The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1886-02-04
and we will talk about military etiquette


your command and recapture that posi-.
tion.
General Mahone-I do not need my
whole division. can retake it with two
brigades.
General Malone then strobe to his
horse, mounted and rode off towards the
right of his command. Weisiger's Vir.
ginia and Wright's Georgia brigades
soon moved out of the works and moved
off in direction to bring item upon the
scene Of conflict facing the captured
position. The tremendous cannonade OF
the enemy so completely drowned out
every sound from the scene of the conflict
that those out of sight of it could not
tell how the battle was going. Stragglers
reported the works blown-up, the COM
mands in and around the position de-
stroyed, and the enemy in full possession.
Orders soon came for the Alabama bri.
gade to report at the scene of conflict as
speedily as possible. When it arrived,
the crater and works for some distance
to the right were found in the enemy's
possession. Wiesigers brigade had
charged with its usual gallantry driving,
with great slaughter, the attacking
column, which was formed in four lines,
back to the works; and bad recaptured
these to the left of the crater. 1t was
intended that Wright's brigade should
retake the remainder, but half of the
regiments failing to come to the scratch,
the others, upon charging, found them
selves too weak to cope with the force
in possession. They ubliqued to the left,
and entered the works retaken by Welsh
ger. General Malone, upon seeing this,
ordered up the Alabama brigade. When
it arrived he conducted it up covered
way and placed it opposite that portion
of the line still in the possession of the
enemy. 1t remained in this position for
some time before being ordered forward.
Near 12 m. the following instructions
were received from General Mahoue, and
by their strict observance the fire of the
artillery was very nearly avoided, as the
artillerymen failed to observe the ad-
vance until close upon the infantry !:
advance as rapidly as possible, charging
with the bayonet, without halting to fire,
and without cheering" AS ssoon as these
had been transmitted to the whole line,
the order forward was given. Jumping
out of the covered way al single bound,
a wild rush was made for the captured
works. One gun, which had been dug
out of the debris of the explosion, open:
ed upon the line, and the enemy's infan-
try poured in heavy fire. The forts in
the rear of their line opened more than a
hundred guns, but were so late in doing
so that their fire mostly passed over our
heads and did but little damage. Paying
no attention to all this, the brigade dash.
ed up so close that the enemy was almost
within reach of its bayonets.
Pausing then for an instant, well
directed volley from the whole line was.
sent right into their faces. The brigade
then spraug upon them with the bayonet,
and swept them from the works to the
right of the crater as quickly al . az
efectually as the forest is swept from the
path of a cyclone. But the crater was so
densely packed that to spring upon the
bayonet was to be impaled. Seeing this,
when upon the point of springing into it,
the Eighth Alabama closed around the
South side of it, while the Eleventh took
up q similar position on the opposite
side. Every man on the inside, who
dared to raise his head above the edge,
was instantly killed. When no head was
in sight, the rifles were laid over the edge
and the balls sent into the dense mass
packed so closely that not one could pass
without striking several persons. The
Cohorn martar batteries, which had been
|. brought forward and placed in the cover.
4
ed way from which the brigade started
on its charge, aud which had been firing
all the while the brigade occupied that
position, continued to drop their shells
amid this mass of flesh. Those of the
enemy who attempted to flee from the
crater and from the line to the right
were compelled to pass in full view of a
portion of Weisigers line, and very few
escaped the we'll directed fire that greeted
them from that quarter. As socn as tie
crater was surrounded, white flag was
displayed; but no attention was paid Ia
this, as "no quarter" had been tie
enemy's battle cry at the beginning oi
the battle, and our stunned and wounded
men had been mercilessly bayonted by
the negro troops. The brigade had been
informed of this before it entered upon
the charge, and instructed by General
Malone to show them what this CITY
meant. Soon after the appearance oi
the first flag a second made its appear
ance, and then third. But they weAe
not needed until General Malone carae
along aud remarked that we had better
let them surrender, as enough had beer
done 10 show the meaning Of the cry o.
no quarter. The firing ceased, and those
able to travel were ordered to the rear
But comparatively few of these escaped
as Weisiger's brigade turned in the work;
and fred upon them as they ran across
the field for more thlE quarter OF
mile. The large forts upon the Other
side opened all their guns upon them
being led to believe by the action O.
Weisiger's men that they were our mer
repulsed.
Out of about nine hundred that sur
rendered only three hundred reached the
shelter to the rear. Weisigers brigade
t;IIad with the hayonet everything il