The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1882-06-15
: RATTLE OF THE TRANSFERS.

r,,.ode of tho Retreat From Gettys-
rr-The Repulse and the Isetreat-stu-
on the TraiI-Goneral Imboden's
.s.s..The Confederate eLoss-I8ilpatrick's
,s,,mate OF tho Vfctors.
\. Jane. H. Hart, I" Charleston Weehiy
,,s in the afternoon of July 4, 1868,
5"rs in.' came 20 the Confederate comman-
y ei /, front Of the heights at Gettys-
20 Il to take up the line of march to the
,emac. The three previous days had
.oessed struggle for the mastery of
ons heights with which history affords
u'. .naralIels. but on the fourth day the
81" In hostile armies sullenly faced each
IN Ger with only here and there ran.
IN G Gun, or an occasional rattling fire
G om 1Ibe picket lines, when some move
art M On IN The one side or the other pro.
Eked it.
THE CHASTITY BATTLEFIELD
=. apparently in repose. Under the
erpating July sun and showers she
Stid odors from decaying corpses of :1en
ID animals had become almost iLJuff-
rable 10 men accustomed to such scenes.
he dead lay in shallow graves under
10 low mounds that fecked the hillsides
snd plsins below, as far as the eye could
Zach. but the carcasses of artillery and
5iber horses by the hundred, and even
se &C. carcasses of cattle that were grazing
e the peaceful valley when the first
ssbock Of battle came, lay in swollen
sesps far and near. Broken gun-car-
;sqes. small arms of every descri,. >. ON,
lon1e S shattered by bullets, canteens, SOL
a;ers' blankets and jackets lay near the
s;tle mounds where those who had used
shem had fallen. The plain was
bloughed at places in great furrows, torn
5nen by she'll from the enemy's batteries
n the terrific combat of the previous
day. when three hundred pieces of artil.
iery blazed at each other to aid or pre-
'yent Picketts final charge. Altogether
Il was a typical battleield-one that
neither pen nor pencil can paint, and
that happily few are ever the eye witnesses
Of.
THE MARCHING ORDERS
we're received by the Confederate troops
with surprise. Although they had failed
after three days struggle to carry the
heights and sweep Meade back towards
Washington, they did not doubt that
Lee would yet find a way for them over
or around the rock ridge upon which the
Union troops had 80 firmly stood during
!he three days conflict. AS dark set in
that evening long lines of wagons, dis
abled artillery, and ambulances with the
moved out by the little village
Of Cashtown and on the turnpike road
through South Mountain towards Cham
benburg. The rain fell all night in
drenching slues, softening the roads
until they soon became almost impassa-
BILE. The escort to guard this train,
which was fifteen miles in length, con-
sisted oe the remnants of Imboden's and
Hampton's Cavalry brigades, and Harris
Battery of horse artillery. The army
moved by different route, following the
roads on the east side of South Mountain
through Emmettsburg and towards Har-
per's Ferry. The trains, therefore, we're
comparatively safe, especially
as the mountain range was further bar
rier for their protection. The entire
escort consisted probably of not over
l 900 cavalry, 200 infantry and $50 ar
tillersts.
AT THE POTOMAC.
At daylight on the morning Of the 5th
The last wagon had passed into the defile,
aud the escort began its tedious march,
covering its fanks and rear. It would
be useless to recount the events of the
march, how every now and then O ma
rauding squadron of Federal cavalry
would dash in at some cross.rcad and at
tack the helpless train, generally with
temporary success, until driven off by a
rally of the escort, until after weary
and skirmishing, with the rain
still falling, the last of the train reached
The Potomac at the little town of Will
Transport, little after noon on the 9Th.
Here it had been stopped by the swollen
river, which had become impossible.
The cavalry escort commanded by Gen.
Young had halted some ten miles back
o picket the roads leading in from the
Upper Potomac. The regiment Of in
lantry, part of Imboden's cavalry, and
The artillery, moved nth the rear Of the
Train to the hills north of and overlook
ing the town. Stuart, with the main
body of our cavalry was supposed TO bo
covering the flanks and rear of the army
which, east of the mountain, was leis.
lrely moving towards the lower fords OF
The Potomac. So, as we could not move
on, we stopped to wait and to sleep. But
Ie did not have long to indulge in either.
About an hour after halting the enemy's
cavalry were reported as coming in heavy
columns from towards Hagerstown. Our
little force of organized companies was
hastily strung over the hills, in q thin
'Klrmish line, to oppose them.
EILPATRICK's swooP.
1t was Fitzpatrick at the head of the
FEDERAL cayalry--at least six to eight
thousand strong-who had lodged Stuart
y cutting through pass in South
and was now gazing down on
ne richest prize q cavalry leader could
lplre to--the wagon and ordnance trains
II whole army.
den. lmboden disposed his little force
" placing his cavalry-some three hun
ltea possibly-on the right. and Smiths
niantry regiment of about two hundred
men IN the centre, near the Hagerstown
oaa, while my battery of artillery occu-
'ied t1s left of the road. If Fitzpatrick
ad .a!i pressed on as soon as he reached this
lltie line he might have crushed it in a
ew minutes, and had wagon for every
wo men in his command. But he
'aused to survey his prize and feel the
iength of the defence. He dismounted
us troops, threw out skirmishers, and
'nen his preparations were completed
moved steadily upon us.
THE ATTACK
'as met with firmness, but it was per.
ectiy evident that our little force, on
pen ground as it was, would soon melt
way under the terrific fire that began to
'onr upon it. And even if it could have
'ithstocd the fire our force was too small
n