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

mos snhsr. 1 do not now retnsmbsr which but
Anfaits cure that We win never forget the
big turkey and the nusistcus other good |
thitS With which their table 1as 10 heavily
load Tor shAt msmorabls occ6Sion. As We
run = over our war history, xi(e ! pleasure |
it is We can Gallup these $50 u tindnsss
and them over again. In contrast ID thsse |
plea Z rscollsotions fsshembsr on ! drsa6fGi |
daft sht, about II o'clock, . courier rode up
to OF kblk with nm order fsom Col. Psimer Tor
she jsr 10 report - his sflles, with three
qes Qssd and rsady foE agsfss It .xsS =
bite yssid MgXk kknd IAN was - siresdy falling.
How reluctantly that order was obeyed, mono
bit the writer eau ever know. The detail was
promptly made and in less than one-half an
hour the writer reported at headquarters,
with David Thomas, Charlie Garner aud John
Wesley Simpson. Col. Palmer sail, in effect,
"itis reported that the enemy are advancing
up The French Broad but 1t is so hard to get any
thing reliable That want you to 60 about ten
and find out all you can and report back hero
in the morning"
twas now nearly midnight very dark, and
o cold driIaling rain blowing in our face all tho
way down the river. Scouting was business
in which We had no experience, aud something
wholly out of our line Of duty but it was such
strong mark Of trust and confidence in tho
Macbeth, on the part of Col. Palmer, that we
took some pride in executing the order. It was
bad travelling that night, for it seemed as II We
were as often out Of the roal as in il. We had
reached our obj ective point but a 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 tho waves
were high aud 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 asoertained that
it was in the hand Of some one travelling up the
stream We crossed the river and took a position
at the opposite end Of the bridge. We were
very much relieved and aided in the informa-
ton We were hunting by the arrival of q soldier
who hadlpesn homo on q furlou9h for such
was the Yerson carrying the light shat we had
been apfiously Watching. He had been down
below the Warm Springs and had neither seen
nor heard anything OF the Yankees. When it
was day I'VE returned to Asheville aud made
greYNG -'"' . -urOt'Ious inan most m.p.
adjutahs of the 18th South Carolin. Regiment.
This was q more active field, men stood a better
chance sf being killed, und henco the greater
would b tho opening for promotion. Sergeants
James B3ch and W. D. Humphries were then
commiss bed Lieutenant. in the Macbeth Ar.
tilleF But ere they had the pleasure of wear
ing fe bars, the author Of their commission
waf limsslf without n commission. The Con.
fedpcy had collapsed and President Davis
vain p'ison.
was 'bout the first Of March that we left
oufioenating quarters aud went into camp
abf iile from town, on the Warm Spring
roy ~oe OF the officers of the Macbeth, an.
ucftinahat happy event which usually hap
perpbut nee in the lifetime Of most men, and
ior fe prpose Of bringing about its consumma.
no4wento headquarters in quest Of furlough.
roy oanimagine the disappointment of that
ohff WIN Col. Palmer said to him, "Capt.
'etf Is It home and the enemy are on u.s."
oefg nthinges on which to hang persuasive
| argument the officer returned to camp without
orift vis'ns of happiness chasing each other
hrfgh h. brain, as they did in the morning
WI he la camp for headquarters. Scarcely
hadthat otcer returned to camp and reported
the Esnemy dvanciug, before Col. Palmer came
oaspng int'camp pistole in hand and after COM !
maqding uao plant our battery on hill Just |
veg OF US nd open on the enemy, went on to |
get the inIntry in readiness. Everything
seeqed out gear. No couriers, no videtts, no |
picHts, the uemy had marched into Asheville
wittput any preparation being made to m eet
them Theyhad come within less than four
hundred yard Of our camp, and no one had
ever rsportedtheir approach. The cavalry had
dashed by usinto Asheville, firing right and
ieft, and Frightening some Of tho citizens all
'us y aeatn. NO oattery was ever gotten into
posison from The picket line quicker than the
Maceeth was on that occasion. When we
Fea'hsd the position to which we were ordered,
We had no support whatever. The infantry had
,ot appeared % the field. The twenty men Of
ne Macbeth who had been armed with muskets
we're deployedas sharp-shooters, uadsr Lieut..
'uneh' aad wce already hotly engaged when (
ne infantry, tnder COL Clayton and others.
rrived. The Macbeth had also opened FIRE
efore any support reached the field. We wore
ring. hopfer, at the Federal cavalry on hill ,
eyond tn yr Infantry, who had taken shelter in
r"vine bfween us and the cavalry. When
10 infancy arrived Col. Paltaer moved them o
'peatedly fround bluff in such manner as 10 |
axe 1t APPEAR that they were different COM
ands OF pops arriving 1t wrs game of
uff, and must have had its desired etf.st ,or
e Redsras room retreatcd. As thew pa,s.d
u oStho rtvine In which they had taken shell
and ovsfths hills beyond, we fred few u
unds at tfem. Col. Palmer could not have q
q more ean three hundred men present. Of