The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1883-03-08

,Sst ,tsa fresh, soft breath OF early spring
,r mb;cb. while it soothes, enlivens aud
;nrcorates. We, therefore, arose from
~, tue biyouac sleep rested from the
M t,,cues of labor and battle, and prepared
-, the duties of the day.
~ bout 8 or o'clock the brigade was
,oyed out through the breastworks, and
n,rried TO about the point where the ac
wa operations of the preceding day
hasan, But here we found no foe now
:. dispute our progress; the woods and
selds in front were unOccupied except
hv Iv an occasional scout. 4 detail was
s;;nt forward to scour the country.
ode with them. We passed over con.
Siderable portion of the ground which
We had lrayersed the day before; but we
jound none Of the enemy. They had
DCRIED THEIR DEAD,
,snoyed such Of their wounded as we
had left OH the field, and marched away
in the night, as Powell and Jack Indian
had reported 1t was upon viewing now
The head boarded graves of the enemy's
dead that | learned how many Of them
Epre of the Seventh Maryland At one
,pot, in scattering growth of small
ppes these had a populous little GENE.
iery Of their own.
I've nexe marched about half mile
down the White Oak road, towards Din.
riddle Courthouse, but were then turned
bsck and carried just eastward of the
point where that road passed through
The works, and were then dcployed along
the works. Here we lay until night.
During this day severe battle was
fought about Five Forks, some five
miles west of US, between Sheridan's
command, reinforced by Warren's Corps,
which had left our front to join him, and
Picketts Division and portion Of Bush.
rod Johnson's Division of the Confeder.
ate army.
The Northern historians generally
speak of Bush Johnson's Division as
whole. being engaged at that point
but know that one of his brigades, and
perhaps, two of them, remained with us
and on our immediate right, and that
Gen. Johnson himself stayed with them.
Strange as it may appear, heard very
little Of this battle. l could occasionally
distinguish the sound Of firing, but it
seemed very distant and inconsiderable.
1t vas owing, no doubt, to the direction
Of the although there was little
breeze during the day-and to some Pc
cuiar condition of the atmosphere unfa-
vorab!e to the transmission of sound,
such condition as that Gen. Joseph f.
johnston speaks of in connection with
tie battle Of Seven Pines in 1862.
So ne had nothing to disturb us dur
4 ins the long, clear April day, and
allowed myself to hope, as
TIE PEACEFUL TWILIGHT
fell around us, that shoull be suffered
to enjoy during the ensuing night the
repose that had been entirely denied me
the night before. recall now the in
tense satisfaction with which l lay down
upon the pine straw, just in rear of the
! works, after We had eaten late dinner,
and lighted my pipe for long, quiet
smoke, which fancied should be fol-
4 loved by as quiet slumber.
! But it WAS not to be so. At dark we
4 learned that Gen. Heth was going to
I Petersburg, and had directed that Gen.
] McGowan should take charge for the
4 night of the three brigades from our
corps which formed part of this line
4 McGowan's, McRae's md Scales's. The
4 Ere along the picket line in front, which
4 had almost entirely ceased during the
4 day, became much more rapid as night
approached, ani by the time it was
d quite dark assumed very serious dimen.
Z sions. It was now plain tha: the enemy
we're determined to press US, and that We
should probably spend light of con
slant activity and annoyance.
4 Gen. McGowan gave Capt. Riddicl
i and me general instructiops-to remain
on horse. back, to keep in constan
motion along the line, and to use biz
il authority in moving troops to any poin
mat might be peculiarly threatened. Al
tae line was about q mile long and thu
night dark, it was not likely that w
should always have time to report move
nents to him with sufficient dispatch t.
enable hin, to act: He rode as we did
nesting one or the other of us frequent
"A Y,oi course, but no two of us travelled
Il asether. aud we probably passed ont
saelher very often without knowing it.
ooon after receiving this order move(
n 70 lhe left of our line. All the way
.ound the pickets pretty busily engaged
saa, when / reached an elevation jus
n seSt of Hatcher's Run, could hea
unng beyond that atretm and far along
''Hards Petersburg, and could discern
"A THE FLASH OF GUNS
io'Hhat seemed to me the distance o
Mo or three miles. As the night deep
60 SSea the contest waxed% moro earnest
uae artillery nearer Petersburg opened
Ie scattering fire of pickets was il
racea, @ eucceeded by, heavy volleys o
musnetry, and now and then the yells o
ss''ents and assailed told us of charge
;ua furious encounters. Sometime
mueed, there seemed to be one continu
%' volley roaring for. miles, accompa
aisa oY the cheers Of thousands. And
s. aaen partial calm took place, it wa
tIsa Hsu more painful than the uproar, fo
II ,S %sa ! apprehended 90 simultaneou
Isaee Ine,' upon our tlhinnea h sand wearie'
The troops conducted themselves will
"a TS TSSaaerlul steadiness and intelligence
n;.S as moment the increasing Are of tn
81 ih,saes ihoae disclosed an assault against then
s., ssss;. ,,e 10 the works would, at bare sug
S ss,s,lon' s,s, close towards the place immedi
dy dsnyyi fronting the point Of attack, evi
~ ''THiiy IVY ready for any encounter.
thsw IVY great while after dark foun
"a ~ ''oops on the right Of our brigade
aoVINa OUT OF THE WORKS
a, a. ,nI sIey were unable to tell me whiths
81 Bu.b:ys!t BJbMy !t1ey were going, rode to Gen
Or S.s oohnson's quarters, about fou
on;.. a.e e9ndred yards In the rear, to in
Il. e =; ol him-these troops being part o
"a vi W;,,;an ;aivlslon. His aide:d e:de.camp, Cap,
81 fisnsS fiSm Henry Whituer-my boyhood'
III nend and INV fornoor r,nr, -, oo,