The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1882-12-21

N"s.H ~ "t tue command, Guide cen.
t9e:' The gallant fellows, with the pre-
cision oi brigade drill, marched on TO
destruction.
! Upo" the enemy arriving within range
of our rifles the artillery ceased
TO DAILY WITH DEATH,
and left the final annihiation Of the
charging columns to the cool and delhi.
crate aim OF the infantry. Again and
again they endeavorcd to force our posi-.
ton. and were met with tons of shriekiny
shell and solid shot--a perfect blizzard
OF shot, shell and fire and whi.,ling bull.
iects-until their ranks were fearfully
decimnted. Their colors often kissed the
ground, but we're quickly snatched from
dead hands and held alnft by other gal.
liant men, who, in their turn, soon bit
the dust: The few survivors were
hurled, bleeding, smoke .begrmed and
demornlized, into the town.
TIE LAST CHARGE
WAS made just rs night had thrown her
sable curtain DER the bloody field by
Menghers celebrated Irish Brigade
which was almost destroyed. The gal.
liant fellows deserved n better fate.
copy OF Hdrper's Illustrated JTeekiy
was handed me. u few days after the bat.
tie, by Federal soldier who had crossed
The river under flag of truce. The pa.
per stated that Meagher's Brigade went
INTO the fight 200 strong, and but 200
survived. II was never reorganized. A
Fedora! battery, with reckless daring,
moved up to within $50 yards of our
lines during the hottest of the engage.
ment, unlimbered and fired several
shots, which passed harmlessly over our
heads. Officers on horseback urging
their men forward were conspicuous
marks i"r our rifles, and but few of them
escaped: Not even Confederate veier.
~, ms conid have displayed more courage.
Inc company TO which belonged must
have killed or wounded some tbre. or
tour hundred. fired 81 shots al short
range, and my comrades equally aa
many. II was almost impossible to miss.
as they came by thousands. Such do.
struction Of human life never witnessed
on any other battlefield One could
nave walked hundreds Of yards ON the
dead bodies without once stepping on
the ground "
THE LONG WISHED FOR NIGHT
camc nt last and put nm end to the dread.
iui carnage, but brought little sleep, as
we dId not know how badly the enemy
were punished, and thought perchance
they might make a sudden rush, under
C., cover "i darkness. and capture our liue
The Butler Guard was soon after dark
placed IN street leading from town ot
right angles to the one we had occunied
during the day. As we had no protec.
tion, we Immediately fell TO work with
our knives, bayonets aud Engers, and by
midnight had cut n ditch across the
street and had raised quite a formidable
earthwork in front. How com Portable one
feels behind dirt pile while engaged in
onttle AT break of day we were in line.
with our guns in haad, expecting an ad.
vance, but none was made. SUNDAY and
Monday passed of with but little firing.
On Monday afternoon dense fog envel.
oPed the armies, 30 it was impossible to
nee man thirty PAGES distant, and.
under cover of this friendly fog Burn.
REcROssEE THE RIVER
with his shattered and demoral,zed
army. took up his pontoon bridges and
returned beyond the Stafford Heiebts
where he could in silence and sadness
depiore the gigantic failure Of his antici-
pated brilliant campaign, and make his
arrangements to follow in the footstepa
Of his defeated and unfortunate predeces.
sOrs.
If Burnside's plan Of attack had been
approved by his subordinate otficers at a
council of war held on Saturday night at
his quarters, battle would have been re-.
aumet at daylight next morning by plac.
ing eighteen picked regiments in COL
umns Of regiments and hurting them
against our line, which they would have
undoubtedly broken, as it would have
been a physical impossi5ilty for us 10
load and fire fast enough to keep them
back.
Our suferings from Saturday night to
and mud without Gre or blankets were were
intense. EARLY Tuesday morning a
citizen was seen approaching our line
from the direction of town with vbite
handkerchief tied to a stick. He in.
formed US that Burnside and his army
had gone. The Butler Guard, with some
other companies, were deployed "a skir.
mlshers, and, advancing through the
streets OF the deserted town, we captured
n few stragglers and established our
picket line OH the river bank.
In their hasty departure the enemy
had abandoned large quantities of stores,
which were appropriated and highly an.
preciated by our ragged soldiers
PARTICULARLY THE WHIsKEY.
We had become somewhat selfjsh ma N
the use Of that beverage, and each man
helped himself according 10 his capacity.
l filled two canieens and carried them to
camp, and occasionally, when felt pa.
triotic, drank to the success of the Con.
federate cause in fact became patri.
otic 80 frequently that my canteens were
soon emptied.
During the fight young Federal sol.
dier, about 80 yards from onr line and
Immediately In our front, was severely
wounded. When the firing was brisk he
would lie fat on the ground, and when
1t ceased ho would sit up. Though
twenty years have passed since the bloody
and never to. .be.forgot,en day, seem to
hear his piteous cry ringing in nv ears
IF my friends cannot give me water,
Will my enemies give me some7 After
time, when it appeared that hostilities
would not be resumed, his plaiutive cry
was heard by the great, big-hearted j.
D. Kennedy, then in command of the
ID South Carolina Regiment whose ears
were always open to cries of.dietress. and
ne permitted young soldier, from Cam.
den, think, to tie pocket handkerchief
to ramrod and go among
THE DEAD AND WOUNDED
near the enemy's line, gather up as
many canteens as he could find. return
and I'll them from q we'll in our rear, and
90 back to the wounded yyhosa ononol.d