The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1882-10-05
PETERSBURG TO APpOMATToy
me experience of "a High Private IN ~.
Rear Rank"


Rear Rank"
i"'''cS HcHry Reilly, in ChnrIcSt,u U,.L,
Ncus.
FOR months We have been reading WA,
p"PeIs rom General" standpoip; and
lhe High Private in the rear rapkn has
Ltangh' The Infection and desires to un.
| oosoh himself AS to what he saw and did
"1a certain phase of ''the late unpleas.
aptness." What is recounted below is
from personal observation, and the bio
IS 10 De taken with certain amount nj
allowance, as | have no particular desire
10 appear prominent in the tale that i
tolu. We will now take up the line Of
ihafcii beginning at the trenches nroun,l
le'etsburg, and ask the reader to accom- .
pany US until, yielding to overwhelming
numbers and resources" we were COM
peiieu TO lay our guns upon the stack ot
Appomattox G. H.
TIE FIRST REGIMENT, S. V.
Inc immediate command to which I
belonged, was Company |, First Regi.
ment, 5. q. w., known at home as he
carolina Light Infantry" During the
iatler part of March, 1865, we were sta.
tloned In the trenches around Peters.
ouIg, some distance to the right of q
reuouot req, known as Battery 49," On the
Z9th the regiment was ordered TO the
tight. and the picket detail lone of which
l wasl were left at their posts, and we
noticed unusual activity over ON the other
side. During our last night AZ nick et
guar1 It seemed ominously still, and we
heard, or imagined we heard, smothered
orders and an occasional rattle of cantecns.
ana We became impressed with The idea
mat the enemy meant mischief and we're
masslng troops in our immediate front.
AID Knowing that the trenches behind us
were occupied only hv regiment Of
North Carolina troops deployed as skir-
mishers, and the only reinforcement they
could hope for was from such as were
driven in from the picket line when tho
assault was made, the prospect was not
encouraging. After a time the enemy's
movements became more apparent, for on
the still night air came expressions no,
contained in Holy Writ, confusion and
noise. We felt tha, the enemy would
soon advance.
GRANTS MOVEMENT
to his left caused cur lines to be extended
to our right, and the strain on our forces
was 80 great that large gap was left to
De protected by the guns Of two redoubts
known among the soldiers as the Half
Moon Fort and Battery As, and not man
stood IN those trenches at the time of
Grants advance on our lines. We knew
all this, and with this knowledge it seems
some" hat astonishing that the boys stood
SO long at their places. We were in the
position of mosquito fighting an clc-
phant.
We had in our squad fine chorus,
aud, as whistling would not keep our
courage up, it was proposed to have "a
sing" and one of the boys called out
"Oh ] Billy, give us n song" The reply
came quickly: "No, Johnnie. you give
US one first." And our quartette sang:
I'VE honor. yes, we honor bold South Car
Tho small she may be she's as brave as
the rest;
The Flag ship of State is out on the bilows
Bui!eting the waves on bright bllows
Farewell forever to the Star-spanglcd Ban
ner,
No longer shall it wave DER the Land of
the Free:
We will unfurl to the broad breeze or
heaven
Thirteen bright stars round the Palmetto
Tree"
THE SONG WAS FINISHED,
and we called out for the reply, as usual
in our past winter chats. 1t was excess.
lively dark, and We felt uneasy and un-
comfortable. We felt that our singing
could not keep them back until daylight,
which We we're vainly hoping for. Final.
ly an answer came from the other side:
"Hold on, Johnnie, we'll give you song
directly" and in minute we were
greeted by laundering chorus of fire.
arms, with minnie ball accompaniment
and the cry of Charge" Twas what
we were expecting, and when the fusilade
was delivered our guns were half loaded.
FIGHT AT NIGHT.
There is not much difference between
day fight and night attack in gen.
erai engagement from Il PIi7ate's stand
point. In either case he sees but little.
What with the smoke, the dust and gen.
eral confusion of daylight engagement,
the private sees nothing but in his i'm
mediate vicinity But this nigh.'s Gght
was something terrible, and twas we'll
for US it was night, rs this mighty host
that was hurled against us would have
swept us instantly from before them.
We could hear perfect babel Of voices,
while all was silent on our sidc-the men
stood in grim expectancy. Then followed
the popping of our skirmishers as they
slowly fell back upon the main line oil
works. Just in our front WAS n0rass,
which impeded the enemy's advance on
us, and we stood at our posts until the
works on our right were almost in pos
session of the enemy, and our little band
beat hasty retreat and made double
quick time to the trenches. Upon reach
ing the breastworks We turned and fred
in The direction Of the advancing column,
when the colonel commanding gave the
order, cease firing" thinking that all
our men were not in the works. knew
they were-at least all who were coming
in-and, as soon as could load my
piece, l fired again, and the whole line
opened. The now exasperated officer
came forward and asked my name, COM
pany and regiment, which knew meant
court martial. I asked him before he
made the record to cast his eye down the
right OF the line, and we both saw sight
not often seen in war, (romances to the
contrary, Notwithstanding
THE ENESIY
had already mounted the works. They
could not be seen, BIZ. the flashes of the
guns of the contendirg forces formed
crosses, 60 close were the combatants to
each other. It was hard stubborn
fight; neither party seemed inclined to
yield an inch. Although overpowered.
our boys stood the racket like veterans, as
they were. 1t is all very we'll to talk Of