The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1882-05-25

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...rsburg-GaiIant Stand OF the seyeu-
,.ntb South Carolina Regiment-The
r,ra, Charge and the Capture of the
FEDERAL Standards.
H.; Wade Hampton Globes, of Columbia. il,
Charleston Weekly Neps.
IN fixing my memory to recall, at your
ol;citation, the events which occurred
I;ahieen or twenty years ago, however
,;ny,;ng those events and however vivid
sShe main features, still many of the
ifn;nor occurrences connected Herewith.
Ihe names of prominent actors, and other
matters of detail, have so passed from nv
mind as to make it very doubtful if I
Kan make an interesting or even readable
narrative. Then, too. my path in life
'ssuce has been SO entirely separated from
the entire personnel Of my uomrades,
Etbst the refreshing of memory by con.
srena.ion has been entirely impossible.
,sIn this recollection of mine it must be
Remembered that Of necessity the occur.
repces of the day, after the mine was
4exploded, and until the charge of Ma.
3loue, which resulted in the capture of
s,be entire force of the enemy which had
detected q lodgment in the crater, formed
1.-TWO separate and distinct stories. What
soccuvred upon the left having been lately
srraphically described by Col. F. w. Nc.
Master, of which knew nothing, having
! been separated from the left of our line
4 BY remorseless chasm, which in it's
4 formation had swallowed up scores of
I brave men and which, for the time, was
q yawning and impossible gulf indeed.
AFTER RELIEVING PETERSBURG
from immediate danger by its timely
arrival, when its capture was but q ques-
ton of few moments, the Army of
Northern Virginia had period of com
parative rest from its arduous marching
and constant fighting. First the battle
Of the Wilderness, then Spottsylvania.
where it might be said that / had mn first
experience of the glory and joy Of battle
as those who have experienced it know
the feeling, then the North Anna, aud
then the second Cold Harbor with its
hand to hand and desperate fighting, and
now to Petersburg, after few days of
rest which had almost proved fatal. On
The line at Petersburg we were compare
lively quiet. though for some days the
sheling and sharpshooting was quite
severe and never entirely ceased. at
particular points if but a head appeared
above our works fire was attracted and
many poor fellow was killed or severe.
ly wounded. particularly in the vicinity
Of that part that was afterwards mined.
the lines here approaching very near.
and ours being on the bow Of hill, the
enemy being below us, was even very
dangerous at night, ouT only background
from their position being the sky. MY
command here consisted of three bate
ries of artillery which Lad been with
Gen. Breckenridge in the Valley and in
Western Virginia, but now attached to
LoDgstreet's Corps and given to me as a
command at Cold HarbOr. On reaching
Petersburg they we're
PLACED IN POSITION
along the line, one battery to the right of
aud some four hundred yards frum the
point mined and commanding the slope
Of the hill in front. Here we had pos.
session of the old line of defensive works
Of the city. More to the left part of
that line had been captured on the first
assault, and q new position had been
taken up by the home guard of Peters
burg when relieved first by Beauregard
and then Lee, which connecting with the
old line was being strengthened and
lormed the defence until the evacuation,
lhe guns of this battery were placed in
emDrasure, rendered necessary by the
vicinity of the enemy's sharpshooters,
and only one of the guns could be
brought to bear upon the hill slope. The
o!her two batteries were to the right at
intervals of probably five hundred yards.
for week or two after our arrival the
latter batteries had positions 10 the left.
out before the fight had been relieved by
o!aers and had taken up the last de-
Ssiloea positions. I had also two hun
area yards in rear of the two left Bate
fles three little Cochow mortals which l
paced under the command of Lieut..
Hanghorn, with detachment of Rich
mond !, Howitzers from Capt. Walkers
oattery, which was central in position
ana strongest in numbers. These NOR
tara were dubbed
"GIBBE's LITTLE NIGGERs"
by our infantry supports, to whom thew
,sa,. were a marvel. Life along the line had
goIten to be monotonous with its routine.
tielu DIVISION, our first support, had
oe:h "ithdrawn as Grants plan of weak
dung dnmps our iine by extending his own
aow9 3,1i the Weldon road began to develop.
nau Mise's Brigade took its place. The
mtIuotony ut wac. occasionally enlivened
mneh weil-aimed mortar shell would
asop INTO the enemy's lines, and, by tho
iSoniasion =. and movement of stretchers,
SS;c., snow us that injury had been in.
hlcted, or when one from the enemy
omau or,aea Itself through the bomb proof
Ihaos my ammunition chests, blowing
arenn 'se,n ~ and scattering dismay and death
as voss my men, and that, too, in my
Iotss Sa - oiiicered company, which was in
,ae - most exposed and important position,
,n,sa. y mas afterwards proved. Stray, singing
Jsae!s ,.n., from the sharpshooters were con-
an.y lily hylng about, finding an object
''oocaslonally and reminding us of the
'1eoesSity of carefulness and prudence.
,u1 m commanding General, e. p. ALEX
i%uuer' was shot in the arm by one of
he Sese accidents, as he was not in sight of
us,e Nc enemy at the time, and in conse.
Isuce was absent on leave when the
Iiu1 Wt:, was exploded, much to his regret.
!, me one portion Of the line was com.
y r'a.,veiy quiet, and much attenuated
q Scn.inual drafts to follow the ever
''oPing line Of Grant to the South,
A vERITABLE DEEP GAME
Ss rS oelng played by the enemy. Pick
ou oa, snovel were busy, and, bnrrowing
own beneath us. an efTort vos he;n0
nriS mia 20 effect q breach by mining that
1ala I, not be done by direct assault.
a;o" ;omnere along the line assaults we're
I'm ffig made. but only to, be repulsed.
en- @ uau =. whipped them then we would
,sa s, W,a, v1at Malone had whipped them /;
on,d d "iicox, then Heth, and the proof