The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1895-02-06
WAR SKETCHES.
Some "reminiscences of the Campaign of
1862.

1862.
EDITORS INTELLIGENCER If L was
going to write history Of the war l
would have to begin back in the ffties
and explain to some extent the causes
which brought ON the late war, but as
I intend only to give few brief
sketches Of the part taken aBthe con-
hict by the Hampton Legion, and es-
pecially by the Gist Rifles during the
time was connected with that COM
mand, will have to begin with the
campaign of 1862. About the LIST Of
April of that year I enlisted in Com
pany D, Hampton Legion, with Lieu
tenant W. Fl. Mauldin, who had come
home for recruits for that Company.
The Company was mustered into SER
vice in June, 1861, and had shared in
the first battle Of Manassas, July 21,
1861. I think ii was about the 1st or
I'd Of April that we left Williamson
for the seat Of war, which was at
Fredericksburg, Va, at that time, ar
irving there about the 9Th, being on
Saturday. That evening we were
marched up to Colonel Hampton s
headquarters to get our guns and ac-
couterments and to sign the roll, which
act made us full-pledged Confederate
soldier for three years, or during the
war. Of course we didn't expect to
be there but short time-in fact l
was fearful the war would end before
I got there, even after I had started.
However, we kept on until we reached
the army. We were given quarters
in a large tent and assigned to mess
No. 10, consisting of W. D. Maroney,
Hiram Turner, John Timms, Garrison
Timms, Fatty bread we called him)
W. M. Maddox, G. G.. Irby, Samuel
A. Spence and myself.
The army had just marched from
the Occoquan bay up to Fredericks-
burg, and were we'll quartered some two
or three miles west Of the city.
We had nothing to do on Sunday
but to go round and get acquainted
"longer" the boys, and was we'll
pleased with the appearance of the
officers who commanded our Company
and Regiment. Our Company officers
were Captain Fl. J. Smith, 1st Lieu
tenant R. R. Hudgens, End Lieutenant
W. II. Mauldin, 3rd Lieutenant E. 81.
Acker. The Battalion of infantry
was composed then Of seven Companies
and commanded by Lieutenant Colonel
J. B. Griffin and Major JAS. Conner.
Theodore G.. Barker was Adjutant.
Colonel Wade Hampton was COM
manding Brigade, composed Of the
18th and 10Th Georgia Regiments, the
9Th North Carolina Infantry and the
Hampton Legion. I.give these all in
detail SO you may know who [ am
talking or rather writing about further
on.
Sunday was cloudy day, and | be-
gan to think would like camp life
first rate, as had always delighted in
wagoning and camping out. l
wanted the war to be sure and last
until T could get to see some yankees
and go through one battle so that l
would have something to talk about
when I got home, like I use to hear
uncle Johnnie Bagwell tell about be-
ing in the revolution war and being
in some of the great battles of that
war. Some time in the night, (on
Sunday night rain began to fall, slow
ly, not very hard, and little later on
toward day we had marching orders
served on us, SO we had to rise and go
to cooking sup three days rations y
to be ready to move at sun up. In
the mean time the rain had advanced
from a gentle shower to that of a regu-
lar gully-washer. Itold the boys that
I didn't think we need to be in any
great hurry about getting ready, for it
was not going to be day fit to march,
nohow, and that we had better not
cook all the -four we had, for said l,
"we would have lot of cold victuals
on hand that would notbe good-that
I had never been use to eating cold
victuals, and I thought we had better
wait until day light and see if it was
going to be day fit for marching be-
fore we done too much" The boys
Just laughed at me, and said to me,
"you let that little shower of rain
fool you, and you will be out on the
march without bread and no chance Of
getting any, and your -four will be
made into batter against you carry it
all day in your haver sack through the
rain" So the rain increased, and our
chances of staying in our tents de-
creased, until after daylight, then
come the order to "strike tents and
get ready to move at once. Said l,
surely Mr.. Hampton don't mean for
us to go out in this rain it will make
us all sick, for' said I, my mother
never allowed me to 60 out in the
rain," and down come the tent and
we were standing out in the rain, and
to add to our discomfort and astonish-
ment, it seemed as if the rain had
doubled its energy and was coming
down in torrents, so to speak. How
ever, the officers seemed to take no
notice Of it but just went on forming
companies as though it was nice,