The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-05-01
anaerson gntslIigeneer.
GLORY WON BY ACCIDENT.
How n Southern Private Came to Lead
Charge.
Ntw Fork Sun.


can's Horse Thieves, while the inhabi
tants Of the mountain districts OF East
Tennessee would ask, when they met a
squad Of us in bride path, Does
yoTuus belongto Mister Morgan. critter.
back company
In the spring of "a Morgan's command
had jus, come up from south Caroline,
and had gone into camp at Abingdon,
VIRGINIA. when word came that Gen.
Crook, the present Indian fighting hero,
with Gep. AveriIl, was moving with q
heavy force on Wy,hevile. We took up
our line Of march for that town, and
right we'll do | remember the happy
faces of the old men, the women, and
children who lined the cuEbstones OF the
principal street a. we rode our horses by
fours in triumphal entry style before
the admrng gaze Of these non.combat-
ants. There were no able bodied men
in Southern towns in those days. On
the opposite side Of The town, in beau
tiful woodland pasture, wc went into
camp. Most Of our horses were turned
loose 10 craze while the men were busy
building dog houses 10 sleep in, or hunt
ing wood and water. 4 sudden change
came over the camp. The clear notes Of
bugle rang ont the familiar, but now
onln0us order, Saddle UP your horses"
Nearly 800 men we're instantly on their
feet. the officers shouting saddle up!
saddle up" and the men calling 10 one
another. 'Bi!l, have you seen my marc?'
Bring that bride back here" Where
IL my blanket" and all the other hubbub
Of hurried departure. But here and
there could be seen the cool old soldier
deliberately folding the blanket that an.
swered for both saddle and sleeping pur-
roses, smoothing out every wrinkle 50 as
not to hurt the horses back, placing it
with great precision high up on the with
ers, setting the old Texas tree carefully
over it, and drawing deft knot in the
make. He mounts with ease and grace
born Of four years daily practice in the
as,:tiis, and gets in.o line 'ons before his
fus5y messila;e.
We were all soon in line, an! the or.
itEs followed il quick succession, "By
twos right into line" March )" "Trot,"
"GalloP," and away we went at double
quick TO Crockelt's Cove, four miles away.
1t was a hot ride, and just before reach.
ing the Cove we turned abruptly to the
lett through pair Of bars. Gen. Mcr.
gan stood in the road and shouted, "Close
up, men," rs we gal!oped by him. 1t
was evident we were making Il flank
movement on the enemy, and now could
be heard those first sad sounds to the
practical soldiers ear-occasioIal shots
from the distant skirmishcrs. To my
taste there is nothing so gloriously cXhil-
Grating as the hnrly. burly of brisk fight
the rapid orders, the rattle Of small
arms, the boom of the big guns, the wild
shout and rush Of the charge. All sense
Of fear is lost, and nothing is thought of
but winning glorious victory But
these first picket shots make you realize
that there is death in the air, and you
think Of home and perhaps of religion if
you've got any.
Fortunately for us there wna not much
time for induIging in these gloomy
thoughts. We were soon in line OF fight"
as VIC always called it, and Col Bowlrs
rode out in from. OF us and at the top of
his voice shouted, "Now, boys, if you
want to give them the bcllyache, shoe, at
their knees" We dismountcd and rap.
idly moved forward taking shelter behind
q rail fence. The firing was rapid, but
the distance, some five hundred yards,
too great to do much execution. Some
one soon raised our old yell, "Luok out
for Morgan's men," everybody went over
the fence, and to my, surprise, the enc
my's line began to fall back. II now be-
about 5 o'clock in the afternoon, when
our line brought up against q stnke-and-
rider fence. The enemy was equally
.=s!! posted Oil the brow of the opposite
hill. The ground, dipped between the
Two lines OF battle, aud q creek lined with
alder bushes, ran through the little valley
about equi-distant between US. The enc.
my had made field hospital" near and
on our side of the creek, and as wc lay
behind the fence we could see q number
OF dead horses and some men with clean
white haversacks on them.
These haversacks were small bags. and
became very much interested in them.
We had not had a mouthful of coffee for
more than four months, and, turning to
the soldier by my side, I remarked:
down there?" a smile crept over his
face rs he replied that he did.
.'I'll bet you they are filled with cof.
fee," said l. "You hear all these bullets
going over our heads? Now, if we skirt
along that fence that crosses the creek.
we can slip out and lie down behind
those horses, be safe, and get some
coffee"
follow"
No quicker said than done. Over the
fonce ! went and Thompson after me.
just before we reached the creek, out
from behind the dense alders marched
obliguely o regiment Of the enemy.
When half way up the hill and Just be.
fore we reached the horses they gave us a
volley. sat down with about six inches
Of bone shot out of my leg. Thompson's
right nrm was taken Off the next day.
Buck" Smith was hit in the head and
heel and was spinning around in death
atruggle while I was rapidly crawling in.
to fence corner. Several others were
hurt at the same time, but I never had
an opportunity to inquire who they were,
and for the time being l was thunder.
struck to know how they got there. That
night four soldiers stumbled over me on
tho rough ground. They toe me in a
blanket to Farmer CrocEetts house which
was literally filled with wounded men.
On the next morning Gen. Morgan
made hasty visit to this field hospital.
/ was well acquainted with him, and |
when he came to the bench that i Law on |
he took me warmly BY the hand.
Hardin" said he, that was a mag.
nifcent charge yon led Yesterday"
looked at him in blank amazement.
but was;too. good asQldier;to DENY, the |
statement of superior officer. In think.
Ing over the matter remembered there
was rush Of men past me lust afler I |
was shot, and on inquiry I learned that
when Thompson and t vent over ihe |
fence the rest of tie command followed |
"A N Hnn ntr <.f Ay "a 4