The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1895-08-06
The Horse Shoe at Spottsylvania.
MAGNiFICENT FIGHTING or GEN.
NIcGoWsN,s BRIG lDE.

the Bloody Angle seventeen iiuur
Under Constant Fire.
The fUllowin narrative OF the sp'en
did fighting OF McGOwan's briguuc u
the Horse Shoe" IN tho battle .
Spottsyivania ON the l2th III May
1864, is from the pen OF Col. [. f.. Lunt
OF Greenyille, anI is copied from The
Charleston Sunday News:
GREENyILI.E, S. c., Dec 10, 1891.
Col. j. N. Brown, Anderson, S. c.
Dear Colonel: hardly know how /,
reply TO your favor Of recent dare
thirty years is u long while to remem
Der occurrences accurately.
The few army papers that [ savcd
from the surrender at ADponia'tuX
loaned to Lieut.. j. f.. j. Caid we'll, and
they were misplaced, therefore ! VII
have to rely entireiy on memory.
However, the most Important events
OF the battle to which you aiiud: are
SO indelibly impressed up,n my MINI
that | can give them SO that you or
anyone who was in tho battle will re-
cog nize them as facts, not ancy.
This battle is not the first instance
wherc the frills OF our lightng have
been taken TO decorate other cuni-
mands, but hard facts ana truth viii
accord to us all the credit VIC arc
40 you kno, the brigade, with Gen.
MCGOWAN in command, was taken frJm
the iincs near SIP ,tLsylvtnI. Count
liouse about sum toc on tho .n.ILlA, Li
inc lAth VI May, moved about two
miles to the left. placed in line Of
battle and ordered to charge. After
charging about fourth of u mile tho
brigade halted, Gen. MCGOWAN being
wounded AT that time the position
OF the 18th regiment was in an open
ficlG, and about ifty yards in rear of u
line of works occupied by Conf ederate
troops, u position where we could do
no good, while subjected to u terrific
fire from the enemy, somewhere on
our right. saw Gen. Gordon passing,
and obtained permission to move the
regiment to the right. He ordered me
to take it to the point where fighting
was the hardest. In moving to the
right and in rear of the brigade |
failed to see any OF my seniors. Upon
inquiry | was told that all had been
killed or wounded, you included. |
found the right of,tho brigade in line
of'works, IL snort reserve line, which
did not extend to the left
The smoke Of the battle, added to
the heavy atmosphere prevailing that
morning, prevented mo from seeing
the position of the enemy. | went to
the lst regiment, ard with Lieut.. Col.
Shooter stood on top of the works
where we could see above the smoke,
-und located their position, which
looked to be fort, from which the
enemy was pouring deadly fire into
the brigade. L did not know to whom
to apply for orders. 1t was evident
that we could not remain where we
were. We must either retreat or
x,1n IAf.
latter, and ordered tho charge, Lieut.
Col. Shooter accompanying me until
he was killed. The brigade drove the
enemy out Of what proved to be
salient instead of II fort and captured
few prisoners, who informed us that
they had that morning surprised and
captured one Of our divisions.
In order to explain what the brigade
accomplished IL is necessary to give
description OF the salient, which is
known by those who fought in it as
1.-THE Horse Shoe" or Bloody Bend"
The salient was situated on the crest
of u hill, and almost in the shape of
horse shoe with the heels widened
with traverse protection and artillery.
In the rear of the right heel our artll-
lery had crescent shaped works to
protect their caissous-the base OF the
salient from heel to heel was about
100 yards and about the same distance
TO the rear, the reserve line of works.
where the brigade first halted, and
AnH3Imed command.
now come to the important query,
q o charged, recaptured and held for
Eentcen hours Bloody Bend ?"
~ do not hesitate TO say, and do not
:. icipate serious contradiction, that
.sI IS McGowan's brigade, unas sisted
Il
from any other cOmmuua.
\ After recapturing the salient and
baking in the situations, | found the
}left OF the brigade connected with,
and possibly tapping other troops, the
right unprotected, and as far down tho
line of works as | could see they were
unoccupied-the enemy holding the
opposite side-found the guns of our
artillery had been run back and turned
against us. Very soon the enemy
began to cross the works on our right
and threaten our rear. | detached
force, and placed them in the crescent
caissOn works, and checked their
movement to our rear In that posi-
tion we fought without any material
change.
Every man present realized the
sitution was desperate and help badly
needed. Consulting with officers liz
reference To sending for reinforce
ments, we decided that we could hold
our position for while, that Gen.
Lee was near the battle, knew our
situation, and as long as he could hear
our guns would know we still held the
position, and send relief if possible.
The rapid firing began to tell on
our ammunition, which would soon be
exhausted. / hestated to make a
dGsiSi, as 1T was almost certain death
to attempt to leave the salient, and
callcG for volunteers. Privates VIM
Kelley and Chance Evans, Of the LIST
regiment, promptly responded and
nobiy performed their perilous duty,
bringing ammunition from the rear in
boxes and tent flies to supply MS during
the entire engagement. We cannot
give them too much praise for their
daring bravery.
Near 1 p. M the enemy, about ten
PAGES to the right, raised the white
flag. / ordered firing to cease, and
met q general who peremptorily de-
manded surre' der. replied: We
are here for very different purpose
He then demanded to confer with the
commanding officer. told him was
In command, and called his attention
TO tic movement of his troops. After
some discussion as to our relative
force he insisted that it WAS folly for
US to hold ont longer. ordered hin