The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1895-07-04


Lee, and under the cover of a rapi,
fire from their guns the rct,cai wa
speedily entered upon. Ii was Il tim
OF suspense and anxiety with MS, fO
/ we did not know with certainty tha
Lees command was in reality ol
hand, or whether il was only Il small
lrtackmcn'. which had caused the en-
envy to forsake our front. The SUI
II ut gone down, and the shadows wcr,
thich with tn" smoke Of battle. Whc,
it grew dusk there WINS positive and
uncuuiv0cal relief, because one of on,
rl!ettcS came with the welcome tidinrs
that the FchrralS were gone and that
zee was occupying the ylound around
the station. The long, long day was
ended, and the victory was ours
INCIDENTS OF THE FIGHT.
This account might he extended in
definitely with personal incidents and
"reminiscences. Only Il few will be
given, however. Col. Henry T.. Cole.
man, I" whom the credit of the en-.
gagc'rcnt is chiefly due. exhibited the
highest qualities OF Il soldier. He was
Self-rcliant, admirably poised in mar
ncr: and quick to take advantage ol
circumstances. was wounded a:hr,
cmly in the fight, and was carried I'm.
der the bridge, protected bv the abul
mcnt. Col. Coleman at once suyA est
ed that he would take immediate com.
mnd OF my end of the line, while he
would pass the word along the trenches
| that | was in charge Of tie left Wing
and this was done. He came and
= nf,I / n .,f ,,,l I L.,
my on the ground. and was receiving
such att' n,ion rs the $ lrgcon could
give me, when saw that he was in
curln" great russ il remaining there
amy longer, as the mimic balls were
whlstling by every moment, and he
appeared ,lnconrlous of the fact.
cautioned him To step back one or two
PAGES, but his reply showed that he
dld not appreciate the danger, and in
another minute he was brought TO the
g'ounh within few feet OF me. \ ball
had gone through the knee. AMI he
was disabled like myself.
His stralagcn had ended so far as
us the exchange of commands was
concerned, and we ha | to find another
cX"cdirnl, which was to direct the
fight Jointly through the ,ollny man
who had been made \d juant Of the
command. Ills name was Lieut.. t. ID.
Humphreys, Of the LIST Florida bailll-
ION, and he had been detailed from my
company. After Col. Coleman was
wounded, Lieut.. Humphreys most
gallantly met the responsibility upon
him. and in connection with the other
officers faithfully eNtcutrd every ordrl
issued from the disabled hra,luuarlcrS
Under the bridge. My First lirurn-
ami was j. &. Moon, Co. f., 18th
Miss, and he was detailed TO act us
commi:iSlrv, while I.icut. Hall, of the
DIST Virginia, insisted upon using Il
muskci. Capt. Rddic!: showed splcn-
bid nerve in the fight, and received a
severe flesh wound brfo'c the engage
mrnt was over. The three principal
officers being wolln led, il is high
praise that the men deserve r.,r their
unilinching fidelity to the end Of the
fight. Gathered from every quarter of
the ConIrderacy, Il III bclo"giny to All
arms OF the selvir, strangers to each
other and serving under officers WHO
had never met before, this he. rruHr-
nous command did moi quail for an III
Slanl, and displayed larc inlrrpiuhy
was aclualrd by Il feeling Of his own
responsibility for the successful
termination OF the fight, and no army
that ever 'rod the earth has produced
Il brave" pand than ihc 800 who savcu
the day NJ Staunton River.
The estimated strength of the
Fcdrrals was 1000 men, but Gen.
Wilson reported Il much smaller num-
bcr as being actually engaged. Their
loss in killed and wounded was not loss
than 300, equal to our whole number,
rs our men buried 75 ol their dead the
mex! day. Not a prisonc" was taken
ON either side. Our total loss was 80
officers and men. aud five out OF eight
officers were wounded. six men were
killed, one of them an EpiSco 'al min
lister ct !hc nciglbnrhood, who had
volunteered for the fight under C"l.
Coleman. II was Il hrothcr-in-law of
Colrman's, Il country phySici IN, wh"
acted as surgeon of the command, bat
| cannot recall his name.
Private W. j. sims, Co. X, 18Th
Miss, was severely wounded in the
chest while performing Il daring act
under my immediate orders. Tie iS
a tall, handsome young FELLOW, not
more than nineteen \cars Old, and bad
been attracted towards hlm from the
outset. lie came to me after was
wounded and sai,i that there were two
men crawling through the bushes
along the railroad cmbankmcnt, and
asked me what to do. His belief was
that they were trying to reach the
bridge for the purpose o: setting fire
TO it, IS he saw that each one had in
his hand package. My answer was
to shoot them, and he quickly stepped
back to the position from which he
had seen them, then raised his gun
and fired, but did Lot step down.
Throwing his gun in proper position
to reload and Keeping hIs eye
upon the FcdcraIs, SIMS was about
to ram the charge when bal! entered
his chest and he fell backwards, but
was caught BY comradc. He came
at once to nv side and said Z" | have