The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1897-12-07

liant young Pelham as his chief of
artillery, and no time during the hot
ly contested day, was it that the
thunder Of his mountain howitzers
could not be heard above tho roar of
tho hundreds Of siege guns, that
lined the banks Of the river
The incline of the opposite hills
was one field of blue. Infantry,
cavalry and artillery moved in front
of the bridges, while one continual
stream Of soldiers, Of all arms, long
trains of artillery, wagons, ambu-
lances, moved across tho bridges,
like some monster serpent dragging
it's weary length along" The SOL
diers marched with steady, and
measured step, their banner waving
in the breezes, bayonets glittering
over head, their bright sabres lash.
ing the sides Of their steeds, whilo
the whole surrounding country was
resonant With martial music from
bands Of both friend and foe. All
day long did this grand array keep
moving amid the booming Of cannon,
the waving of flags, and deafening
shouts Of the many thousand sol
diers. The Union bands would play
airs suited to tho sentiments of the
North, then those Of tho South
would strike up their own Southern
airs, to be almost deafoned at its
close, by tho yclls and shouts of tho
enthusiastic soldiers. When lato in
the day Federal band struck up
"Dixie," the scene became indescrib-
able. Hats were thrown in tho air,
mon grapplcd with each other in
their merry enthusiasm, hands
clapped, banners dipped ana swnyed
to and fro, then the yell-McLaws
startod it. then down the river to
Jackson's men, to swell and recedc,
again it would be taken up and
reverberate along the river front and
heights beyond, then to die away in
the direction Of Hamilton's Crossing.
How like 'ho crossing Of tho
HelIespont by Xerxes, with his Per
slams to conquer the Greeks, must
this crossing of tho Rnppahannock
appear to Burnside and his army,
when they vowed tho triumphant
crossing, and tho destruction apd
disaster that followed. What con-
trast of today with that of tomorrow
An army, the flower and pride of a
nation, crossing over the river, drunk
with their feelings of superiority, to-
morrow, beaten, crestfallon, their
armies swept from the field, their
banners trailing in the dust, while
10000 Of their numbers left dead,
wounded or missing, all to commem-
orate the heroism of the Southern
troops, and ghastly witness to their
own valor Everything had moro
the look and appearance Of gala
day on tho lth and 18th than tho
eve of the most bloody and sanguin-
ary battle Of modern times.
On tho morning of tho 18th, as
the ruddy couriers of the coming day
shot forth from over the Eastern
skies, the blast of buglo and tho roll
of drum, put these too mighty
armies in motion. Hero happened
ono Of those peculiar incidents that
at times occurs in soldiers life. Do
we call it superstition, presontiment
or token from the Spirit Land?
AS my company was forming in line, |
noticed my Captain, light hearted,
jovial spirit, brave and reckless to Il
fault, absent himself and repair to
some sbrubbory, where l camo upon
him, kneeling in prayer. This was a
most unusual circumstance, especial
ly for one Of his disposition aud
temperament. |, soldier like, joked
and twittcd him with lack of his
former ardor and spirits. Rising he
said, "You may laugh and jest as
you will. You may call it cowardicc,
bnt [ will show ! am no coward.
But today is my last. Something
within tells me will be killed in to-
days battle" Before the sun was
far beyond tho meridian he was NUM-
bercd with tho dcad---a bullet
through his brain. Was this fatality,
was it a coincident, was it suporsti-
| ton, or was it some secret monster