The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1886-11-25
'Anaersuu gntelligsnesr,
A Mixed Affair.

In August, 1864, when Fitzpatrick
struck the Atlanta and Macon Railroad
at Jonesboro and other points, l was
attached 10 Armstrong; brigade of
Jackson's division of Confederate cavalry.
The Federal raider struck Jonesboro late
one afternoon, drove out the militia
stationed there in small numbers and
applied the torch to four-fftbs of the
town. Next morning, as they came on
up to L9vejoy's Station, our division,
which had been widely scattered the day
before, we're massed and ready for a
fight. Our infantry had been fighting
aud falling back for an hour, when we
moved into the fight, two thirds of the
command being dismounted. My own
regiment was dismounted to support one
of our batteries, and while lying IN q
ravine just behind the guns were taken
in flank by charge of the Fourth Mich
igau cavalry. l admit that We were
badly ratified at the outset, some of the
men breaking for the cover of a wood a
few hundred yards away, and being
sabred as they ran. cavairyman rode
straight at me, with uplifted sabre, and |
hauled up my muskct to shoot him OF
his horse. At that time my regiment
was armed with rifles, shotguns, carblnes,
revolvers, sabres and swords. A few men
had carbines and sabres together; all
others depended on one weapon alone
Those who had muskets did not have,
except in rare instances, sabres; those
who bad sabres had neither muskets nor
revolvers. Not over one company in the
regiment was us well equipped as the
Federals. had an infantry musket,
bayonet attached, and when / sought to
fire on the cavalryman at close range the
charge would not explode. Then, as be
rode me down, l defended myself With
the bayonet, wounding him in the hand
and aipgiug his sabre 10 the ground. !
had the advantage, and he saw it, and
gracefully surrendered and came down
off his horse. ;,
During this time there was fighting all
around US. A part of our men used the
rayine for rifle pit, and could not be
dislodgei, and the cavalry were gallop-
ing hither and thither through the
smoke. asked MY prisoner what com.
maud he belonged to, and he answered
the Fourth Michigan. Bullets were
tipping about US like angry bees, but |
could not take him to the rear for the
simple reason that there was no rear
Confed and Yank were mixed up like
beans in bag, as far as l could see. l
stood holding him by the arm with one
hand and hanging to his horse with the
other, when two Yankee caralrymen
came riding up. My man appealed to
them, and as they raised their sabres at
me, / surrendered as prisoner of war.
"Watch your chance and run him into
our lines," said one of the men to my
captor, and both rode of, at the call of a
bugle.
gun, aud as his horse became restive, be
could give me but little attention. He
asked me what command I belonged tr,
how the fight seemed to be going, and
rather depended on my honesty not to
run off. He had just suggested moving
along the ravine when dismounted
|Johnny, who was dodging about in the
smoke, came upon US. He took in the
situation at glance, and inside Of a
minute Fourth Michigan was again my
prisoner. My friend took the sabre and
mounted the horse aud rode away, while
1 got my musket back.
you'll probably be recaptured again.
l said to the blue coat rs We walked side
bv side up the ravine.
every likely" he replied. as he walked
on ahead and ducked every two seconds
for a bullet. !,
We had proceeded not over hundred
yards when crowd of about twenty
cavalrymen, nearly evenly divided as to
friend and foe, came surging down upon
us as they cut and slashed. We were
both knocked down in jify, andI got
cut on the head from a horses foot
which left me unconscious for quarter
of an hour.
When I rallied the fight was over, the
Federals having Aanked us and passed
on. As my captor and prisoner were not
found on the ground the conclusion was
that be escaped to his own lines. have
always hoped so, for he seemed to be o
fairly good fellow.-Detroit Free Press