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

consultation between himself, Gen.
Wheeler and myself, 1t was decided to
| attack Fitzpatrick the next morning at
daylight. In order to do SO more ad.
| vantag geOusly, the whole column moved
Onward from where we captured the
detachment, in columns of fOurs, eau.
.iously and quietly, about four miles.
where we halted and dismounted on
the roadside without unsadiling and
Without fires. The night was dark
With q cold, driZzling rain. l can
never forget that night as we lay with.
,ut shelter or food for man or horses,
each man with his bride on his arm.
l threw out some distance in our
front, on each side Of the road, q line
OF dismOunted Skirmishers. They had
'carcely depfoyed when one Of kilpat
rick's lieutenants walked or rode into
the line. He was brought to my head
tud on being interrOgatcd as to why
ne was there at that time of the night,
ne rePl1ed that he had been sent back
10 look Tor b:Oken down wagon, and
nao walked unawares into our pickle,
lhes. he was not In olined to be com
municative, but | learned enough to
enable mo to locate Klpatrick's camp
prctty accurately. On the strength OF
'hls information we reconnoited his
camp about midnight, riding up almost
10 als camp hres. Not picket was
posCeo, nor other precaution taken as
'ar rs we could discover, to protect his
camp against surprise. My conclusion
at the time was, (Which was confirmed
by Gen. Fitzpatrick in a conversation
nad With hln since the war) that the
'uetachment Of the 5th Kentucky was
expected to perform that duty, and in
steao they had been made prisoners of
war without firing shot and without
us kno" ledge. So you see the i'm
portant bearing of their capture,
Fitzpatrick had moved around the head
or the swamp, and bivouacked with
the swamp behind him, and the order
oi Ine attack was arranged as follows {:
My division, Wright's brigade now
oelng In front, was to bo closed up in
column OF regiments before daylight,
SO as to enable Wheeler, stretched
back the full length of his large divi-
sion III columns OF fOurs, to close up
| was to follow up the line of march
taken up by Fitzpatrick, move around
the head Of the swamp, and enter his
camp from the left. Wheeler WAS to
turn to the right from about the point
where the head Of my column was
located, and move to the right through
the open pine woods and come from
the rear, rs nearly simultaneously
with my attack Ss possible. Accord
lngiy, when | learned that Wheeler
mad turned Off to the right, | moved
forward up the road!
Meanwhile L 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 land
II l am in error in this | trust that
some survivor of that splendid gallant
regiment will correct me-
My Instructions were that the lead
ing squadron should rush into the
camp, surround the house where Kill
patrick made his headquarters and
remain there, If possible, until we
couId occupy the camp, and make XII.
patrlck prisoner. | further in
structed Col. Wright to follow up the
| adlngi squadron by throwing regi-
mcnt a. a time iuto the camp ; that |
would have Laws brigade 80 posted AS
to 90 to the rescue at the proper time.
Wright moved promptly, followed by
LAW IN trot; just before the dawn OF
uay he charged pell-mell into the
camp, ana aS L turned the head OF the
swamp at the head OF Laws brigade.
we were greeted with Il scene Of the
Widest combustion. A-squau Of about
l3O Conlederatcs came rushing fraut,-
cally towards US, and at first We sup
posed or feared that Wright had been
repuiscd, and yet could not understand
now ;hat could be-, lis his rear regi-
ment hau left us not moro than two
minutes. Oar minds we're soon re-
'leved on that score, rs the Confed-
crates turned out to bo prisOnors W ho
tore away. from their guards when
wright rushed in, and were making
good their escape. The poor fellows
reported thcy'@ere half starved on the
march with Fitzpatrick, and naturally
neyelcedr In LAelr. deliverance., Our
men aroused the sleeping. Federals and
captured four hundred and seventy
live.
At this point let mo relate what
Gen. Knpatriek: said Of this event in q
nVersaIiOn with me after. the war,
1 told him we had riddeL 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 pre-
cautlof that he paid very poor com pli-
ment to our vigilance and enterprise,
which thought was scarcely justified
ny past experience. His explanation