The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1896-03-25
1adyEsOn gutelltgsueeA.
THEY ROUTED THE OFFICERS.
Hornets That Caused a Column to Goun-
termarch.
From the Richmond Dispatch.

ttt IIdT CIs
From the Richmond Dispatch.
On August Is. 1864. our command,
the Ninth VirginiaC Cavalry, Richmond
Light Infantry, Blues Brigade, Will
liam q. F. Lees Division, General
Wade Hampton in command. moved
out Of campin front of Major Malone's
residence, and crossed Rowanty creek
towards the Petersburg and Weldon
railroad we were ordered to dismount
and advance on foot as infantry. just
as the head of the column came near
the field, where a fence had been
pulled down by the videttes, the cap
tain Of my company pulled off his
hat and rode as rapidly across the
field as his horse would carry him.
He was observed striking himself and
horse with his hat, and the head of
the column stopped. General Beale,
seeing this, rode in advance of US,
but all at once he, too, left US in the
same abrubt manner. Generals Hamp-
tor and Lee observing this with as
constituent, rode to the front, asking
what was the matter, and why the
column did not advance. They soon
found out, as their horses began to
kick and plunge about. and then they
rapidly joined our captain aud Gener
al !Beale. This was the first time the
bloody Ninth had ever seen their
brave leaders behave in such q
ner. We thought they must have
struck hornets nest, which proved
to be the case.
The videttes, in pulling down the
fence, had upset a nest, and the little
36ends defended the road so&well that
we had to c~onntermarch to enter the
field. Here we soon engaged the en-
envy s cavalry, who were armed with
sixteen-shooters, but We charged and
drove in the pickets. On advancing
a little farther We were met with such
q continuous shower of bullets that
we were compelled to seek cover and
lay as fat down as possible. just
here occurred one of the coolest and
:b.ayest acts I ever Witnessed between
our line and that OF the enemy. Five
horses had been left tied to some trees
by the Yankees. Walter Calls, a
member Of my company, advanced in
the opening. and deliberately common
ced christening the halters. One
horse had been so frightened that the
knet was so tight it seemed impossi-
bic to unite it.. Walter threw his
whole weight against it several times.
but did not succeedin unfastening it,
when some Of the boys called to him
to cut it.
aYou fool, am not going to spoil
the halter, said he.
All this time the enemy we're pour
ing the shot into us as fast as they
could, but, Notwithstanding, Walter
brought horses and all safely to the
rear.
About this time We heard the re-
port Of small arms and cannon on u
left. W. know then thatthe infantry
were engaged. We drove the enemy
back beyond the railroad, where they
made desperate stand. Here Miss
Gosee was shot. After driving the
enemy back from the railroad, our
command swung around to the right,
taking the Yankees in the left and
rear. From that time on to the end of
the battle, which lasted until late in
the night, we had our own way with
them.
After they were driven from their
earthworks and had fallen back toward
the Jerusalem .plank-road, We per-
what o ~hard-fought battle it
was, though SO little mention has been
made Of it by writers. In a fort at
the junction of Church and Halifax
roads there were forty-eight horses
belonging to the Tenth Massachusetts,
Battery, killed in a space Of about a
quarter Of an acre.
General Hanoock's corps had been
engaged in destroying the Petersburg
and Weldon railroad, from the former
city towards Stony Creek. General
A. P. Hill, with his command, supple
mensed BY the cavalry, was sent to
driy s him off, which Hill did in fine
style, sustaining heavy, loss, however,
men had to charge strong works
through open fields more than a mile
wide, without a bush or depression to
shield them. We captured2 1000 pris-
oners, to say nothing Of the killed and
wounded. We thought at the time
that General Hancock was among the
prisoners. HeEmust have made a mar
row escape, as learned from enc of
the prisoners twenty-five years after
ward, whom / have captured twice
since, and sincerely hope he has req
son to believe that he Jared better on
the two last occasions than on the
first. This prisoner, Joseph Lenty,
of Troy, N. Y, states that he had Bit
ten off forty-eight cartridges, and
placed them on a fence-rail in front of
him ready for the "Johnnies," and
was eager for them TO advance, when
one Of them tapped him on the shoul-
der and said: "You are my prisoner"
After the roar Of the cannon and the
crack Of the musketry had ceased the
calm and rest we sc much needed was
followed by a terrific storm. Thus
ended the battle of Reams' Station.
MARSHALL A. MoNcURE;.
Private Company B, Ninth Virginia
Cavalry.
Reams' s Station, Ka., 1896.