The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1897-12-08

hrom The IN "lss,ou .su.,suy Ncms.

taken up by kilpatlick, move arount
the head Of the swamp, and enter hi.
camp from the left Wheeler was t,
turn TO the right from about the point
where the head Of my column wa, To-
Gated, and move to the right through
the open pine woods and come from
the rear, IA nearly simultaneously with
my attack as possible. Accordingly
when learned that Wheeler had turn
! cd off to the right moved forward VI
the road.
Meanwhile had directed Col.
Wright to select "a squadron, whose
commander he could vouch for, and
order him to report for instruction.
My recollection is that he selected
Capt. Bostick, Of the Cobb Legion
(and if am in error in this trust
that some survivor Of that splendid
gallant regiment will correct mc.)
My instructions were that the lead
ing squadron should rush into the
camp, surround the house where Kill
patrick made his headquarters and re-
main there. if possible, until We could
occupy the camp. and make Fitzpatrick
Il prisoner. further instructed Col.
Wright to follow up the leading. squad
ron by throwing regiment at Il time
into the camp; that would have
Law $ brigade so posted as to go to
the rescue at the proper time.
Wright moved promptly, followed
by Law in Il trot just before the
dawn Of day he charged pcl-mcll into
the camp, and as turned the head Of
the swamp ut the head of Laws bri
gadc, VIC were greeted with scene Of
the widest confusion. A squad Of
about 13O Confcdcratcs came rushing
frantically towards US, and at first we
supposed or feared that Wright had
been rcpulscd, and yet could not un-
dcrstand how that could be, as his
rear regiment had left us not more
than two minutes. Our minds were
seem relieved on that scorc, as The
Confcdcratcs turned out to be prison
crs who tore away from their guards
when Wright rushed in. and were
making good their escape. The poor
fellows reported they were half starry
ed OH the march with Fitzpatrick, and
naturally rcioiccd in their dclivcrnnce.
Our men aroused the sleeping Feder-
MS and captured four hundred and
sevcnty-fivc.
At this point, let me relate what
Gen. Fitzpatrick said of this event in
conversation with me after the war.
l told him we had ridden up to his
camp fires the night before, without
being challenged by his picket or even
camp guard, and expressed surprise
that he had not taken this natural
prccaution that he paid very poor
compliment to our vigilance and en-
terprisc, which thought was scarcely
justified by past experience. His cx
planation was that Col. Spencer, who
was aftcrward with inc in the Senate
from Alabama, commanded the rear
brigade Of his column, and that it was
his duty &c pcs. The p;ckc.s aHd
guards. Spencer, on the other hand,
denied this, and fixed the response
bility on Fitzpatrick. OF course, /
could not settle that controversy and
left it where | found it.
Gen. Fitzpatrick further said that
he walked out about daylight that
morning, as was his custom, to look
after his horses. He heard our yell
as we broke into his camp, and said to
himself, My God, here is "a Major
Generals commission, earned after
four years hard fighting, gone M in n
surprise; that about that time man
rushed up to him and said Whore
is Gen. Fitzpatrick p and that he re-
piled. "Therc he goes on that black
horse (ss one Of his men was asoap-
ing upon BLACK horse } that he, Xii
patrick, mounted in dishabillc and es-
capped The Confederate who accost-
cd him left him and pursued the man
on the black horse, and thus by rusc
she saved his bacon"
have never asccrtaincd who this
man was, but my theory is that in his
anxiety to take Fitzpatrick prisoner he
was naturally misled and drohped the
substance to pursue the shadow ION
black horse BE that rs it may,
Wright $ brigade charged clear through
the camp, and when l reached Kilpat-
rick headquarters, in front of which
were packed his artillery, wagons and
ambulanccs, Wright had rushed
through like whirlwind. Anticipat-
ing that there would be more Or less