The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-09-04
SECOND MANASSAS.

ObOOND lAhN
Interesting Account Of n Historic
Event.
Mr.. President: 1t certainly affords me great
pleasure to meet again SO many old com.
rades who shared with me, thirty years ago
and more the trials. hardships, joys and sor-
rows, victories and defeats, OF the Lost Cause.
1t has become the fashion OF late Tor the
speaker on such occasions as this to select
some particular battle and give its salient
features. Time for the preparation OF the
details OF such task has been lack Ing ana l
must content myself and you today with
some random remin iscenes or the battle OF
Second Manassas, which OF all the great
pitched battles Of the war came nearest, IN
my Judgment, TO n signal victory TO the Con-
federate Arms, If indeed IL was not alto
gether and completely such.
1t was not my fortune TO take part In many
OF the great battles of the war, owing 10 the
fact that had sort OF 'alacrity' Tor oelng
shot whenever The opportunity was Afforded,
and, as you well remember, there was 10 par
ticular scarcity OF these opportunities.
Severely wounded at Second Manassas and
again at Charlottesville, 1t was not my priv
ilege TO share with you the splendid achieve,
menLs OF Snarpsburg or Gettysburg, beyond
the Potomac, and do not feel myself there
fore 10 be altogether deserving or the high
praise which your President has awarded TO
me AZ soldier. ,
entitled 10 in this behalf Is gratefully &C:
cepted. for like 80 many of you, we did all
that we could.
Just thirty. three years ago next Thursday,
the Sth day of August, after severe spell ol
fever contracted on the Chickahominy,
trudging ON loot with others from Orange
Z. H., then the end OF the railroad line, To-
wards Culpepper, we heard the roar OF artll'
ery 10 the fierce battle OF Slaughter Noun
tain. Pressing on we soon met Jackson g
corps returning from the field, where, like an
eagle, he had sTooped ldown suddenly upon
POpe's army, punished him severely, as was
Jackson's way, and although in the presence
OF vast army, he had succeeded In With
drawing his foot cavalry" from the very
Jaws OF destruction almost without the loss ol
life and altogether without the loss of mate.
rial. | can never forget the solemn process
sion OF the amDulances In one OF which with
bis martial cloak around him. lay the dead
body OF the gallant, intrepid Winder. one ol
the bravest of The brave, whose fiery young
heights of Cedar Mountain, had taken Its
heavenward flight. He died the coveted
death of a soldier and we'll deserves soldiers
need OF praise. And so the cup OF thanksglv.
ing for the brilliant victory achieved was
mingled with an army's tears.
We returned eisurely TO the old camp near
Gordonsvile where the army had been lately
drawn from the swamps OF the Chickah0mi-
ny, after Mcclellan had been vanqulshed In
the seven days fight around Richmond, and
taking refuge under his gun boats on The
James, had abandoned The Investment OF the
Confederate Capitol 10 look after the safety
of his own Capitol at Washington.
The restless spirit OF Jackson could mol
brook delay, he had swooped down upon the
quarry at Cedar Mountain and revolving In
his mind the chances OF greater victory, the
army was again put IN motion northWard
The enemy III few days were encountered
lust across the river near the Fauquelr White
Sulphur Springs. \ feiut at crossing the river
was made by the Confederates, temporary
bridges were constructed amid heavy cannon
aiding from the opposite side Of the river.
Our Brigade bivouacked that night on Scouts
farm and those who slept at oil accom- plished
the difficult feat OF sleeping In the rain
kson's quarters were In SCOTS house, nom
inally, but The night was spent by him with
the pontoon train at the bridges. AT sunrise
the next morning the order was given TO pile
knapsacks, which was hastily done under the
belief that a battle was imminent.
On the way to IL, as all supposed, was
startled by q fight between Turner Jordan
| and Tom Puckett, in which their rifle barrels
were used as weapons, Puckett got the best ol
| Turner's leIL hand. This ended the fight and
the march continued. Hour after hour our
| course lay up the river. the indications or
| battle growing less and less. Finally aitel
crossing the river and finding no Federal
| troops at The crossing, 1t began to dawn upon
| US that we were making that wonderful fore
| ed march OF 81 miles in two days, which 90
Wednesday night, the 9th Of August, landed
4
| on miles of freight cars filled with suffers
stores OF embarrassing richness. The trouble
| WAS to know what to take. 1t was curious
sight TO see hungry. famished army IN the
/ presence Of such profuse plenty. well re
| member to have seen men walking around
1 in the light OF the burning cars, with specie
bottles holding at least two quarts, labeled
laudan up and paregoric. Poor fellows! they
remembered the tea Of clover leaves thai
Doctor Hart, the Assistant Surgeon, had ad
ninstered for the disorders of the camp
when laudannm'and paregorlc were not to bt
had. After carrying these bottles around iol
awhile, their better Judgment told them tha
| ground coffee mixed in barrels with sugar
| was the thing TO take, aud haVersacks anC
pokes were accordingly filled with these anC
the paregoric and laudanum were dashed tc
the ground.
| And do not hesitate to say that under thu
blessings of Providence, OF which The suga
! and coffee were part, that 10 these In gren
! measure may be attributed the splendid vic
| tory OF the 18th and Both OF August, on Manas
sas plains.
| march In two days. the army was hungry ant
iamished. The fact is that the beeves tina
| were slaughtered in the morning, hauled un
| der broiling August sun until night, llor INT
commiGsary train never once overlook US ii
| the day. were putrid and unfit to eat, and th
army was forced to subsiSt on green corn ant
apples, gathered by the way.
/ The dangerous point on the way, ant
the reason for this silent forced march, wa
Ndp, MAUI ui
the mountains, where single brigade coult
n have successfully resisted the passage ol
corps.
We met no resistance there for the enemy
though almost In hearing OF the sound o
our wheels, had no knowledge of the fact tina
battle would not be delivered fifty miles be
low, where Jackson had built his bridges.
The feeling OF relief In getting safel.
through the gap was SO great that a little ate
noon the command was halted and order e.
to form on the sides OF quadrllateral corn
field and attack the young roasting ears II
column of Brgades.
| Many feats worthy of cOmmemoration wer
doubtless performed upon that fleld--oi corr
AZ --one at least shall not pass into oDllVioh,
., this narrative shall serve to prevent.
!. Pres McFerrin OF Company Il or The ltile'
, glorious old Pres, who IL still survivor, bu
, am sorry not see him here today cXpec
' he Is at home eating roasting ehrs-ls salu
have eaten just twenty-four OF those iuSciou
q ears that day. and two bundles OF fodder.
Returning TO the suffers stores ~ Manassas
Junction, by the light OF the burning train
OF cars, between midnight and day, the arm
moved North, towards CenterVille ana Iroi
there over stone Bridge, so famous In The iis
II battle OF Manassas. Our brigade halted on III
railroad track which was to be the lInineuial
@ theatre OF our exploits on the following "a,
There OH his old sorrel, with the visor oil n
grey cap drawn well down over his eyes, !
o deep meditation, with chin resting almost o
J. his breast, and almost within arm's reach {
& me saw well, for the grsL time, the Eagle
lGedar Mountain, the imnOrtal Jackson
IGeEeral Ewell commanding the advance d
viuiop, had engaged the enemy just ahead I
C lus, ard somewhat TO our left. 1t was nee
sunset and the Volleys Of musketry vel