The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1900-05-30
Williamson Township, Anderson County,
has the Honor Of CLOSING the Great
Struggle.
Grcenriiic .Nonntuinccr.

Dccn going the ROUNDS or the press, all
of them being Of interest, but som Of
them varying as to the locality. Deem
ing the matter to be Of some import
ance in a historical sense, we have
been to some pains to get at the true
facts in the case, with the following
result.
In the first place, the fact that sew
cral localities have been named may
be accounted for in this manner. The
participants in the fight were men
VINO were not residents Of this section,
and the descriptions they give Of the
place would easily Fl number of To-
cations hereabouts. The general ap-
pearance Of the country has changed
good deal in thirty-fve years, but
few houses or farms appear now as
they did then. Knowing that some
of the old settlers were still living
and that such an event as a battle
would make an impression on their
minds and would be talked about a
good deal in after years, we have in
terviewed number I'll our old citizens
and find that they are practically a
unit as to the spot where the fight
took place, and that they have the
most vivid recollcotions Of many Of
the scenes connected Herewith.
On the strength Of the testimonies
of these old residents it can be set
down, without the shadow of a doubt,
that the last conflict Of the civil war
east Of the Mississippi river occurred
on the first day Of May, 1864, in Will
liamston Township, Anderson County,
S. c., some two and onc-half miles
from Piedmont, on the road between
the farm house now owned by Mr..
John B. King and the house now
owned and occupied by VIM. f.. Long.
A score or more Of men and womed in
the prime of life say they saw portions
of the conflict and have often visited
the spot in their childhood days, and
they can show one the trees where
bullets ploughed their way through
the bark of the trunks and clipped of
the boughs and small limbs. Some of
the women living tell of being terror
stricken at the firing of musketry and
shouting of voices which rahg out
above the thunders Of war, while The
men tell of how they took the stock
of down ;nto the canebrakes and wood
land thickets Especially the horses,)
for the blue coats seemed to know
good animal when they saw one, and
they were not bashful about borrowing
one that they took fancy to or were
not over particular about returning it
either.
1t seems from the account given by
one Of the soldiers that mixed lot of
Confederates, composed of local mill
tia and Citadel cadets from Charles
ton, ,!started out from Greenville, and
camo down the Grcenville road as far
as Grove Station, where they turned
of to the right into the Grove road
and crossed the Saluda river on the
old Grove Station bridge, structure
that has long since gone to decay and
tumblcd to pieces, though even at the
present day the weather beaten but
tresses may be discerned on either side
of the river, monuments and relics Of
the days when our grandfathers and
grandmothers were young.
After crossing this bridge the troops
marched forward and crossed Brushy
Creek at what was known IN those days
as Hollands Ford, AMI not great
way from this the Grove road came
but where Bud Elrod now lives. The
old road as an entirety has passed
away, but one can easily trace It's out
lines even now. Passing by the
Elrods, the soldiers came into the
Greenville road at the fork between
VIM. E. Longs and Kings, where
they got water, and in grove Of trees
stopped for rest and refreshment by
the side Of the big road. The men
were pretty we'll tired out, most of
them had lain down on the sward in q
free and easy sort of q way, and had
not even taken the precaution to put
out guard for protection against sur.
prise. The guns had been thrown
down in the road and no one dreamed
of immediate danger, to say the least.
Suddenly some one shouted, "Here
comes the Yankees" and sure enough
equad Of Federals we're riding down
upon them at o rapid pace, firing and
yelling as they came.
:. o:z :aeo7 e matt says that thc aston
ished Confed's sprang to.their feet. A
goodly number Of them, and especially
the cadets. in large numbers made
xranko 3ns k1,a VrnnAu ecJ ,,r1n.h~sl