The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1882-06-08

cJ Zimmerman Dapis, in Weekly Neus.
st,er the lapse of eighteen years it is
a easy matter, in the absence of notes
'ten At the time, to give minute details
4 As events and incidents, however vivid
ID real they may have appeared at the
;me of their occurrence. The war
in mes how far off they now seem a! The
n,errenine years have been 80 full of
4 n,ti .rIes of other struggles to mas
=, adyersity, to win bread as we'll as
s,,une TO rehabilitate our homes, to
tonouer defeat, to lift up our fallen and
Drostrate State, and to make our very ad-
rays;ties the basis of greater prosperity
hat the memory of those days may
ali seem indistinct and unreal. But if
Sber history is ever to be written, it
ought ru to be done by those who lived
ssh1ouph those four terrible years. Our
Stste Legislature has made beginning
nv endeayoring TO have placed on record
" lisl s Of the names of her sons who re.
suonded then to her call, though it is to
8. feard that even now it is too late TO
81 Procure anything more than very imper-
feet and incomplete rolls. Who, then,
s will write the history? The Southern
Historical Society has been endeavoring
= to collect and publish, during the past
3, ak or seven years, everything which would
appear to be of general interest to all to
whom the "Lost Cause" is q hallowed
a memory, and h1e done much to correct
81 false impressions, and to put into dura-
y bile form truthful and valuable material
for the historian. But there are many
!. Incidents, full of interest to particular
s States and communities, which will prob.
8 ably never find their way into the pa
a pers OF this Society, and the publishers
4 Of the Weekly Ne,os have done we'll to
q invite contributions from those who were
4 eye.witnesses of and participants in the
4 scenes they describe. "The Story of the
4 Surrender" "The Bloody Bend" "Ths
Fight of the Rear Guard" "The Last
Flag of Truce" "The Battle of the
Crater" and "In the Pen at Point Look
out" have all been told with graphic
pen, and the hearts of the old veterans
have throbbed with quicker glow, while
their eyes have lighted up with brigh-
ter CLEAN, or mayhap have been dimmed
with q sudden moisture, as they read or
discussed again with each other the story
of the past. No article has yet appeared
describing the deeds of our
SOUTH CAROLINA CAVALRY,
and while what write will give but an
imperfect idea of its gallant service du-
ring many months i'll Virginia, I trust
the. It will show that the cavalry was in
very truth the fright arm" of Lees ar
my.
In the spring of 1864 the Fourth,
Fifth and Sixth Regiments Of South
Carolina Cavalry were ordered from
South Carolina to Virginia, and consti-
tuted what was thereafter known as
BUrLER's BRIGADE.
Being armed with Enfield rifles, its chief
fighting was done on foot, and it soon
won for itself throughout the Army of
Northern Virginia the name of "That
Fighting Cava.fy from South Carolina"
All through that spring and summer and
fall its activity and arduous service was
ceaseless, as the list of the battles in
which it vas engaged will show. Begin
ming with "Druy's Bluff" "Chester Sta
ton" and "Atkinson's Farm" fought by
the Fifth Regiment, which served as in
tantry while waiting the arrival of the
horses from South Carolina, followed by
the Battles of "Charles City Courthouse" !"
"Hawes's Shop" and "Cold Harber," in
May; "Trevillian Station" "White
House." "White Oak Swamp" and
Riddles Shop" in June; "Nance's
Shop" and "Pappony Church." in July i;
"'Gravelly Run" in August, "Reams's
Station" and the vaughan Road" in
September, and "Mrs. Cummin's Farm"
and "Burgess's Mill" in October, besides
lnnumerable skirmishes, which, though
sometimes nnrleasantly hot, did not at.
tain TO the dignity of being mentioned
as battles. These served to fill up the
measure of very vigorous campaign,
and made fearful havoc in the ranks of
polh men and horses. I do not remem-
Der the losses Of the other regiments,
Dut my own regiment (tle Fifth) lest
over
FOUR HUNDRED OFFICERS AND MEN
in killed and wounded, besides about
ility captured, during the six months
above mentioned.
AS have stated, tho chief fighting
was done with the rifle, but there were
MOI wanting the brilliant dash and the
ISeadlong charge with sabre or pistol, the
shock of which the enemy seldom waited
70 meet.
During this campaign Gen. NJ. q. But.
ief mad been promoted to be major.g gen
elai, and Col. Dunovant to the tempo
lary rank of brigadier, but the brigade
Was always known as "Butler's," being
unwilling to part with name which
nsa become historic even in that army
VI gallant brigades. The limits of this
paper will not admit of many details of
.le performances of the cavalry during
ene campaign of 1864, and I will con-
I1e myself to one or two incidents which
- nave not seen described hy any one
9,se M heretofore. September found Wade
hampton, then lieutenant.general, and
summarizing all the cavalry of the Ar
aiy OF Northern Virginia, occupying the
extreme right of Lees army, extending
,5om n Hatchers's Run, ten miles south of
le!ersburg, indefinitely on that flank, 80
a "s 20 protect the Southside Railroad,
Gsn eau NT3ep open the country from which
,,,;s T;a. Lee drew q large part of his sup
roa paeS. Ever devising schemes to emhar-
da. isss ana punish the enemy, Hampton
tuheNlhlned th to make Grant contribute to
,ne supply of Lees commissary depart
le.h meh', and accordingly on Tuesday, the
&c OF September, with picked body
y, :our hundred men, selected from the
.alioas commands of his corps, Hamp.
~; i4n made an incursion into the enemy's
nues While the whole front OF Lees
snny any opened brisk FIRE to divert aud.
fTIeage the attention. of the enemy,
ana rddu,p.on made long, but rapid detour,
and d sweeping round, completely surprised
fuu fsm captured an encampment only
ts ~" miles in rear of Grants lines, and
ffnough pursued and attacked by large
NJ rt'Se 10 sent to intercept him, he kept them
eu sr.;y Gay and successfully brought off his
fr.,fe bnn command, together with three