The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1896-12-02
BATTLE OF SEVEN PINES.
"Fightng Dick" Anderson and his GAL
liant Brigade.
Watcrce Messenger.

A. A. Moore, a brave and gallant ex-
Confederate, delivered before Camp
Richard Kirkland, at their recent an
nual reunion:
I come here to tell you what I know
about the battle Of Seven Pines.
After the lapse of thirty-four years
the larger outlines Of that important
event have faded from my memory,
and only few personal recollections
and impressions remain. This brief
story will, therefore, doubtless con-
tain many inaccuracies, as it is told
without consulting any history or
official report.
It was one of the first great battles
of the war, and was the beginning of
series of hard-fought and bloody en-
gagements which finally eliminated in
driving the enemy from the gates Of
the Capital City of the Confederacy
and compelling him to change his
operations to former theatre of war,
where he encountered his first defeat
and rout, and from which he was again
hurled back across the Potomac to seek
shelter under the protecting guns of
his own threatened Capital. It is
needless for me say that here refer
to the first and second battles of Man
assas.
In the early part of the night, on
the Both of May, 1862, while we were
encamped before Richmond, violent
thunder storm broke upon US, the rain
pouring in torrents for two or three,
hours. Very soon after the cessation
of the storm and rain We received or"
ders to be ready to move by daylight
the next morning with two days ra"
tions and forty rounds of ammunition
I believe. Of course our camp was at
once scene of stir and commotion,
the men being busily engaged cooking
rations and making other necessary
preparations for the stern and trying
duties of the coming day. After a
nights refreshing sleep, but alas the
last sleep on earth for many a brave
soldier, we moved out of camp next
morning before sunrise. After a
march Of three or four miles we came
to the Williamsburg road and were
halted and ordered to rest. 1t was
now somewhere about s or 8 o'clock
in the morning. Here we lay by the
roadside until between II and /
o'clock, when Gen. Huger' command,
body of looking and well-equip-
ped men, marched past us. 1t was
afterwards reported that the cause of
our long halt was to allow this COM
mand to come up and engage the enc
my on one part of his lines, while we
we're to make a simultaneous attack on
another. But, be this as it may, i'm
nediately after this command filed by
lis we were ordered to fall in and move
forward.
After a short march, we came to an
open old field lying on both sides of
the public road. Here we formed our
line of battle, the brigade being under
command of Gen. r. H. Anderson,
QFighting Dick J and our regiment,
the 9Th, under Col. John Bratton.
The officers of our company were Capt.
E. B. Cantey, Lieuts. Fl. W. DeSaus-
sure, R. NJ. Cantey and A. Brevard,
who by their cool and intrepid conduct
not only won the confidence and ad-
nliration of their own men, but Of all
their superior officers. The other two
regiments of the brigade, the Palmetto
Sharp Shooters and the 5th, and a
battalion Of four companies from Col.
Sloan's old regiment, were respective
ly commanded by Coils. jenkins, Giles
and Mattison. These three commands
moved down the road and attacked the
enemy's breastworks in front. while
we (the 6th) advanced through the old
field on the left Of the road and by
right wheel of the whole regiment fell
upon the enemy's right flank. After
passing through the old field we came
to some thick woods where We first en-
countered the foe, they having felled
the timber In every direction and thus
formed an abattis forty or fifty yards
wide perhaps. This was of course in
tended to arrest our advance, which it
did for time. We were told that the
nemy were in force in the woods just
beyond this, and were ordered to lie
down and load our pieces, and then to
rise and fire in the direction indicated,
though they were not visible to US,
being concealed by the thick under
growth. We at once opened heavy
fire of musketry upon them, and this
was the beginning of the battle on our
part of the line.
Permit me here to mention little
incident During the hottest of this
fire, and amidst the rattling and roar
ing of our guns the Major of our regi-
ment, very gallant officer, called out
to Col. Bratton and said: Colonel,
any man who says he isn't scared in
place like this is a ID liar.
After firing several rounds, the
command "Charge," " was given. This
was trying moment. The enemy
were thick in our front, and this abat-
tis of fallen timber intervened between
us and them. But soon every man
was on his feet, and with that yell
which afterwards became so familiar
and so characteristic an accompani-
ment of a rebel charge, we began our
advance under and through and over
the brush and tree tops. Whenever
We were obliged to climb over the
trunk or bough of a tree, we knew that
We were fine targets for the enemy's
rifles, and every veteran here can un-
dcrstand and appreciate how greatly
that sense of danger added to the
celebrity of our movements at that par
ticular moment, and it is therefore
scarcely necessary to say that each of
us crawled under IS many of these OBJ
stacles as possible. During this try
ing scene and amidst the din of battle
Sergt. Thomas NJ. Whitaker, of West
Wateree, as gallant spirit as ever
faced foe, with his face flushed with
excitement and his musket lying
across his arm ready for further use,
repeatedly called aloud, Come ahead,
boys, don you see the Yankees yon-
der This brave young patriot fell
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