The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1897-09-15

A cold, rainy day towards the end
of October, in the year 1854, lamp
tons cavalry was guarding the right
wing of Lees army, between Burgess
Mill, on Hatchcr's Run, and the 10
VANITY. An indccribablc melancholy.
which hangs over an army when on
the eve of battle, bctokcncd that some
thing of a grave and serious character
would usher the 27tA Of October out.
1t was the autumn-timc, the glorious
forests Of ''Old Virginia. for weeks
back had given under its foliage a
gentle resting place for cavalrymcn,
infuntrymcn and artillerymcn. Head
quarters of generals had been located
near farm houses or some old GO
lonial homc,'' full Of the traditions Of
the ;'past," so fraught with the
spirit of ancient and present hospital
ity.
1t was the autumn-timc, when leaves
gently fall and cover oft in many pla-
ces the graves of the unnumbcred and
unlcttcrcd, gallant dead. The oak,
the hickory and the elm had each in
turn shed leaves; all delicate and ten
der plants hid themselves away until
the season came around once again to
welcome them to sunlight and to sha ;.
The change of season was upon US
dull, drcary days Of danger and death,
rested upon the face Of The earth.
The campaign of a short time before
had resulted in sending Gen. Phil.
Sheridan and a Gen. Wilson to cover;
they had been roughly handled by the
"Corps Of Cavalry commanded by
Gen. Wade Hampton, and sought
shelter under the protection of Gen.
U. S. Grant and his superb army,
we'll equipped and representing all
branches of magnificent array Of men
and horses. guns, carbines and i'm
proved rifles. Sabrcs, too, glittered
along his riled guns he had near at
hand to shell towns, to hurl into ad-
vancing columns Or 70 cast over the
tops Of trees into the Confederate
lines-the fatal shell which, upon
leaving the gun, cast circle or wreath
of white smoke behind it that one
might trace thereby tie death mission
entrusted to it. 1t VIZ: a sturdy set Of
men, seemingly without end of num-
bers, and they came
"Like the wolf on the fold;
And his cohorts wero cleaning in purple
and gold,
And the sheen Of their spears was like
stars on the sea,
When the blue wave rolls nightly on deep
Galilee."
Grants plan Of battle was to drive
Hampton across the South Side Il. r.,
which, if successful, would have
forced Gen. Lee to cvacuatc Peters
burg. His forces moved in three col
umns, the Ninth Corps on the road to
Hawks, the Second Corps down the
Vaughn road to IIatchcr's Run, and
the Fifth Corps on a line intermediate
between the other two-parts of which
had to be opened. Major General
Farkc was instructed to move on the
presumed position Of IIampton's men
and, if practicable, drive them out.
Major General Warren supported Gen.
Parke. and Major General Hancock,
(who was called by Dan Dougherty
"thc superb with parts of the Sec.
ond Corps and Gregg's Division of
Cavalry was ordered to cross Hatch
cr's Run and to capture the bridge at
the Mill on the Boydton plank.road.
IIampton's men charged his line
from the woods to his (IIancock's s.
right and rear, and attacked him Wig.
oTouSly, at the same time advancing
on his left and attacking Gregg in the
rear. The fight was in an open field
and very sharp and severe. Gen.
Meade, in his report of date Of Oct.,
2Sth, 1864, says: "In the Second