The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1886-11-12

ure De in her company. remember that We
attic I'D dinner rarty at the home Of these
hon ID friends. It was q birthday or Christ
mosquner, do not now remember which but
I aHfuite sure that We will mover forget the
big b turkey and the numerous other good
thita with which their table was, so heavily
load4 or that memorable occasion. As We
run ok over our war history, what Q pleasure
it is lat we can call up these acts OF kindness
and be them over sgAiu. In contrast to these
plea$ht recollections remember on dreadful
darldight, about II o'clock, q courier rode mp
tc oqcabin with IN order from Col. Palmer for
the jker 10 report at his Office, with three
nc. kaupted and ready for duty II wsa
fbitteScold nig6t anu RAIN wa, already falling.
How reluctantly that order was obeycd, none
bit the writer can ever know. The detail was
promptly made and in less than onc-half an
hour the writer reported at headquarters,
with David Thomas, Charlie Garner aud John
Wesley Simpson. Col. Palmer sail, in effect,
| "it is reported that the enemy are advancing
up the French Broad but it is so hard to get any
thing reliable that want you to 60 about ten
miles down the river, to Alexander's bridge,
and find out all you can and report back here
in the morning"
1t was now nearly midnight, very dark, and
q cold drizzling rain blowing in our face all the
way down the river. Scouting was n business
in which We had no experience, and something
wholly out of our line Of duty; but it was such
n strong mark Of trust and confidence in the
Macbeth, on the part of Col. Palmer, that we
took some pride in executing the order 1t was
bad travelling that night, for it seemed as if we
were rs often out Of the roal rs in it. We had
reached our objective point but few minutes
when light come in sight far down the river
and on the opposite side. The water makes its
way down the French Broad by being dashed
from rock to rock. Some places the waves
were high and in others very low. Sometimes
the waves ran higher than the light and gave
it the appearance Of being tossed up and down
on the water. AS soon as we ascertaincd that
it was in the hand of some one travelling up the
stream we crossed the river and took position
| at the opposite end of the bridge. We were
very much relieved and aided in the infurma'
ton we we're hunting by the arrival of n soldier
| who hat ieen home on n furlou9h for sucf
was the terson carrying the light that we hat
been anfiously watching. lie had been dowr
below the Warm Springs and had neither sec'
nor hear u anything of the Yankees. When
was day 1--WE returned to A'hevillo and mad
grew tired -""'', -m,".ous man most mcn
adutan of the 18th South Carolina Regiment
This VT more active field, men stood bette
| slo bpiD Hal
would the opening for promotion. Sergeant.
James ~ Pch and W. d. IIumphrics were ther
commiss k'ed Lieutcnants in the Macbeth Ar
tiller.: But ere they ha the pleasure of wear
ing te bars, the author Of their commission
was imself without commission. The Con
fedelcy had collapsed and President Davi.
wasin prison.
IhSas about the first Of March that we lcf,
our ihcnatng quarters and went into camp
e nhot nile from town, on the Warm Spring
G roac Ne of the officers of the Macbeth, an
, t'cihtinahat happy event which usually hap
= pensbut nee in the lifetime Of most men, and
c Tor tie prpose Of bringing about its consumma.
uonwento headquarters in quest Of furlough.
, You can imagine the disappointment of that
, office w!:n COL Palmer said to him, "Capt
f Jete is It home and the enemy are OIL u.s."
Seeing nthinges on which to hang persuasive
argument tho officer returned to camp without
brigt visions of happiness chasing each other
thro'gh h' brain, as they did in the morning,
whel he let camp for headquarters Scarcely
hai that otcer returned to camp and reported
the enemy dvancing, before Col. Palmer came
dasfng int'camp pistoc in hand and after com
naming usto plant our battery on hill Just
Yves of us nd open on the enemy, went on to
get the inantry in readiness. Everything
seemed out o gear No couricrs, no videtts, no
w'tlDut any preparation being made to meet
them Theyhad come within less than four
hundred yarS Of our camp, and no one had
ever reportedtheir approach. The cavalry had
dashed by usinto Asheville, firing right and
| LETT, and frightening some of the citizens all
puI u "eatn. No battery was v,cr gotten into
position from The picket line quicker than the
Macbeth was that OCCASION When we
reached the position to which we were ordered,
We hal no support whatever The infantry had
not appeared on the field. The twenty men Of
the Macbeth who hal been armed with muskets
were deployeda as sharp-shootcrs, under Lieut.
Bunch. and were already hotly engaged when
the infantry, under Col. Clayton and others
arrived. The Macbeth had ais, opened fire
before any support reached the field. We were
firing. however, mt the Federal cavalry on a hill
beyond ther infantry, who hal taken shelter in
ravIne heween us and the cavalry. When
the infantry arrived Col. Pal..cr moved them
repeatedly round bluff in such manner as to
make 1t APPEAR that they were different COM
mands of ;pcps arriving. 1t WIS a game of
blum, and must have bai its desired effect, for
the fcderas soon rctreatCl. As they passed |
out oisth r'vinc in which thoy hal taken shell |