The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1900-08-22

loIO"cu. L nave never found anybO-
dy who could tell how many there
were of them. Pool reported to us
there were $50 and he was usually very
accurate. On they came out from
Centralia. Pool and his men came on
and reported. Todd called out,
Mount up, mount up
The sharp, piercing eyes Of James
flashed.
81 don t care what your histories
say, they carried black flag. 1t was
apparently black apron, tied to a
stick. We captured it in the battle
that followed.
I'VE had no flag. We had no time
to get one. The Yankees stopped
near the rise Of the hill. Both sides
were in full view of each other, though
nearly half mile distant. The Yam
KEGS dismountcd, gave their horses in
to charge Of detail of men and pre-
pared to fight.
John Roger, funny fellow in our
ranks, watched the Yankees dismount
and said: "Why, the fools arc going
to fight US on foot!' And then add
cd, in seriousness: "God help EN-
1--WE dismountcd to tighten the
belts on the horses, and then, at the
word Of command, started on our
charge. The ground, you will notice,
rises sharply and we had to charge up
hill. For moment we moved slowly.
Ourlinc was nearly aquartcr Of mile
long, theirs much closer together.
We we're still some 6GG yards away,
our speed increasing and our ranks
closing up, when they fred their first
and only time. They nearly all fred
over our heads. We were lying low
on our horses, trick that Comanche
Indians practice, and which saved our
lives many time. Only two of our
men were killed, Frank Shepherd and
Hank Williams. A third. Richard
Kinney, was shot and died three Or
four days afterwards from lock jaw.
Shepherd and Kinney rode next to me
on either side. Kinney was my clos
est friend. We had ridden together
from Texas, fought side by side, slept
together, and it hurt me when heard
him say, Frank, 1 am shot He kept
on riding for time and thought his
wound wasn't serious.
"On we went up the hill. Almost
in the twinkling of an eye we were on
the Yankee line. They seemed terror
lied. Hypnotized might be better
word, though I reckon nobody knew
anything about hypno.ism then,
though George Todd, by the way,
looked like Svengali. Some Of the
Federals were at FIX bayonets,' some
were biting off their cartridges, pre-
pairing to reload.
"Yelling, shooting our pistols, upon
them we went. Not single man Of
the line escaped. Every one was shot
through the head. The few who at
tempted to escape we followed into
Centralie and on to Sturgeon. There
q Federal blackhouse stopped further
pursuit. All along the road we killed
them. The last man and the first
man was killed by Arch Clements.
He had the best horse and got little
tho start.
"That night we left THE woods and
this neighborhood and scattered. I
reorossed the river near Glasgow and
went southwark"
"It has been reported that my
brother, Jesse James, was not at the
Centralia fight; that he was sick in
Carroll County ct the time. This is .
Jesse was here. He it was
who killed the commander Of the Fed
cral troops, Major johnson. The
Younger boys were not at Centralia. "
The plowsharo had taken the place
Of the sword on the hillside. Frank
james took an car Of corn from tho
battlefield. 81 want some sort Of
relic," he said, 'and this is the most
peaceful-looking see." Later in the
day Adam Rodemyre Of the Centralia
Guard gave him q bullet found on the
field.
After two hours on the field visit
was made to the Pleasant Grove bury
ing ground on the Silver farm, where
Frank Shepherd and "Hank" Williams
are buried. The burying ground is a
typical country cemetery, lying in q
secluded spot, away from the main
travelled road, some four miles from
Centralia.
The living guerrilla stood with bis
black siouohh hat IN his nau3 aI inc
aide Of the aunken oravaa nf his daod