The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1900-02-28

Stirling Price, at I.umpkin Mill, four
mile, south Of Holly Springs. While
ihey were IN camp rode out to see
the rcyicw Of Gen. Price 5 command
1t was a sorry sight Many Of The r.,n
were barchcadcd ami barcivnled, aud
all wc:e shabby
They had rcql, ,itd 70 b. allowed to
march in il" n.ilina couipanics in
which they bad cplIe out Of Missouri.
In some cpn'r4u;o, there we're barely
enough m'n 10 furnish ncccs >ary OH
crr- ana mn Of The tla4s lidn carry
SIX enough to maze a handkerchief
lci tr sun oi Indian Summer shonc
L'ni'y down on tl,oir broken ranks,
and they were a. cheerful and shame
les N their rags Il, little children. /
do not remember ever to have seen 4
dtspondrnt soldier
We think the soldiers life Il trying
one, and 50 ii is, but it contains one
element which more than countcrhal.
anccs all is hardship$. Iti~ freedom
from responsibility. 1t is not labor.
but care and anxiety .lia. spoil the
life and rob us Of our rest. The sol
der has only to obey and take one
step at time. The pri vatc l., really
irccr than the general who commands
him.
In the meantime the blackcst Of war
clouds were gathering on the Western
horizon. Gen. Grant vas collecting
his troops ut the Grand Junction, the
intersection Of the Memphis and
Charleston and Illinois Central Rail
roads. The Government had tried in
vain to open the navigation of the
Mississippi River. The batteries at
Nicksburg still offered an impossible
barrier. Grant determined to raise
an army large enough to overcome all
opposition, and with the Illinois Cen
trail as Il means Of transportation to
cut off Vicksburg in the rear and to
starve it into surrender.
One night early in December Gen.
Price and his staff were spending the
evening at my house. At II o'clock
an order came from Gen. Van Dorm to
begin the retreat at once, as the Fed
eral cavalry was advancing from the
Grand Junction, only twenty-five
miles away.
Between midnight and day Van
Dorn's entire commond passed through
the town and when morning came we
found ourselves inside the Federal
lines. The sound of the buglc woke
the stiffness of the morning, and be-
fore we could say "The Yankees are
coming" tho cavalry dashed into the
town. 1t was sore sight to Southern
eyes, but the numbers, style and cle-
gance of equipment, in comparison
with the shabbiness of the Confeder-
nte cavalry, offered fascination that
could net be resisted. The bluc grass
paddooks Of kentucky and Tennessee
had supplied the officers with the
finest of thoroughbrcds, and the splen-
did uniforms and gay flags presented
more the effect Of pageant than an
army.
The next day the infantry began to
arrive. My home stood at the end of
the street on whic. they came into
town, so that they turned to the west in
front Of the house, marched one
square, then turned south again, into
the Oxford road, so belive saw ev-
cry regiment in the army, for although
the sight was art-breaking, it was
magnificent. First would pass by the
regimental band, playing always "The
Girl Left Behind Me- then march
ing four abreast, in handsome new
uniforms, came the infantry; and as
the music of one regiment died away
the next could be heard in the dis
tance, and 80 on and on for three day
they came, as We thought, great blue
monster, going to swallow up the
devoted victims of tho Confedcra-
oy. The wagon train was five days
long.
[ wanted very much to see Gen.
Grant, and supposed his escort would
be especially distinguished, but either
because they were all so elegant. or
he was so modest, failed to recognize
him. But soon we learned that this
was no passing show. Gen. Grant had
determined to make Holly Springs his
headquarters and the depot of sup
plies for his army. the Illinois Central
Railroad furnishing a long line for
transportation both North and South,
and communication with the Mis-