The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1882-08-17
No. 33.
THOMAS BEATEN BACK.

becaue much more rapid, and by the
time our line of battle was established
it increased to dimensions which as
sured me that line of battle was at
tacking our. pickets. Our sharp
shooters, though deployed as skir-
misbers and therefore making very
scattered line, met this IRE with their
usual GOODNESS and. determination, and,
though vastly outnuubered and heavi
ly pressed, gave back but slowly and
firing to the main line.
Just as this body was coming
through our line and We, having
none of our own people in danger of
being shot in our front, were pre-
pariDg-possibly, in few instances,
beginning-to return the enemy's
fire, though We could not see them
through the thick growth, I heard a
great noise of men and the discharge
Of rifles on the right of the plankroad,
and looking tbither saw the un-
arranged mass Of men in Thomas's
rear beating a rapid retreat, partly
through the woods and partly up the
plankroad. Thomas's men stood their
ground for time, firing, it seemed to
ne, at some enemy in front; but
then I saw them gradually give back
from the right towards the left, until
fnally they seemed to be pushed clear
off their ground, and I saw dense
blue line of the enemy sweep from
the right up to aud along the road.
! thought at once that the enemy
had struck Thomas's flank and his
front at the same time, and that We
had now but q renewal of that effort
to double back on. our right flank
which had been so strenuously but
abortively attempted the evening be-
fore. But, be that as it may, it is
very certain that line of the enemy
sWarued up and along the plankroad
on our right at the same time the
line in front of US engaged US.
MCGOWAN FLANKED.
These occurrences occupied very
few minutes-the gathering of the
enemy at the plankroad but few
seconds, perhaps-but l remember
staring with astonishmeut at the
pause those hankers made as they
found themselves upon the flank of
our brigade. 1 did not think 50
then, for I supposed they stopped
with surprise at seeing an organized
body of Confederates where they had
expected to find either no soldiers at
all or else only fugitives but I have
since concluded that these Federal
soldiers felt and yielded to an admi-
ration for the calm devotion to duty
exhibited by line Of Confederates
facing deliberately line of battle
surging up against their front, and at
the same time standing in full range
of fire from flank and rear-an ad-
miratiou quite Of kind with that
which awed the bands of Brennus in
the presence of the Roman Senate. And
doubtless they felt pity for us, DOOM
ed, as We seemed to be, to destruc
tion, yet 80 steadfast to our duty. And
their words indicated that they de-
sired to spare US, for more than one
of them called to the men of
the Twelfth, bidding them throw
down their arms aud save their lives
by surrender, and adding, as I have
heard, that they did not wish to
slaughter them.
A WITHER1NG voLLEY.
I, of course, could. not hear any
words that passed between these
bodies of men, for l was distant from
them the length OF more than two
regiments, but watched the pause
with intense interest, for [ knew
that the result must greatly affect the
whole brigade, to say nothing of the
exciting character of the spectacle in
itself. The right wing of the Twelfth
seemed to wheel gradually to the
right so as to front the enemy, and
when this appeared to have been ac-
complished by one or two companies,
these fired an almost Simultaneous
volley right in the face oftbe assail-
ants, under which their line for a
considerable distance seemed to stag
ger and recoil. Whether calculating
upon this effect or not, the Twelfth
slowly moved back, and this move
ment extended gradually through the
three remaining regiments of the
brigade which were on tha. line. The
enemy in front continued their ap-
prcsch, but slowly. We did not for
moment think of yielding to their