The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1897-03-10
VIRGINIA "REMINISCENCES.
Interesting Meeting of the Wright.Latane
Camp U. C. V.
From the Confederate Veteran.

From the Confederate Tctcran.
Surviving comrades about Tappa-
hammock, Va, nurture memories that
will add glory to their noble records.
At a meeting of the Wright -Latane
Camp in the beginning of the Christ
mas holidays Capt. Albert Rennolds,
of Company f, Fifty-ffth Virginia
Regiment, read paper, which is
herein copied almost entire
Ever since the war [ have had de-
sire to revisit some of the fields on
which I did battle for my country, but
never had an opportunity to do so un-
til last summer, when visiting rela-
tives in Spottsylvania County, when
my brother proposed to take me to the
Charlottesville battlefield.
Early Monday morning, the last day
of August, we started toward the
Court House but, leaving that to our
right, came, to quite pretty monu-
ment situa.ed in the fork of the road
and dedicated to Maj. Gen. Sedgwick,
of the Federal army, who was killed
on that spot during the battle of
Spottsylvania Court House. had
been wounded a short time before in
the battle of 's'the Wilderness" and
was not in that battle. En- route from
there to Charlottesville we passed by
Screamersyille, where the Second Ad-
ventists were holding camp meeting.
The tents looked quite pretty, and re-
minded me of the time when the Ar
my of Northern Virginia dwelt in
tents-i. e., when they could get them.
About II o'clock we came to the
plank road, and turned toward Chan
cellorsville. I felt as if I were on
holy ground, for it was right along
here that we marched the first day of
May, thirty-three years ago, led by
Lee and Jackson and A. P. Hill and
Heth aud Mallory. 1t is just about
as warm and dusty now as then. We
soon came to the road we took to the
left by "the Furnace )" but our time
being limited we concluded that it was
not sufficient to take the route by
which we marched around Hooker's
army, so we took the right, going by
Charlottesville Court House, through
the battlefield, to the place where the
private road along which we marched
runs into the plank road. 1t looks
now just as I remember it looked then,
except that there is gate across it
now. Everything looked so natural
that I imagined l could see the cavalry
pickets standing there still. I got out
of the vehicle and walked down the
road toward Charlottesville, where
we filed to the left, and, short dis
tance in the woods, formed line of
battle.
The order was given, Forward,
march p and our three divisions NOV
ed off to strike for all that is dear to
freemen. I went over the same ground
that I went over thirty-three years
ago, when boy soldier of the brave
and gallant Essex Sharpshooters.
My heart beats strong. forget
that I am an old man now. I glide
along, I hardly know how, over the
same ground, Presently the rattle Of
the skirmishers' fire is heard in front.
The soldiers cheer and 60 faster.
Here is the field where the enemy left
their supper cooking. In imagina-
ton I see the soldiers again dipping
real coffee from the boilers and drink
ing it as they move along. Some have
junks of beef on their bayonets, while
their comrades cut slices. Others are
stufing hardtack in their haversacks
as they go, for no one can stop all
must keep dressed now. On we 60
through the woods, dressing our lines
as we pass through the fields and
openings.
How proudly the men march ! How
enthusiastic they are How beauti-
fully the emblems Of constitutional
liberty wavein the breeze Jackson s
Corps is sweeping the field. What
grand panorama
Our gallant brigadicr is on foot in
front of US. He turns and salutes his
brigade with his sword-a compliment
which we intend to prove that we
deserve ere We stop.
And here is where we were when
the enemy attempted to make a stand
to check US. A volley from a line of
battle is poured into our line to the
right of US, but we make no stop.
The yolley is returned, and we 90 still
faster, while the Rebel yell rolls from
one end of our lines to the other and
back again. We are moving too fast.
The officers storm at the men for not
moving slower, when they are only
keeping up with the officers. And
now the artillery is booming, shells
are shrieking and bursting, rifles are
rattling, and occasionally a volley is
fired. The Rebel yell is now almost
continuous, and still on we sweep.
There is the place near those thick
bushes where gallant Lieut.. Roane re-
ceived shrapnel shot in his abdo-
men; when one Of his men, whom he
had just given the fat of his sword
for showing the white feather, said {:
"Im mighty sorry for Lieut.. Roane,
but he oughtn't ia beat me like he did. y
We are halted. There is lull in
the fire and up-roar. The light divis-
ion has been ordered to take the lead.
1t is beginning to get dark. We move
again, and just ahead is where we
came out into the plank road Il could
not understand before why we came
out of the fields and woods into the
road, but it is all plain now-wc went
straight, but the road makes a turn
It is there where we saw the deserted
artillery and the dead and wounded
horses. The place looks much the
same as it did then. | do not think
the trees have grown bit; even the
bushes seem to be the same.
We march by the left flank alcng
the road Il short distance, halt, and
front. Here is the place. Our left
is near the brow of low hill or rise.
1t is so dark that we cannot sec man
across the road. Lanes skirmishers
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