The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1886-05-28
REMINIsCERCEs.
OF THE
MACBE EEH LIGHT ARTILLERY.
BY ONE OF THEM.
No. 4.

No. 4.
The hill of the highest altitude in the vicinity
Of Waterloo bridge furnished us parking ground
for our guns on the night of 25th Aug. 1862.
We eat our scanty breakfast that morning be-
fore sunrise, saw no dinner, and were now in
camp late at night with no encouraging pros
pect OF supper. Fut our commissary, s. NJ.
Dawkins, put in his appearance, with some
hard tack and pickle pork, in time to prevent
US from going to bed hungry. remember
eating my hard tack and pickle-pork that night
with more relish and satisfaction than do any
party, dinner or marriage supper it has ever
been my privilege to enjoy. We were very
tired as well as very hungry that night aud as
soon as ono Of natures demands was satisfied:
we laid down and dropped off to sleep, to
satisfy the other. We rose from our beds of
mother earth next morning and viewed our
beautiful surroundings. Spread out within the
sweep Of the eyes, in endless variety, were
hills aud dales, forests and fields, corn and
meadow, land and water; and in all this pict-
ure Of beauty and repose "only man was vile."
Scattered here and there he could be seen in
squads, companies, regiments, brigades, divi-
sions and corps, watching each other and wait
ing for the coming storm Of battle.
And deep down in the valley below, where
the Rappahannock rushes seaward through the
great gorge that nature cleft between the up-
lifted hills, could be seen one of tho anomalies
OF the war of secession. Facing each other
from the SUBMITS Of these hills and in the
valleys below, were the pickets Of the two
great opposing armies disputing with leaden
arguments for the possession Of the Waterloo
bridge. The invaders fighting to destroy the
bridge, 80 as to keep the army they came South
to destroy on the opposite side OF tho river.
The invaders were afraid Of being invaded.
Pope and Lee were equally vigilant, anxious
and appreheusive, but from different motives,
Lee was vigilant, trying to get over to the
Northern side Of the Rappahannock Pope was
vigilant to keep him from crossing Lee was
anxious to bring on the fight without delay;
Pope was anxious to stave it off, Lee was ap.
prehensve less he could not drive Pope from
his strong position in timo to beat him in detail
before Mcclellan reinforced him from tho pen
insula Pope was apprehensive less Lee should
succeed in his daring plans before the penin-
suia troops arrived. Lee ssdw the urmouIty of
crossing tho river in the face Of strong enemy
and strongly posted. He decided that the
easiest and quickest way to dislodge Pope was
by flank and rear movement. To Jackson
was assigned the duty Of turning Popes right
flank. And when he got into Popes rear he
could not resist the temptation of calling ut
Manassas junction and issuing rations to his
almost famshed soldiers, out Of the supplies
that the Federals had collected there in great
abundance. 10 Iongstreet was assigned the
duty of holding Pope to the Rappah hannock till
Jackson had time to carry out the details of
his part of the campaign. The success Of the
bold and daring campaign hinged on unison Of
action, rapid marching and strategic maneuver-
ing. There was no friction between Jackson
and Longstreet. Each acted his part nobly and
well aud both were equally successful. Long
street kept Pope busy preparing to meet attacks,
that were never designed to be made. Pope
soon learned that he could not keep up with
Lee without two sets Of eyes one TO watch his
commissary stores in his rear and the other
Longstreet In his front. When Jackson turned
up at Manassas Junction, Pope no longer re-
maned in his stronghold on tho Rappahannock
to dispute its crossing with Longstreet, but
jackson, with the hope of crushing him before
Lopgstrset could succor him. Thus far the
success of the campaign was all that the most
sanguine rebel could wish and in order that
the future development Of the campaign might
not be attended with any disaster, it was moo
cssary that the two great corps commanders
should still work in perfect accord and travel
day and night. The Rappahannock River and
Pope, with an army more than double Jackson's,
were between him and Longs.reet. Pope had
the advantage, too. over Longstreet in start,
and in that his line was shorter, more direct
aud unobstructed, while Longstreet was driven
to the necessity Of hsnking the deep water Of
the Rappshsnnock and marching around Car
ters Mountain out of the way, thus making
his distance three times as far from Jackson as
Pope's.
Such was the status Of the campaign on the
morning of the 26th Of August 1862 and Long
streets men we're in possession Of the facts and
impressed with the importance Of every man
doing his duty. And they proved equal to the
demands made on them for the very moment
shat Jackson needed Longstreet he was there.
bristling for fight.
On that morning, the 26th, we cut loose from
our dependence on commissary stores and put
ting the great hills that skirt the southern val
ley Of the Rappabannook between us aud the
enemy, to conceal our move, we swept onward
and still onward, Norlhward and Eastward,
following In the wake Of Jaokson's march of
the few previous days We looked to cornfelis
and apple trees for rations and lost but little
time in cooking, eating and sleeping. Lees
army moved like well adjusted aud we'll oiled
machinery under the touch Of master