The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1883-03-29

WORK. AT night We drew ,ations of nm.
oolten meal and poor beef which
we were IN the act Of cooking when or.
ders came to fall in. After a tiresome o
march of fourteen miles over J"s,,.
.t ,Hau we arrived about day break near
.ne battle field. and snatched few min.
u.es steep before the work uf dealt, be.
gan. Hoods Texans formed line of hat.
ue III wood some little distance in ed.
vance OF kershaw. and gallantly moved
forward, as they always did in battle
WIN tnelr familiar Texas yell ringing
ciear above the roar and din of conflict
striking the right of the Federals, fore,
ing them from their temporary fortified.
tons and doubling .hem I'D like scroll
on their right. centre. Hoods advance
was
LIKE WHIRLWIND,
sweeping everything before him. cantur.
ing number of prisoners and several
pieces of artillery, with hcrses and driv.
ers, which were Immediately sent under
escort to the rear. The Butler Guards
while advancing, opened ranks right and
!e't 20 permit the captured p:eces with
their blue coated drivers to pass through
our line. The drivers made great haste.
and had the appearance of being de.
moraIized aud very badly frightened.
Horrow was depicted upon their ghastly
faces, and their eyes looked as if they
were starting from their sockets AZ they
fra'ticaNly urged their jaded horses to
greater speed to escape the cannon balls
which came shrieking through the trees.
The sight encouraged Kershaw's bows.
and they gave vent to their excited feel
ings in loud and prolonged cheers.
Hood was badly wounded early in the
engagement, and was attended by DR..
W. l.. West, a private Of the Butler
Guards. who was the first surgeon to see
him after he fell. On emerging from
the woods and entering large cleared
Held the Federals we're seen in line about
half mile to our right. Kershaw's
clear blue eyes taking in the situation at
glance, and being equal to the emcrg.
ency, Immediately, in stenterian tones,
gave the command, "Change front, for.
ward on -- company of the - regi.
ment |" company and regiment not now
recollected.) Then commenced move.
ment of the brigade drill not often seen
and seldom heard of in battle, particu-
larly while the enemy was in striking
distance. The evolution was performed
with precislon-no mistakes, no excite.
minnie balls ricochet-
ing along the dusty ground, while the
change of front was being executed,
occasionally disabling some of our men.
After the new line had been formed the
brigade advanced, driving the blue coats
pell-mcll, helter.s .skelter, from the ridge
they occupied in the field, across the
road and up a steep and rugged hill until
we almost reached the top, where We
were met by a terrific
TEMrEsT OF SHOT AND SHELL
and leaden bullets. A halt was ordered,
from what cause q private soldier was
hardly expected to know, in fact, kis
opinions were never asked, his wishes
consulted or his suggestions entertained !;
he was simply part of huge machine
and his business was to obey orders and
not ask the why's and wherefores. Suf.
flee it to say we did net reach the top of
the hill, whether from the want of prop.
CIR support or whether we had struck the
Federal main line and found it too strong
to pierce with our brigade, or from some
other cause, is not for me to tell.
After fighting at this point for short
time and apparently making nc impress
sion on the enemy, We sullenly returned
to the road at the base of the hill and
were ordered to lie down quiet. A num-
ber of our men were killed or wounded
while lying fiat upon the ground. Pri-
vate Bob Bryce, of Columbia, than whom
q more gallant soldier and a brave man
never lived, was Killed by my side. More
than nineteen years have passed since
that eventful day, yet seem to hear the
death. rattle in his throat now as heard
it then, while he was struggling for life.
The murderous fire continued with 20
much fury that Lieut.. eagle, Of the But
Ter Guards, went to Gen: Kershaw and
asked permission for his men to protect
themselves behind the trees and stumps
standing near. His request was granted,
but it seemed the enemy used crooked
guns, for many were wounded while
closely hugging the trees. Young
Hawkins, of my company, and were
behind large stump when he wac shot
in the head. 1 did not examine to see
whether the ball passed through the
stump or was fred from crooked gun.
We returned the fire aud charged up the
hill forcing the Federals to their original
position. We again halted, but soon re-
turned to the road, the enemy slowly
following. Again and again we "march.
ed up the hill and marched down again.
il gas "adyance" and Retreat" first the
Confederates had the advantage, then
the Federals would rally and force US to
retire. There was nothing to boast of
from either side at our point of the line
except some hard, stubb0rn fighting.
While standing behind tree near the
road 80 often mentioned, Private Peter
Sudduth, of my company, was slightly
wounded in the foot. His brother m
law seeing he was hurt hastened to him
with offers of assistance aud attempted
to carry him to the rear, but Peter being
demoralized. badly frightened, and the
prospect of q furlough in the near fu-
ture, made
THE FASTEST TIME on RECORD
of auy man shot in the foot with the ex'
ception of my adjutant at Gettysburg.
Peter left his comrade behind, but had
not gone far before he came to some
horses hitched 10 caisson, which we
had captured in the early part OF Tue
day. Borrowing one while the owner
was absent, he mounted and rode IN
triumph from the field. never to return;
The much coveted furlongh WA obtained
without difficulty. When h arrived at
home, he had big, unsightly shoe
made for his crippled foot, whicn ne
wore until the lst of May, 1860, when
he discarded it for one of usual size; II
the war had continued till now feter
would, in all probability, still be wearing
that big shoe. Staff officer and courlels
.on horseback dashed along our line win