The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1882-08-03
IN TIE TRENCHES

Plckets were not more than twenty pace.
In advance of our breastworks, and had
TO be Withdrawn at the dawn of day.
Gen, Hagood decided to drive them
6ack, and establish our picket line more
IN advance. This duty was assigned to
Capt. Mckerall, of WILLIAMSBURG and
myself. We succeeded in accomplish.
ing this commission after sharp skir.
mlsh in the early part of the night, and
with but light loss.
BY no brilliant generalship of ours
but being too dark to designate accurate.
! ly our whereabouts, we pushed them
iturtheTsthan we intended so much so
that our line on the right of the turn.
i pike was in advance of theirs on the left
This they failed to discover for several
days, as there was considerable growth
OF pushes on the edge of the turnpike
and the pickets were withdrawn early in
the morning. Their officers in visiting
their posts at night from the right would
invariably be caught in this little trap,
and complaisaptly walk in rear of our
plckets and be captured before they were
aware of danger, much to their surprise
ard disgust, and onr amusement. .r
A captain Of artillery on one particu-
lar!y dark night became 80 muddled as
To take the wrong direction, and ride
bluff up to battery we had across the
turnpike. After being halted by our
boys he discovered his error and attemp-
ted to escape, but his horse was killed
under him, and he was captured and
marched Oft to headquarters.
YANKEE MARKsMEN.
| Sharpshooting was kept up incessant-
ly, and each succeeding day added fresh
names to the list of those who would
wake not Oh the morrow, being relieved
from duty forever by the unerring aim
| of the Yankee marksmen. Not only
were men the targets for the enemy's
telescope rifles, but any moving object
seen in rear of our lines. One of Gen.
Hoke's couriers bringing an order to
brigade headquarters on the lines attemp.
ted to do so on horseback. His horse, a
| fine bay, was killed few minutes after
reaching his destination. Some of the
members of our regiment. especially to
be found in the Washington Light In.
fantry, combined the qualities of fine
soldiers with that of unsurpassed fora
gers; and it was not very long after this
horse wss killed before one of them came
nimbly down the line with countenance
expressing the anticipation of some rare
enjoyment, bearing in his hand some
thing mistook at first glance to be a
discovered it to be the tongue of horse.
break fast with him, but he reported it
fine, and took his word for it.
Time dragged heavily along, and the
H. Tn,
gard the spiteful whiz of the minnie ball
and the demoralizing crash Of the she'll
with SO much dread, lonnged lazily away
the days in the dusty trenches, or spent
them in mending their tattered clothes,
thinking of home, and casting longing
glances at their empty haversncks. And
as darkness drew on those who were not
on post, in various attitudes, slumbered
the night away, while hunger kept tan
talizing visions of colossal feasts ever
before them.
THE FIGHT AT HARE's HILL.
1t had now been dry for some time,
and the movements of Grants troops
were plainly indicated BY the clouds of
dust which arose from the tramping of
horses and men as they changed position,
in order to mass at anv particular point.
In front of our division and immedi-
ately facing Colquitt's Brigade was o
considerable elevation known as Hare's
Hill. All the morning the enemy were
known to be concentrating in rear OF
this place for the purpose of making an
assault upon our line. For once was
really anxious to see them come; our
troops we're now in fair condition, and
wo had good breastworks, and never
having had the fortune to fight behind
intreuchments was eager to meet them
one time in comparative sec rity.
Some time in the afternoon (what hour
I have forgotten) they approached in
three lines Of battle, about thirty PAGES
intervening, aud advanced steadily and
beautifully towards that portion of the
trenches occupied by Colquist's Brigade.
II was truly a magnificent sight ns they
pressed forward in marshal array, with
waving banners and glittering hsyonets.
Suddenly, with yell, they rushed for
ward. and were met by terrific fusilade
of musketry from Colquitt's Brigade. l
have often thought for rapid firing that
this BRIGADE could "take the belt"
The roar was as continuous and un-
broken as that of the mighty Niagara,
WQll0 u buCCS Va
whole extent of the line and cas-. lurid
glare upon the sulphurous aus as they
fioated slowly upwards.
The Eutaw Regiment was nea, enough
to give them an enfilade fire, with con.
side, able effect, and as we were not fired
at, had good view of the fight through.
out. When they first commenced the
change they moved in splendid style, as
though confident of sweeping over US
without hating, and scooping IN tn,
town of Petersburg. But "The best
laid schemes," &C., and as soon as the
Confederates opened fire upon them l
could sec that success commenced to be
mixed up with much of doubt, in the
minds of some of them at least. l saw
a few turn and fly at the first discharge,
and as the firing became more furious
the number increased, and by the time
they had reached point half way from
the top of Hare's Hill to our works the
assaulting column was about equally di-
yided-one half feebly pressing forward,
while tae other half was making spienc.
did time no Hare's Hill. Very soon AZ