The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1891-02-11

with the yells of the contending forces made
CAPT. BRADHAM WOUNDED.
the affair terrible indeed About this time,
if Ircmembcr correctly, D. J. Bladham, 3rd
Lieutenant commanding Co. I, lost his arm.
The fire was so terrible that the 23rd had to
fall back behind the hill. The 23rd was
again ordered TO move forward. This time
We moved q little hight obliquely forward
which threw rs a little right Of the front Of
the battery. The space left open was imme-
diately flied with the right of Anderson $
Brigade which was advancing some short
distance in rear Of Eyans's Brigade to sup
port it. The two brigades now getting to-
gether, or being now where they conld act
together, moved forward, and, under the
heavy fire Of the enemy, captured the bat
tery. AS soon as this battery was captured
the guns were turned upon the Federais
(who were fleeing across the open fe!d),
! pouring demorallZing and destructive fire
into the backs of the flying fugitives. The
battle was fast going against the tederals, 1t
being late in the evening and the Federal
whole line, right, centre and left was broken
and defeated, and they exercising all the
faith they had in their own heels for their
VICTORY!
safety, were flying in confusion. When the
darkness Of that evening spread itself over
the face of nature there was one more bril-
liant and decisive victory to be scored to the
arms Of the Confederate States Of America,
and one humiliating defeat to be recorded
in the pages OF history against the North.
In the charge at the top Of the hill the
gallant Maj. Whilden fell pierced by sew
eral balls while calamity bearing aloft the
flag of the 23rd, three others having been
shot down before the gallant Whilden
grasped it up. The battle over and the
Federals We're now flying with all speed to
reach the northern bank OF the Potomac
River, with heavy body OF the victorious
Confederates in their rear. We collected our
wounded in camp established in awoods
about three-quarters of q mile from the
battle field and administered to their needs
the best we could till they could be trans
ferred to hospitals where they could be bet
ter attended to. The next day was Sunday,
and Sunday it was to all appearances, for
it was as calm and as peaceful as any Sab
bath could be. Had it not been for the
shocking evidences Of war all around US,
one would have supposed there was no
bighting curse of war in our land. Several
of US repaired to the battle field, ana Will
say here that one who has never been On
battle field, or has never visited ole, need
never want to do so, for they Will behold
THE FIELD sTREwN WITH DEAD SOLDIERS
SIGHT that is simply awful. On reaching the
battle field we Went over it, and witnessed
the terrible consequences OF way til the
heart became sick. On that field OF carnage
We beheld men shot in every conceivable
J 1.l ~, il.aI-
ing threads, men OF all ages, tie middle
aged and to all appearances in the full Wig
or of their manhood, and the bear.!less boy,
all man9led and stiff in death We saw the
battle in its effects had been more terrible
with the tederais than with the Conteder-
ates, they having O. greater number OF men
than the Confederates their loss could not
but be greater. IN this particular part OF
the buttIe field l visited l am satisfied the
FederalS' loss was at least five to three OF the
Coufederates. The loss or the part Of the
Federals as admitted on the part of the au-
thorities Of the United States was never
correct, fer they have always tried to convey
the impression that the loss OF the Confed-
crates in this battle was as heavy or heavier
than theirs, which was not the case, for they
were soundly whipped and got many men
killed and wounded besides prisoners. 1t
was reported at the time that the Confeder-
ates captured nine thousand prisoners or
more. The loss on the part Of the Conted-
crates do not remember as officially re-
ported The official report OF the 23rd l
very well remember: Four hundred and
forty-one men engaged, and one hundred
and ffty-seven killed and wounded. Agreat
many OF course were but slightly wounded.
I remember well that Co. carried twenty
four men rank and file into the light, and
ONLY THREE OF co. 1EscAPE USRURT.
out of that number only three escaped un-
scathed. With this company many We're
only slightly wounded. The readers can
yerv we'll imagine how thick shot and Shell
flew around the 23rd on that occasion.
This think is sufficient to relate about
this memorable battle, so will turn from
the battle field and relate little incident
connected with this affair that was very
amusing at the time. 1t appears that Gen.
Pope imagined during some part OF the days
battle that he was gaining the day and the
Confederates would soou be i'll fill tlght
before his victorious army, and while enjoy
inc this delusive expectation he telegraphed
to Washington that Lee was retreatlnS to
the mountains and that a-great union veto
nv was being achieved by the grand union
army: also saying any one wishing to visit
the battle field and view the rebel dead
could do so with safety On reception of
this telegram about sixty citizens OF Wash
inpton set out to visit the battle field and
see all these gratifying sights. But dlsap-
nointed tbey were when before they were
aware of it they were safe within the lines
of Confederates; and Pope was, with his de-
feated and flying troops, making tor the
uor,h bank of the Potomac liver by way Of
Centreville. The modification and chaSrln
of these nicely dressed citizens was as great
to themselves as it was amusing to the Con-
federates. They abused Pope at high rate
and called him everything but man Of un-
questioned veracity and a good general
The Confederates teased them great DEAL
many of them telling them they wanted to
swap shirts with them. After teasing them
good deal in different ways they We're
marched to the rear, and after day or two
released and sent through the lines under a
fac of truce back to Washington, wiser
set at least than when they left. They had
the pleasure of seeing, if there was any
pleasure in it, their dead scattered oyer the
held and on the road they came, for this
was the morning after the battle, and l
don't think any Of the Federals were buried
up to that time.
GOING INTO WINTER QUARTERS.
After the battle of Manassas Lees army
crossed the Potomac River into Maryland
early in September, and in the battles Of
South Mountain, Boonsboro Gap, and
Sharpsburg Evauss Brigade, including the
23rd, took part sustaining loss II each Of
these engagements After Gen. Lee failed
to dislodge and defeat the Federais at the
last named battle, Oh account OF Mcclellan
and Pope uniting their two forces which
now made the Federals forty thousand
stronger than the Confederates, they quietly
and in good order withdrew and recr oSsed
the Potomac into Virginia. After returning
to Virginia Lcngstreet's Division marched
to Winchester and camped there TIL Novem-
ber when Evanss Brigade received orders
| to ,,,ornb to Erlncpnpr C. r After reaching