The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1895-04-17

though not all the time in motion.
Keeping at respectable and safe dis
tance from Fitzpatrick, and avoiding
| an encounter, Gen. Hampton was
keeping himself, through his scouts,
thoroughly posted on the movements
of the enemy. Tuesday night, March
1st, 1864, the light Of camp-fres at
Atlec's Station, nine miles from Rich
mond, was plainly visible several miles
to our front, and between us and Rich
mond. Fires that we're doubtless
made to guide Dahlgreen, were as bril-
liant to us as to him, so toward them
we Immediately took our line Of march,
the vicinity of which we reached
shortly before midnight. Our pro-
gress was necessarily slow, on account
of the rain which had fallen continu-
ously since we moved out the night
before. The mud by this time had
become deep and the horses and men
were somewhat jaded. At 10 o'clock
the rain had ceased and snow began to
fall; our clothing, before wet, now be-
gan to freeze. When you add all this
to that seeming natural tremulousness
that is the accompaniment Of night
attack under the most favorable cir
cumstances, it will readily be admit
ted that this combination was enough
to shake up a tin soldier. We had
approached within mile Of the camp
fires when we were brought to sud
den halt bya yolley poured into the
head of our column by the enemy's
pickets; but on account Of the pitchy
darkness only one man was wounded,
Sergeant Mcneil, of Company c.,
First North Carolina Regiment, being
shot through the arm. Perfect silence
had been enjoined by Gen. Hampton
for two reasons. The camp-fres being
so close to Richmond and between US
and the city, they might be those OF
friends, and this information must be
obtained before any attack was made.
If they were those of the enemy, our
arrangements must be perfect before
the enemy were reused from their
slumbers. So in silence and without
pursuit of the pickets that had fallen
back, We waited until the alarm was
supposed by them to be false. Then
Gen. Hampton ordered the first squad
ron Of the North Carolina Regiment,
composed Of Companies r. and c., to
dismount, deploy as skirmishers, ad-
vance toward the camp, and when
assured of the fact that foes, not
friends, were in front, to charge the
camp. The captain of Company F.,
being ranking officer. had command OF
the execution of these details and the
subsequent attack. When this skir-
mish line had advanced a short dis
tance, horse was discovered tied to
fence which had been abandoned by
those who had fallen back this horse
was equipped with new bride, saddle
and blanket, that pointed sharply to
the fact that the enemy was near
but this suspicion was enforced to
certainty of conviction when our ad-
vance brought us near enough to the
picket, who challenged, "Who comes
here 2"
Gen. Hampton was quickly inform
ed of the certainty Of the enemy's
presence. He quickly placed the two
pieces Of Hart Battery in position on
an eminence close by, and gave in
.structions to the commander Of the
dismounted men to charge when the
artillery had fired fourteen shells into
the enemy's camp. We were now
within one hundred and fifty yards Of
the sleeping foe /; who seemingly over.
come by the exposure and fatigue of
three days and two nights of severe
weather were now an easy victim to
surprise and panic. This little band
of forty dismounted men counted the
shells with great precision as they
went over their headsinto the enemy's
camp, which were fired with that
rapidity which would indicate to a
startled foe the presence Of as many
batteries as there were pieces. AS
soon as the fourteenth shell had passed
on it's mission of inquiry, those dis
mounted men rose and charged the
enemies camp with all the noise that
could emanate from forty mouths with
the dreaded rebel yell and from forty
well-handled repeating carbines all
of this conducted by old "yets who
50 we'll knew that what we lacked in
numbers must be compensated for in
noise and rattle.
The night attack Of the three hun
dred Of Israel that put to fight the
hosts of the Midianites was not more
successful than this one. The enemy
rousted, were driven from their camp
in the greatest CONSERVATION. Many
of them left their horses and equip
ments behind them, some mounting
bareback, and all left with the greatest
celebrity. The charge was made so
swiftly that we got to the house which
was occupied by the officers in COM
mand as headquarters just as they
were getting out of it; and Corporal
Goodman, of Company F., had per.
sonal encounter with a Yankee colonel
around the same corner of the house:
Each was using the corner as shield
against the attack Of the other. The
colonel thrusting his pistol around the
corner fired and carried off one Of
Goodman fingers, and Goodman with
his carbine fired and brought down the
colonel, severely wounded in the
breast.
When we had charged across the
enemies camp, the dismounted men
were reinforced by the remainder of
the First North Carolina as precau-
tion against the enemies return to the
attack when they had time to form. /
But so thoroughly convinced were
they of large force on our part, that
this apprehended attack was not made
by them. This we gathered from the
country people who told US next day
FolIonyad thar linz of retrnat To