The National tribune., 1897-08-19

mostly of the recent garrisons of the
batteries of Charleston Harbo-, and had
little experience in woodcraft; that he
was giving ground to us as fast as Har-
dee's army to his rear moved back, and
during this operation he was with a
single Aid in the woods, and was capt
ured by two men of Xii patrick's Skin
mish-line that was following up his retro
grade movement. These men called on
him to surrender, and ordered him, in
language more forcible than polite, to
turn and ride back. He first supposed
these men to be of Hampton's cavalry,
and threatened to report them to Gen.
Hampton for disrespectful language !;
but he was soon undeceived, and was
conducted to Fitzpatrick, who sent him
back to Gen. Slocum's guard.
The rain was falling heavily, and, our
wagons coming up, we went into camp
there, and had Rhett and Gen. Blair to
take supper with US, and our conversation
was full and quite interesting In due
time, however, Rhett was passed over by
Gen. Slocum to his provost-guard, with
orders to be treated with due respect, and
was furnished with horse to ride.
HARDEE's OPPOSITION STUBBORN.
The next day (the 16th) the opposi-
ton continued stubborn, and near
Averysboro' Hardee had taken up
strong position, before which Gen. Slo-
cum deployed Jackson's Division (of
the Twentieth Corps, with part of
Wards. Fitzpatrick was on his right
front Coming up | advised that a
brigade should make wide circuit by
the left, and, if possible, catch this line
in flank. The movement was completely
successful, the first line of the enemy was
swept away, and we captured the larger
part of Rhetts Brigade, 217 men, in
Guiding Capt. Macbeth's battery of
three guns, and buried 10S dead.
The deployed lines Ward S and Jack
son's) pressed on, and found Hardee
again intrenched but the next morn
ing he was gone, in full retreat toward
Snithfield. In this action, called the
battle of Averysboro', we lost II officers
and IS men killed, and ATT men wound
ed serious loss, because every wound
ed man had to be carried in an ambu-
lance. The rebel wounded (6S) were
carried to a house near by, all surgical
operations necessary were performed by
our Surgeons, and then these wounded
men were left in care of an officer and
four men of the rebel prisoners, with a
scanty supply of food, which was the
best we could do for them.
In person | visited this house while
the Surgeons were at work, with arms
and legs lying round loose in the yard
and on the porch and in room on a
bed lay pale, handsome young fellow,
whose left arm had just been cut off near
the shoulder. Some one used my name,
when he asked, in feeble voice, if |
were Gen. Sherman. He then announced
himself as Capt. Macbeth, whose battery
had just been captured, and said that
he remembered me when [ used to visit
his fathers house, in Charleston. | in
CURED about his family, and enabled
him to write note to his mother, which
was sent her afterward from Goldsboro'.
| have seen that same young gentleman
since in st. Louis, where he was clerk
in an insurance office.
While the battle of Averysboro' was
in progress, and | was sitting on my
horse, was approached by a man on
foot, without shoes or coat, and his head
bandaged by a handkerchief. He an
nounced himself as the Capt. Duncan who
had been captured by Wade Hampton
in Fayetteville, but had escaped and,
on my inquiring how he happened to be
in that plight, he explained that when
he was prisoner Wade Hampton's men
had made him "get out of his coat. hat,
and Shoes which they appropriated to
themselves. He said Wade Hampton
had seen them do it, and he had appealed
IN him, parsouaIlv for medication rc an