The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1897-12-01
OF FREDERICKSBURG.
A Pen Picture Of One Of the Famous Bat
ties of the War.
From the Charleston Sunday Ne,vs.

personal observation; not all OF them,
but only few, especially in reference
to Gen. Lee.
l will premise what I have to say
with a brief reminder Of the chief
points Of that brilliant campaign that
preceded the battle, and [ think the
military critic will agree with me in
saying that this campaign alone would
entitle Gen. Lee to rank as first
class General. / Ispeak now of what
us known as the first Maryland cam
paign. It is true that we came out OF
Maryland discounted, but the most
perfectly conceived and brilliant plans
Gas Waterloo may fall from minor
causes. Lee had marched from the
the enyirons Of Richmond northward
to meet Pope; had struck him at Man
sssas, and shattered his army, sending
it skurrying TO Washington. Then
was conceived the brilliant plan Of the
Invasion Of Maryland. Lee with the
main army was to cross the Potomac
at Leesburg, sending Jackson in the
meantime to take Harper $ Ferry by q
coup de main, and then to join him as
he leisurcly journeyed towards the
upper Potomac. I will state just here
chat my company (E., 7th S. Q. cav
alry) was detailed as scouts and cou-
riers for Gen. Longstreet. We had
seen considerable amount Of staff
duty Of the kind,with Gen. Johnston
and Gen. Lee. At present Gen. Lee
and Gen. Longstreet, being always.
together. we acted as well for Gen.:
Ice as for Longstreet, and being at
cached to- the staff, we frequently had
personal intercourse with not only
these two Generals, but. with all Of the
subordinate commanders, and became
personally acquainted with them
Our position as couriers Of the com
1nander-ia-chief gave us a better
knowledge Of the movements Of the
army; Of It's personnel and strategy
than was possessed by any Major
General. Alarge number Of the pri-
Yates of my company were graduates
sof the South Carolina College, and
fully capable Of appreciating and util-
izing the splendid military training
under Gen. Lee. Our old professor,
Charles S. Yenable, was member of
the staff, with the rank Of Colonel.
/ always thought, from what / observ.,
ed, that Col. Venable was Lees most
intimate and trusted aid.
But to return. We lost no time
after the battle Of Manassas, (second,) }
but marched directto Leesburg, where
NE divested ourselves Of all superfu-
GUS baggage and ssimpedimenta, . and
entered Maryland with grand eclat,
amid flying banners, the playing of the
bands, and the shuzzas Of AN army.
We marched Immediately to the beau
tiful Frederick City, where we sup
Piled ourselves with many good things
by purchase -camped a day, and
then took leisurely march westward
over magnificent roads, through Mid
dletown, Boonsboro and the South
Mountain, and entered Hagerstown,
where we camped to await Jackson.
During the next day we received news
of heavy attack on D. 81. Hill at
South Mountain Pass, Boonsboro.)
Now il had not been the intention Of
Gen. Lee to defend South Mountain
Pass no longer than to allow Jackson
to join us, but Jackson bad been de-
layed in the capture Of Harper's Ferry,
and moreover Met Clellan seems to have
recovered from his confusion as to our
movements, and. abandoning the de-
fensive, had marched directly on US,
SO it became necessary to hold this
pass at least little longer. Gen.
Lee hurried his immediate command
back, TO the pass by forced march,
and reached it some hours before sun
down.
And now occurred the apparently
slight error that decided the first cam
paign into Maryland and sent our
troops back across the Potomac dis
com6.ed. Instead Of putting the
troops Immediately into line Of battle
on the mountain, which, by the way,
is a most impregnable position for de-
fence, Gen. Lee, on reaching the foot
of the pass, had halted his troops on
the road for several hours, within
half mile of where D. H. He'll was
holding the pass against the whole Of
Mcclellan $ army. At last, towards
sunset, Longstreet was hurried up the
pass, but it was too late to get into