The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1894-06-13
WADE HAMPFOa's DUEL.
On Battlefield at Gettysburg With q Fed
eral Soldier.

On Battlefield at Gettysburg With a fed
eral Soldier.
t: j. htackey, 1T Atlanta Constitution.
In the breaking dawn Of July 2,
1863, four thousand cavalrymen sat in
silence upon their horses on the ex-
treme left of the Confederate battle
line at Gettysburg. The field in their
front was ourtained with heavy mist,
as if kindly nature had sought to veil
the appalling traces Of the tragedy
there enacted. It had been sown
with shot and bladed thick with steel
on the previous afternoon, and the
harvest of death was ungathered, lying
in winnows along the CHASTITY burrows
that had been cut by the red plough
share of war. The infantry line
stretched far away to the right, and
their gray uniforms blending with the
hazy atmosphere gave them very
shadowy appearance. Many Of the
regiments were indeed but shadows of
what they had been at noon on the
preceding day. Some were in line
without even one commissioned officer,
and others with but the normal
strength Of single company. For
example, as attested by the official
record, the 26th North Carolina enter
ed the battle with 300 rank and file,
and, although none were captured, but
eighty answered to their names at the
close of the day. Col. Henry K:
Burgwyn, Jr., who commandedit, and
all the field officers were killed. Capt.
H. G. Albright, who took command Of
it after the battle, was it's only com
missioned officer left unwounded.
Company H Of the same regiment
went in with eighty-four men and
three officers and came out with but
one man standing upon his feet, all
the others having been killed or
wounded. I knew the sole unstricken
survivor we'll. He was Private John
Secrest, a robust young farmer of
Mecklenburg County, North Carolina,
and regret to state that instead Of
being grateful to Providence for hav-
ing plucked him as brand from the
burning, he grumbled loudly over the
loss of one Of his shoes, torn from his
foot by grape shot that struck the
heel while he was falling back in good
order.
The fifty squadrons of horse that
were awaiting orders in dreamy half
sleep we're commanded by Brig. Gen.
Wade Hampton. He was the beau
ideal of cavalry commander; Of tall,
heroic form, superb horseman, brave
and enterprising without being rash,
and with daring always tempered by
sound judgment. He was unquestion-
ably the strongest man in the Confed-
crate service, and the only one in
either army who, enlisting as a private
soldier, rose to the rank of lieutenant
general. But, although judicious
commander, he was possessed OF a
knightly spirit Of adventure, and, as
adventures come to the adventurous,
his brilliant military career was mark
ed by many thrilling personal expert
ences.
But brave heart is no buckler
against steel blade, as Gen. Hamp-
ton realized that morning. Hearing a
bullet hiss just over his head he turn
ed his face toward the belt of open
woods on his left in time to see the
fash Of gun at point about three
hundred yards away, and then he
heard another leaden messenger cut
the air near him. He at once rode at
brisk trot in the direction of the
timber to find out the early bird Of
the sbarpshooter who thus broke upon
the quiet of the morning with his
shrill note of battle. When he had
ridden about one hundred and seventy
FIVE yards at right oblique he came
to high stake and rider rail fence.
Looking to the front he saw, standing
on large stump, some four or five
feet in height, a soldier whose blue
coat bound with orange-colored braid,
and pantaloons with stripes Of the
same color on the outer seams, indi-
Gated that be was United States
cavalryman. He seemed to be what
the Scots term "braw lad," and,
although not engaged in a political
campaign, had "taken the stump"
doubtless that he might get better
view of the Confederate troops on the
elevated plateau south of the woods.
The contour of the ground hid Gen.
Hampton from his command when he
halted at the fence. AS he drew his
pistol the quick-eyed skirmisher saw
him, and they both fired at the same
instant. The ball from the soldiers
rihed carbine splintered a rail near the
horses head, and that from Wade
Hampton Is 44-calibre revolver made
the bark fly from the stump. The
duel was clearly irregular, as there
we're no seconds, and the principals
were about one hundred and twenty
five yards apart instead Of fifteen or
twenty PAGES, as prescribed by the
Code of Honor, and they were une-
qually armed, although each was
within fair range of the other s weapon.
Hampton held his pistol muzzle up, at
a ready, and courteously waited on his
antagonist, who threw back the lever
of his carbine, and, finging out the
empty shell, put in fresh cartridge;
Again the reports Of the carbine and
pistol blended, and bullet passed
through Hampton's gray cavalry cape,
grazing his right breast.
The soldier then inserted a third
cartridge. but could not close the
breech Of his rife, the trouble eyl-
dently beins that the gun was foul,
and hence the butt Of the metallic
case did not go in flush with the
socket. He raised his right hand with
the palm to the front, as if to say to
his adversary. "Wait bit, III soon
be with you, and then drew his wip-
ing rod and, after driving out the
stuck cartrid dge, took piece OF rag
from his pocket, and wctting it with
his tongue, attached it to the slit in
the rod and deliberately cleaned out
his carbine. The delay sorely taxed
the patience of Hampton, as 1T would