Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1885-07-23

order that l should move my COM
mand at double quick to the Henry
House. We had proceeded but a
short distance when Gen. Evans or
dered us to move to our right towards
body of woods, from which FIRE
had been opened on us but jnst at
this moment Col. James Chestnut. act.
ing as volunteer aide to Gen. Beaure.
gard, repeated the order extended
through Ferguson. We moved as
rapidly as possible in the direction
indicated, passing obliqnely across
the front of Jaekson'a brigade and in
a few minutes we were fighting around
the Henry House. where Bee, Barlow
and Fisher had been killed or NOR.
tally wounded. Two guns Of Rickett :
battery, the horses OF which lad all
been killed, were near the crest OF
'ae hill abandoned two other, in the
same condition, were little lower
down nearer the house, and the re-
naming two he was atubbornly fight.
ing just beyond the garden of the
house, on or very near the SndleY
lroad. As we passed the house, and
! whilst we were in the garden the
command to "charge bayonets" hav-
ing just been given, 1 was wounded.
The command was turned over to
Capt. James Conner, senior captain,
and l was taken from the field. The
Legion followed the retreating enemy
as far as any Of our infantry did and
the men had been under constant fire
for eight hours. These details are
given in order that an explanation
may be offered showing now the mis-
take made by Jackson came about
naturally.
JAcKsoN's NATURAL ERROR.
In a letter to Mrs. Jackson, written
on the 81 July, he uses the following
language: whilst great credit is due
to other parts of our gallant army,
God made my brigade more instru.
mental than any other in repulsing
4 the main attack" and on August 3
I he writes as follows: II know that
3 the lst brigade was the first to meet
rand pass our retreati ng forces, to push
4 on with no other aid but the smiles
of God, to boldly take its position with
the artillery that Was under my COM
nand, to arrest the victorious foe in
is onward progress, to hold him in
Aeck until reinforcements arriv j,
finally to charge bayonets, and
p advancing pierce the enemy d
Bre.' The world recognizes the
Angnished part borne by Gen.
son and his gallant brigade in the
~iM~"asssa s"a hA annLe "iSSS
30 pride Of the service Of his men on
lat occasion. The same pride that,
lspired then his warm words Of praise
rompts me to do justice to my men,
hose conduct and services were as
Worthy of commendation as those OF
.ny other troops. No soldier can ap'
preciate this feeling more kesnly than
8Stonswall Jackson would have done,
and no living soldier could be more
earnest in doing ustice to his COM
! rades than would have been that dead
! hero. He has done injustice to my
command by HE accounts of this bat
Xtle, and have not one worl Of com.
Ssint to make against him. 1 only
to show that. not knowing Of the
Apce of my command on the turn.
hen he took position on the
in our rear. he supposed, as
city natural, that when Bee
.ack all Of our troops.
q IN in advance OF hip, had
Hence the error into
~ e fell when he stated that his,
ssde was "the frat to meet and pass
our retreating forces" and "the first
to arrest the victorious foe in his or.
ward progress. The following extract
from the report of Brig.-Gsn. Evans
4 will throw some light upon this point,
as do indeed the reports Of Gems. ohm.
ston and Beauregaad. Ger. Evans
says:
TESTIMONY OF GEN. EVANS.
"The enemy by thia in
AeEch large force thatour pOSItSon was
no longer teSabfs, and ordered ny
command, now greatly scattered, to
fall back, under cover, towards the
y Lewis House. The commands OF
Gen. Bee and myself were now COM
pletely scattered, when we were time
ly covered by Hampton's Legion and
other reinforcements."
lsGsRk Evans himself passed through
5hmand while it was on the turn
|as he Was retreating, and know
this was the first Confederate
- that he met as he was retiring