The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1895-05-22
HAMPTON AND THE SABRE.
illustrated by Two Minor but Picturesque
Incidents.
.Neps and Courier.

News and Courier.
IF I were asked what was most char
acteristic of Hampton as cavalry
leader 1 would answer, unhesitatingly,
his faith in the sabre. Not so much,
perhaps, in its efficiency as q death
dealing weapon as in its moral effect
in inspiring the enemy with awe,
striking CONSERVATION into his ranks,
demoralizing his men and thus render
ing them incapable Of effective resist
ance. It was seldom, indeed, that
the two sides actually crossed sabres,
but it was not beceuse sabre charges
were rare. Hampton's inyariable in
structions to a charging party were to
draw sabres, not to sheathe them, and
not to touch the pistols until the
enemy was put to fight. The fact
was that the rapid rush Of the horses,
the yell Of the charging party and the
fash of the uplifted sabres was too
much for the enemy's cavalry. They
gave way before actual contact oc-
Cured.
My observation of Hampton, it is
true, was only that Of private, but it
was frequent and extended through
several campaigns, for the regiment to
which I belonged was the I'd South
Carolina cavalry, commanded first by
NJ. G. Butler and afterwards by T. j.
Lipscomb, the former so we'll known
to fame as brave and dashing SOL
dier, and the latter as hard as a fighter
as any colonel in the army. The regi-
ment under such leaders was sure in
any dangerous expedition to b., next
the enemy, whether the 7ere
in front or rear, and my compaS the
Boykin Rangers, being ComIny A.,
was always the first in advance and
the last in retreat. 1t was thus that
I had frequent opportunities, some
times on very trying occasions, OF OBJ
serving our great cavalry leader, as
beloved as he was admired.
All cavalrymen who served under
Hampton will doubtless recognize his
characteristic faith in the sabre, which
has been mentioned, and will recall
for themselves numerous instances
illustrative of it, but there were two
occasions on which it was strikingly
manifested, which it may not be with
out interest to recall on this occasion,
when his fellow-citizens of Charleston
and the State, including the survivors
of those rushing squadrons at whose
head he once rode, are uniting to do
him honor.
The recollection of the first of these
incidents is accompanied, for reason
which will hereafter appear, by Ger
tain sense of modification which at
the time was felt deeply by the writer
and no doubt by many Of his comrades.
It was toward the end Of Maryland
campaign, the first in which Lees
army had invaded the enemy's terri
tory. Hampton's brigade was guard
ing the rear of division, [ forget
whose division, which was retreating
towards Harper's Ferry. We had just
crossed the Monocacy, small river
near Frederick, Md, and were station
ed on the side next to Frederick. Two
of the companies Of our regiment, A
and G, or details from the two COM
panies, were supporting a section of
Hart's battery, while scattering pick.
cts were stationed along the banks Of
the river. The enemy brought up
their artillery on the opposite side Of
the river, some 500 yards distant, a
position which from high bluff com
manded the low country and open
fields between the river and the town.
We stood our ground quietly until
ordered to withdraw, and then the
situation became trying. Our pickets
could be seen coming in rapidly from
all sides, but owing to the morticed
fences, too strong to be pulled down
and two high to leap, they could not
join the main body in the road. The
main body, i. e., the two retreating
companies and the artillery, was itself
in no enviable plight, for as it march
ed down the broad, white road it pre-
sented a fair mark for the enemy's
guns. The enemy's rifle shells, part
ridges as they were sometimes called
from their peculiar Autter when nearly
spent, we're flying wildly, and the re-
tiring pickets were siding fast. I re-
member seeing one Of the shells strike
a picket's horse on the crupper, the
horse being instantly killed and drop
ping to the ground, but the picket
lighting on his feet, without being
thrown, and escaping unhurt. re-
member thinking it was funny, but |
do not recollect whether the picket
stopped to save his saddle and bride
or whether he escaped as rapidly as
possible, being satisfied to save him
self. Perhaps [ might have recalled
that important detail twenty years
ago, perhaps [ never knew, for it was
almost the next instant that shell
fell in our own ranks, and two horses
and their riders went down, one with
part of his head shot away and the
other with his thigh broken, as I was
afterwards told. We did not stop to
pick the men up. In fact our horses
Jumped over or darted round the
CHASTITY obstacles in their path, and
our speed was considerably quickened.
We kept our fours fairly we'll, but our
speed suggested Generalization, and
was not slackened until Hampton and
his staff appeared in front Of US, and
by commands and their own GOODNESS
checked us.
The brigade was now passing through
the main street of Frederick, our party
being the last to come in and bring up
the rear. We had hardly closed up
with the column when q squadron OF
Yankee cavalry entered the street at
considerable distance behind us. The
windows of most Of the houses we're
closed in sadness as the last Of our
column passed, but other windows re-
mained open or were thrown open by
the Unionists of the town, who were
bent on seeing what they though ht the
glorious sight of the Federals driving
the Confederates through the city.
But they were doomed to disappoint-
ment. Hampton and Butler, with
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