The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1897-11-18

was that Col. Spencer, who was after.
ward with me In the Senate fron,
Alabama, commanded the rear br,uada
OF his column, and that it was his Sm,,,
10 post Inc pickets and guards. Snany.
Ger, on the other hand, denied this
anu nat nxea the responsibility on Xii,
p"stick. vi course, could not settle
found it. 'oi@ u where l
Gen: XII patrick further said ,bo+ho
walked out about daylight that n"o monn ne
ing, as was his custom. to In"t, nt.
us t norses. He heard our veil ~ soa wa
saif =. nIo DIS camp, and said to him
om' wy Hod, here is major peneraIis-
i'tssion, non,i n, earned after four wears,
tha. p ngntlng, gone up in surprise:n
W bi"' "oous mat time a man rushed IN
Ki,,at n ana said "Where ia Gen,'
.'Tba Tbt'.llfk and that he replied
(as nna ~. ne goes on that black bors.."
n"' Jno VI MS men was escapinp nnnn
black horse j that he, K,ipa,riP"I VIZ
mounted In dishabille and escaped'
l no confederate who accosted him
,eiI MIN &nd pursued tho man on Tho =
o!acS morse, and thus by ruse "he.
saved his bacon"
l nave never ascertatced who thia
man was, but my theory is that in his
anxiety to take Fitzpatrick prisoner he
was naturally mlsled and dropped the
substance to pursue the shadow ION a
black horse" Be that az it mav'
Wrights brigade charged clear
through the camp, and when reached
h,lpatrlck's headquarters, in front Of
"hich we're packed his artillery, wagons
ana ambulances, Wright had rushed
through like q whirlwind. Anticipat- j.
ing that there would be more or less
confusion after the first onset, | had
.elt Laws brigade near the entrance
ot tne camp, to be ,ordered In to reap
SIe fruits OF Wright 3 charge. To: nv
olsnay and disappointment l learned
vhaI nh lay had been ordered away from
W. mnere naa iett him, and: thereI was, in.
tne midst Of q hostile camp with no
supPort out my staff ana couriers. Il
nao possession of kilpatrick's head
quarters and trains, awaiting Wheeler's
ana Laws arrival. WriEht's Command
was, vi course, scattered after his inn
petuOuS charge.
Cen. Wheeler joined me in q short
tl1ne, ana on my inquiring for his coms
mani ne replied. that he hptl, eni
countered an impassable bog, and had
to send it around by the route had =
taken. Meanwhile. Kilpatr,qk's. . dis,
mounted men, numbering about 500
men, as we we're :informeT, ral1isdt :
somew hat from the panic, and opened
destructive fire from behind nine
trees with their rapid-fire carbines.
and drove us out. l. succeeded fn
rallying part Of the Cobb Legion,
and with gallant Lieu Col. King al
their head, charged Kllpatrick's meu.
who had reached their artillery. We
lost sixty-two mep in five minutes,
among the number the lame nted Col.
King, who fell gallantly leading almost
d forlorn hope. -,
Fitzpatrick reached Sherman's in.
fantry in time to bring up o division
to his rescue, and we had:to Withdraw W.
But for the untowed obstruction of:au.
impassable swamp to Gen. Wheeler's.
march, which could not have beon fore
seen in the darkness of the night, and
the removal Of Laws brigade, We
should have reaped the full fruit of our
successful surprise, and taken in Kill
patrick's entire camp, and possibly
have made him a prisoner. We moved
on and camped that night within four
miles of Fayetteville, N. G. I'm his :.
official report Gen. Fitzpatrick says he !
lost l30 prisoners. In this ne Is GER
tainly mistaken. Nv provost guard
the next day had 475 prisoners, all
taken from his camp. ! have neven
Il earned whether Gen. Wheeler's guard
had any prisoners, and, therefore, can!
not speak as to that, but have avery
distinct recollection as to those in my
charge.