The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1894-06-13
but with the saline result. The Union
officer bounded on as II conscious of

his peril.
Hampton was about to draw his
sword when his intended quarry turn
| ed short off to tie left through a gap
| in the fence which Hampton himself
| had not seen until borne past il. He
had the satisfaction of hurting the
pistol ~ his flying foe, accompanying
| it with sonie words which did not en-
tirely become his character as YES:
tryman of the Protestant Episcopal
Church, but that was all.
Gen. Hampton found that the Union
| officers sword had given him a deep
cash about four inches in length, and
that but for the thick felt hat and
heavy suit of hair he wore would have
cut to the brain. A few inches OF
| courtplaster enabled him to keep on
duty until he received a severe gun.
shot wound in the leg at the end of
the battle. Ten years later Col:
Frank Hampton, young brother OF
| the Generals, while on visit to
Mobile became acquainted with gen.
tleman from Detroit who had been an
officer in the Union army. Afew days
after their introduction the Detroit
man said: Colonel, 1 sought your
acquaintance in order that through
you might make the amende honora-
BILE to your brother, Gen. Wade Hamp.
ton. The sabre cut that he received
on the head at Gettysburg was inaict.
ed by me, and the matter has troubled
me greatly ever since. Itwas my only
act duriIg the war that l regret. l
was young fellow then of % and a
lieutenant in the 9Th Michigan cavalry.
Seeing solitary Confederate firing
into our lines 1 determined to capture
him. There was nothing about him
to indicate his rank, but | presumed
that he was an officer. The bend in
the fence prevented him from noticing
my approach. Indeed he was looking
to the front as L came on his rear, and
the ground being soft near the fence
line, he did not hear my horses step.
I would have run him through with
my sword, but I was incapable of
stabbing any man in the back. | saw
that when l got near him that he was
of formidable stature, and as his pis.
tol was in his hand I was sure that if
I ordered him to surrender he would
instantly turn and fire upon me. He
was mounted on horse Of ligh ght chest
nut color. which T thought was the
finest animal I had ever seen. It.was
o sore temptation to cavalry officer,
and I at once changed my plan and
decided to unhorse the rider and cap
ture his splendid mount. AS struck
the blow he turned upon me. 1t was
a half mile race for life. I heard his
pistol snap three times at my back,
and also his parting curse as | went
through the gap in the fence"
Col. Hampton delivered the explain
alton rendered by Major S., for he
rose to that rank and later Gen.
Hampton acknowledged it by letter,
assuring Major S. that it had given
him great qualification, and since he
had received it he could only regard
the failure of his pistol to fire with a
deep sense of gratitude to Him in
whose hands are the balance of life
and death.
In reply TO an inquiry to Hampton
Major S. wrote that the name Of the
rollicking riaeman was Frank Pearson
that he was but 19 years old at the
time Of the duel that the pistol ball
had wounded him few inches above
the wrist, and that he was mustered
out of service at the close of the war
as lieutenant, and was successful
farmer living near Kalamazoo, Mich;
Subsequently Gen. Hampton received
a letter from Mr.. Pearson himself IN
which he assured the General, that he
was glad he had missed him, and the
General responded that he was very
sorry that he had wounded Private
Pearson.