The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1894-07-04
ANDERSON S. c., WEDNESDAY MORNING. JULY 1894
Gen. Bonham T cannot abandon the
Brooks Guards.

Gen. Bonham I cannot abandon the
Brooks Guards.
ESCAPE OF THE BROOKS GUARD.
This command was now just in sight
and the regiment was moved to the
right of the road to allow them to pass
and take their place III line a5 Die Of
the left rife companies. The enemy
were now in sight, though at great
distance, over a vast expanse Of open
country in our front. Their presence
to the naked eye could only be told by
the fash and simmer of their bayo-
onets as the sun played upon them
with the ardor of a July day. The
head of the column that Capt. Rhett
| was skirmishing with was within a
half mile of us when Col. Kershaw
ordered the regiment through line
Of breastworks, across the enemy s
front and passing out at it's lower and
further extremity. 1t was not per-
| ceived that we really abandoned them,
| and the deception was rendered com:
| plete by his ordering the regimcntal
| and company flags to be planted upon
the breastworks, and kept there as
long as possible. The fag-bearers,
having no encumbrance whatever but
| their flags, could remain much longer
| than the column Of troops could and
readily overtake them. This bluff
had the desired effect of checking the
| enemy, who deployed his column into
line Of battle and brought up his ar
tillery, when, to thei: amazement, the
'eleren flags in a a-twinkling disappear
ed, and their skirmishers fSccna empty
breastworks.
THE GIRLS OF FAIRFAX.
The little ruse gained some precious
minutes for us while our hurrying
columns retreated through the village
of Fairfax, where lovely young ladies
thronged the pavements, weeping and
wringing their hands, and begging US
not to abandon them to the enemy, OF
whom they seemed to have mortal
terror. We assured them we were
performing piece Of masterly STRAIT
egy, and only retreating to draw the
enemy on to their certain destruction,
and in a few days they would see them
running back through there like deer.
We little knew then how prophetic
our words would prove.
A FLANKINa PARTY ELUDED.
Our line of retreat was threatened
by "a column of the enemy, which had
been landed by the Baltimore and
Ohio Railroad at Vienna, and was ad-
vancing down highway that inter
sected our line Of retreat at the little
hamlet of Germantown. As we ap-
preached this point the Colonel or
dered Capt. Cuthbert to deploy the
Palmetto Guard as skirmishers and
advance in the direction Of the enemy
half mile and to hold that position
at all hazards against any line Of skir-
mishers or cavalry until his columns
and train had passed. We held this
position until all had safely passed,
and the nearness of the enemy was
shown by the great cloud of dust that
rose above the tree tops. The day
was intensely hot and the men, unac-
customed to such an ordeal, it being
their first forced march under torrid
sun, succumbed in great numbers, 80
that the ambulances were soon full,
and the gallant men of Kemper's bat
terry would spring from their seats
and help the poor fellows onto seats
upon the Timber chests and caissons.
A FE1Nr AT cENTREv1LLE.
When we reached Centreville it was
very manifest that we had the choice
Of giving battle or having our COM
ma1d strewn along the turnpike to be
gobbled up by the enemy. The for
mer alternative was chosen, and the
line of battle formed On the crest of
grand sweep of hills stretching a
mile on either side of the turnpike
and giving a range of 9 half mile OF
space unbroken by tree to the woods,
which at that distance lined either
side Of the turnpike. The enemy ad.
vanced to the edge of the woods and
was apparently demoralized by this
formidable line of battle, for the only
smoke they made that evening was
from their cook fires. We remained
in this position the entire afternoon,
with no relief from the terrible blaze
of this July sun, and when nj ght
closed in We lay down under stacked
arms.
FALLING BACK ON BULL RUN.
Long before day we were awakened
by many a necessarily rough shake at
the hands of our company officers, and
with the whispered command to fall
into ranks for the purpose Of contin-
uing our retreat to our breatworks
upon Bull Run. Bright fires were
kept blazing until day along the line
occupied by us the previous evening
by parties detailed for that purpose,
while the column hurried on to po-
sition that Beauregard proposed from
that day should be ever famous in the
annals of war. Just as the bright
sun of the historic 17th July, 1861
rose above the tree tops we came in
sight of our batteries beyond the
stream, and fording the Run each
company filed into. the works thrown
up by them a month previous. We
were now in position we intended to
hold at all hazards. The soldier eye
Of Beauregard had selected the banks
of Bull Run as his line of defence,
and the troops were hurried forward
from Manassas as fast as the trains.
u Nhich were running night and day
without stopping, could land them
from Richmond. Our brigade was Sc
lected to defend Mitchell's Ford, just
where the stream was crossed by the
great highway running from Manassa:
to Washington, and upon which road
the enemy was now moving with his
entire army to force passage OF the
stream at this point. Kershaw S reg.
;mant w.c nrooi cnlv at the crossing