, and fnaiiy hated. And
1t was 40 doubt quite as well lhat
they should act as they did, Tor