The South western news., 1888-06-27
THE CADETS DID III.
The Re0VLSe at cooSGWhGtcbse. The Charge
sfthe Charleston Citadel Cadets and
Their Victory.
Sanny South.)

Suaay South
Editor Sammy South: In the is-
sue OF the Sunny South of the 2Sth
inst, | vas very much interested in
reading of the Battle won BY boys
Of the Virginia Military Institute"
in the Valley OF Virginia, which re-
minded me Of a similar occurrence
where boys turned the tide of bat
tie, and Of which l was an eye-wit>
ness.
1t was in December, 1864, about
the time that Sherman had left Sa-
vannah and was marching toward
Charleston. Our forces that we're
scattered along the line of the Char
lesion and Savannah Railroad were
acting on the defensive. The no
toiious, cruel Col. Hartwell was in
command of the Federal forces near
Coosawhatchie. Early in the morn
ing, the weather being cold and
frosty, "a battalion of the Fifth
Georgia, as brave a set of men as
any that wore the grey, under the
command OF Col. Daniels, went out
to feel for the enemy, who were
found in large numbersaud silently
pressing towards the railroad. Then
began the fghtin Tullafnny swamp,
about mile from Coosawhatchee
and towards PocCtaligo. The brave
Georgians obstinately held their
ground against the vast odds that
oppressed them. Owing to the
swamp and the almost impenetra-
BILE underground, lit was found inn
possible to bring in the artillery,
although repeated attempts had
been made to do so. inst think OF
it--~a battalion of hungry, bare~
footed men, against a brigade Of
well.fed, well>shod troops, loaded
with whisky! Slowly our men
were compelled to fall back to the
railroad, but at each step nobly con,
testing the advance of the enemy.
Completely exhausted, the brave
Georgians sought refuge behind the
railroad embankmeut and awaited
the Cemng OF the foe
At this juncture a comrade next
to me said, look, there comes the
cadets" | looked in the direction
indicated and saw the we'll drilled
battalion of caders of the Charles
ton Citadel. Their full dress Uni,
forms of gray gave them the APP
peafance of marching out for dress
parade. Col. White, their com,
mander, had them fall in with the
line of Georgians behind the ems
bankment. All were commanded
to let the enemy come up close,
The Federals passed the clearing
and at the charge of bayonets,
marched up towards us. Then
came a volley, which for being SIM
ulbaneous, has no equal in my ex
perience. The Cadets jumped oven
the embankment and charged the
enemy, who soon began to fall back
in disorder. The Georgians follow
ed Directly we began advancing,
while the whisky-soaked foe were
retreating-on through the woods,
crossing the road and reaching tie
bloody swamp. The Cadets and the
Georgians pressed them hard and
forced them back in great disorder,
driving them five miles, when the
darkness of night put an end to al
all-day hard fight. The Cadets,
by their bravery, covered them
selves with glory and reflected great
credit upon that fine Institution o
learning, the Citadel Academy o
Charleston. All, but how many
of those brave boys laid down theil
precious lives upon that bloody
feldl The darlings of a mother
heart, to be thus torn from her hos
ON and placed upon the altar o
our countryside costliest sacrifice
of the whole war!
F. STARR GREGORY,
Private Co. g, Third Ga. Reserves
Enlightened Conscience.
A r,raof ,1ort;or1 of oil tho wong