The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1895-08-08

trG and lClG was so COnllQGnt VIC would
surrender that they told our men We
had surrendered.
When firing was resumed the front
line Of the enemy was not over twenty
feet from our works, with other lines
masscd on it, The firing then was
terrific, tho right hard pressed and
'o7ing heavily. went down into the
lett traVtrScS To move men up to tukc
tho place Of the killed and wounded on
thc right; whom reached the lltb
regiment, which was on the extreme
lett. to my surprise and qualification,
lOunl you sale and in command of
! your reg .lncnt.
was much relieved To be able to
Turn the command over to II senior,
especially TO one had the utmost con,
:idence IN. and respect for. | cX-
planned how came to assume com
mand. With your usual modcsty you
took command, with u demand that
should assist yOu. During tho re-
naindcr Of the fight | acted under
ytnr orders. You know their pur-
port. aid not sec Il general on Il stan
officer after we rccaptured the salient.
When ordered by you to find Gen.
Harris or some general who could give
us relief in some way, | had great
dlIliculty to obey your order. The
l
Iohnd BrattOns Brigade in our rear,
told Cen I5ratton our situation and
asked for help. He like the commands
on our lett had orders to hold his posi-.
ton. | had no trouble in finding the
brigade Oh my return. The heavy
firing concentrated on ono point in
dicatcd our position. reported to
you my failure TO get assistance, also
that had failed to find Gen. Harris.
| Iou left me in command aud went in
person to procure relief: when YOU
returned You informed mo you mad
orders TO move ont at dayb
| When found BruJton's Brigade in
line Of battle in our rear was satisiiud
that We were lighting for time, in
order to ad just new lines in our rear.
! | cannot close without commenting
on several things that occurred during
the fight and somewhat on the reports
Of the BATTLE.
1t is strange that your report should
be missing from the records, especial
! ~ az you were in command Of a brigade
That did some light ting IN that battle
II made only Il verbal report to YOU
| Probably 1T Is not so strange, when We
consider that We were taken from our
division and corps, left to do our own
lighting, IN our own way; that very
little mention is made of us in general
reports.
Gen. Ewelfs report says: "Gen.
l|amscu" relOOk the works on Davis's
riynt," and further he says, "spite of
tho torrioie flank fire to when they
were yet exposed, the brave troops OF
these brigadcs, Ramscur's, Harris's
and McGJwans's, held their ground. "
No doubt Gen. iwel named the
brigades Us they were in position,
Rumscrr, Harris and MCGOWAN. There
were no connecting troops on our
right. and there is where the terrible
flank fire Gen. Ewell speaks OF cam.
from across the salient defended by
McGo"an'a brigade.
The reports speak of the battle OF
Srotlsy lvania Court House, SO they
do OF the battle Of f'reurick7 burg
The army was there, but all of us dIu
not defend Muryc's Heights; Ker-
shaw's brigade did. At ChancclIors.
Vile ali OF Jnckson's corps was in the
battle, but al were not in tho charge
that captured lho rcuans in front Oi
tnc charlottesville House. Tho 18th
and l4th, With three companies Of the
lot regiment, under Capt. WIN. Has
kcll, made the chang sc and capture.
AT Gettysburg all Of Lnc's army was
there, but ali were not in the charge
that cal turtd tho t,wn; McGowum's
brigade was. SO With the battle OF
Spottsy .vania Court House. The army
WAS th,tr, bat all did not charge,
retakc and hold the salient known as
Bloody Rond : McGowan's brign e did.
Had eithor Of the bripaucs mcn-
toned, or any other Confederate
brigade, been placed in our position
they would have done just as we did
fight. When took charge of the
brigade | did not know VINO | was
lighting under or with, all knew was
that the enemy WAS in our front and
we were expected to fight and whip
them If we could in fact what occurro d
in my front and with my command is
all Cver knew about any l.,ttlc. Ac-
cidcnL placed Inc in cOmmand-acci-
dent gave the brigade the position in
front Of the salient, and it sustained
its reputation by charging, re-taking
and holding it fOr seventeen hours.
Nc one can describe what we endured
during that struggle. The trunk Of
that oak tree now on exhibition in
Washington tells better thar words
the heroic endurance Of tho Con-
fedcratc soldier nd gives I. faint idea
Of the storm Of 'nnic balls hurled at
us. When We took the works the
bark on it was intact, it stood near the
Irigh' :cntrc Of the salient. n little
W lClU anu III lIpljU VI ~ SIOOU II
hit Jry tree about eight inches in
di nctcr, Of which | have never seen
~ : ,&nnti0n. The hickory was shot
down before night aud fell across the
works. It's boly and branches were
. chip,,cd into spiinters by minnie balls.
No or.r could imagine that that mass
. Of splintcra WAS Il growing tree only IL
few hours before. All Of our men did
their duty. No one deserves special
. mention for bravery. | saw some very
reckless acts done by individuals, for
instance, prlva G w. w. Davenport of
the 18th and Il boy Of the l2th whosc
name cannot recall, mounted am
niunition boxes, not over ten feet from
the hickory, and fired over the saliont
while three ~ four men loaded guns
for them until the minnie balls almost
: stripped the clothing from their per-
sons.
During tho afternoon the cncmy'S
front line would seek protection under
cover OF our works and fire by placing
tho muzzlcs Of their guns below the
,Op logs Of the works, while their
second line would fire over their