Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1883-03-15

So. .., .naI.. .. e.
sleep. We closed to the right, we closed to
the left, we waited, we watched, we prepar,
ed ourselves a hundred times for the last
deadly struggle, we wearied and ached with
waking and anxiety, and all the while
4sg! THE TIDE OF BATTLE &
surged formiles increasingly. Once, to make
some change from this fearful monotony and
to be sure Of supply of ammunition, l rode
to the ordnance station, few hundred yards
in our rear, There I found Capt. G. 6.
Thompson, of Maryland, our accomplished
and efficient ordnance officer, at his post,
with boxes of cartridges piled about him
and his seargeants ready for duty whenever
a detail should come for fresh supplies.
Even this spot appeared to me enchanting.
/ could not resist the temptation to dis
mount and warm my feet at the fire. But
almost as soon as I sat down upon car
fridge box I fell asleep. Nearly forty eight
hours had passed since l had closed my
eyes, and was Frustrated the moment L
was clear of excitement. was Waked by
falling from my seat, and then l saw that
could not venture to rest. | mounted my
horse and returned to the line.
think our lines, some three or four miles
broken before daylight, for / heard terrific
volleys at that portion not long before dawn,
and after that it seemed to me that there
was almost lull there.
At length day dawned-a bright, calm
day. The firing was not SO constant now.
1t looked as if there might be some rest for
us at last. 1t was said, at one time, that the
brush-heaps in front of the right of the
line-where by some accident there was a
breach in our picket-Were occupied by the
enemy, and we prepared to search them
with canister from the few cannon placed
among us. But they proved to be empty,
and we were not disturbed. Finally, be-
ing so
OVERCOME WITH FATIG UE AND WATCHING,
and seeing nothing for me to do, 1 lay down,
with my bride tied to my wrist, and en-
deavored to snatch little sleep. was
conscious in few minutes of troops moving
to the right, but this was 50 common an oc-
currence that it did not fairly wake me. AT
length 1 was reused by an officer of McRae's
McGowan's Brigade had passed on before
them, and that I had best catch up with
them. 1 thanked him but lay down again,
thinking that it was only slight change Of
position going on.
After probably four or five minutes |
awoke with start. There was profound
silence around me. looked at the works
before memo soul was there. / looked to
the right, and saw the rear Of column
moving westward along the banquette-tread
of the breast-works hundred yards away !;
[ looked to the left, and saw only. here and
there single soldier fastening to the rear.
The horrible truth flashed upon my mind
THE LONG SIEGE WAS ENDED,
and the Army of Northern Virginia was
broken and in retreat.
I mounted my horse and followed the
troops in their westward movement along
the works. AS the rear of these, McRae's
Brigade, think, were passing by the cross
ing of the Viii te Oak Road, the enemy
showed themselves in front of the works and
opened fire. How long line of them join
ed in this action / am not able to say, but 1
have heard that our brigade shared in the
attack. The event proved our adversarles
rather too sanguine and precipitate. Our
people were not accustomed to panics or to
decentralization in any form. The column
fronted to them on the instant, and without
command returned the fire. 1t wasa with
ering volley, and it smOte the lately conf
dent Federals with such effect that they soon
concealed themselves behind any cover that
offered itself and allowed us to pass on.
And on we went, soon leaving the breast
works and bearing northWard towards the
Southside Railroad.
sWINTON'S STORY OF THIS AFFAIR.
Swinton, in his history of the Army of
the Potomac, disposes of our affairs on this
part of the Confederate line in very few
words. He speaks of the line being broken
about Hatcher's Run after daylight OF this
day, and proceeds to say that Humphreys
took two Of the divisions of his corps up the
Boydton Plankroad, that is, towards Peters
burg, and left the other divisions Of his
corps with Miles, to follow U.s. '"The other
of Humphreys Division" says he, "under
Miles, pursued whatever debris of the enc
my remained west of Hatcher's Run. This
force retreated northWard to Sutherland
station on the Southside Railroad, where
it was overtaken by Miles, who in asplrlted
charge dislodged and defeated it, taking two
guns and six hundred prisoners" Swim
ton is, I believe, never Intentionally un.
truthful, but there is large amount Of
falsehood in this account, as shall proceed
to show.
A TRUTHFUL ACCOUNT OF THE MOVE
MENTS.
Our lines had been irreparably broken
A passage clear through them had been
made about daylight in two places at least
one about the place of our winter quarters,
one lust west Of Hatcher's Run. Our right
flank had been beaten and doubled back at
Five Forks, the day before Lee was COM
pelled to eVacuate the whole line and re-
treat westward. We were sent back to
the Southside Railroad to protect the line
of march for the troops and trains that
were to be moved out from Petersburg and
all the country east of Hatcher's Run. Our
first possible halt, to effect anything, must
be in the vicinity of the railroad. We
crossed Hatcher's Run-Which bends very
much westward after you pursue its course
upward from our Notifications moved,
presume, by the ClaibOurn Road, almost
due north. The enemy did not ''overtake"
us at the railroad. When we reached a
wagon road, which, at the distance OF per-
haps mile from Sutherland Station, cross
es the road we marched, and extends nearly
parallel with the railroad at this point, we
halted and
WAITED FOR THE PURSUERS.
We could have made good our retreat, but
we were designed to guard the country be-
long as possible, and we stopped and made
our preparations accordingly. Gen. Heth
was with us, and one of his staff told me
exactly what we were intended to do,
which was to fight all odds as long as posi-
BILE, so as to enable the trains to pass in our
rear. General Heth was recalled to the old
lines nearer Petersburg. This left us under
the command of the senior brigadier gen.
eral on the field. This was Gen. Cook,
whose commission was little older than
Gen. McGowan's. We had four brigades {:
Cooks, Scales, McRae's and McGowan's.
We took the rails from the fences on each
side of the road and piled them before us.
ground between itand the approaching enc
my, this gave us pretty good protection
against small arms. Our brigade was to