The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1886-10-22

eouriers for Major James battalion We had
been comfortably quartered in house, and en-
1oyed ourselves hugely. Returning to Camp,
David took sick and was in the worst fix ever
saw man to get up again. He was as white As
corpse, and it looked like every muscle in him
was in o jerk. His eyes were set in his head,
and he was the picture of death. DR.. Little
bled him and he got better. think he was
sent off to the hospital, and afterwards was
furloughed home. He lay long time before
he got well CamiIas Little died at this camp.
Several cases CT fever broke out there. J.
Wesley McKown took the fever and lay in the
hospital at Adams Run for q long time lie
was bad of. These cases were sent to the hos
pital, as DR.. Little had not tho means for treat
ing them in Camp. The weather was hot and
cases of fever required large rooms well aired
for their treatment. For this reason they were
sent off. The Jenkins house was used as a
hospital for long tfme-ns long as We stayed
there in camp.
1t was customary for the Yankees to keep UP
an annoyance Of our plckcts and other mill
tary forces. Every attempt to land any forces
there, while we stayed. was promptly met and
foiled. General johnson was now on his way
to Richmond with McClellan's army behind
him. The remoulding of the army was going
on in obedience to the 'Conscript PLAN This
gave good chance for the Fedcrals to strike
nm effective blow somewhere. Our men lying
in the Swamps along the coast were exposed to
malarial diseases and our hospitals were oil
well filled. The temperature rising and the
water becoming more and more distnsteful. All
this train Of circumstances was in full opera
ton at once. The Federals who had possession
Of our coast line had balmy, healthful atmos-
phere to breathe, and o much better grade of
water to drink. This being the case they be.
gan to send all their surplus men to Virginia,
to assist Gen. Mcclellan in his siege of Rich
mond. Occasionally they would run out a gun
boat and shell our troops forcing them to re-
treat from the balmy sea breeze back into the
forest. among the mosquitoes, where, by night
in particular, they were tortured with these
tormentors Of human flesh. Smoke was the
only means we had of driving tn EN- of. We
could not use fire in reach Of the gunboat for
| the. smoke by day and light by night was sure
to put them to throwing shells at us. We
did much better at nisht than in the day
time. We got lot Of rotten wood and kept
the fire smothered, SO that il could not blaze,
and in this way We got some peace.
On the first day of June, '62, while Wesley
MoKown was in the hospital, Sam told many
Chandler and myself won't squirrel hunting,
| to get some squirrels for the sick men. We
were about half or 'hrce-quartcrs of q mile
| from camp, with abou. n dozen squirrels
| up . tall tree, when we hca.G -Inboat shell
ling our battery at Pineberry. We had killed
| one or two squirrels, when we heard the bugle
| at camp. We knew what was up. The Yam
| KEGS were landing troops, or making prepara-
| tion to do 30. We had to leave our squirrels
| and hurry back to camp in time for roll CALL
| We had got permission from our company off,
| GERS to 60 bunting that morning, and expected
to have a good day in the business, but our
plans were frustrated. l was Just in time
When l reached my quarters Ned had my
horse saddlcd aud we were both in line at roll
| CALL Our column moved off at the gallop and
pressed on with all possible speed until we got
to place designated by Col. Stevens, who
| told Lieut.. Col. Shnger to hold that position
| until get there with my infantry Every
| man in the ranks knew what that order meant
| 1t meant that if the Federals got foot-hold ON
the main land, they must fight for it. Before
| we got to the position assigned us tho firing
| ceased. We couldn't tell what it meant
| whether the boat was beaten back by the bat
| terry or the battery was silenced and had surren-
| dered. In less than one hour we were in the
position assigned us. Our horses were foaming
vif hals A..
| dismounted for their animals to rest. Men
| were sent forward to find out how things we're.
Both guns on our battery were dsmounted
| and the boat had passed up the river and was
grounded. The tide had fallen and it had TO
| remain there until about o'clock p. M, before
| Yankees were on Jehosse Island, in sight of
| us, just across the river. Everything now
| looked as if battle would take place soon.
| Our artillery was brought forward and placed
| in position to keep the Federals from throwing
pontoons across the river. Some distance in
| our rear the Infantry were halted. Col. Ste
| vens came up, and rs he galloped past the
column of cavalry shout was raised that was
answered far to the rear by the troops, who
were waiting patiently and eager for the ball to
| open. After he had made o survey Of the
| situation he returned. The boat was out of
reach of our guns and it was impossible to get
our artillery in position TO use il effectively.
so wo must wait for them to attempt to land.
| We waited in our position until the sun began
! to sink in the West, when q courier came in
| with the news that the boat was moving back
down towards Pineberry. Soon il began 10
throw shells towards us and in the direction Of
the other troops. As if the idea to cross their
troops had been abandoned, tho Federals ON
Jehosse withdrew before the boat started back
As II went on towards White Point it kept up