The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1900-12-05
WAR STORY.
Sent on Perilous Ride Through the Enc
mics Lines.
DR.. j. Il. II'ycth in Confederate Veteran.
mics Lines.

A few days before the battle Of
Chickamauga our division &C cavalry
was moved by rapid all-night march
to the extreme left Of the position
which Gen. Bragg mad frat selected
for his battle ground. Itwas trcsomc
and slow work. fer large body Of
cavalry stretched along several miles
of ordinary country road at night, with
hero and there narrow or defective
bridge or causcway, cannot move with
anything like the rapidity Of day
light march We were the advance
brigade, and ] recall the fact that, in
order to get as much Of the fun and
frolic as possible out Of an uncomfort-
able situation, number of the best
voices in the command had been
gathered about the center Of our regi-
ment and were waking the echoes in
the gloomy forests which hcmmed us
III by singing all the lively war songs
then in vogue. About midnight word
came down the line from the head Of
the column to stop the singing, and
for the entire column to move in
silence. Personally / was not dis
pleased when the order came, for
while many Of the war ballads we're
thrilling, and some few were set to
inspiring music, the men in the ranks
had learned or improviscd few stan.
zas which would not have met with
the approval Of the Westminster Con
fcssion. From my point of view ut
that time, "ac was {: very serious busi
ness, and a large proportion Of the
soldiers i'll our army had in 1863 passed
into an extraordinary condition Of
mind. In the beginning VIC thought
it would be 4 grand and exciting, and
yet short-livcd, adventure, and many
under military age FASTENED into the
service for fear it would be over too
soon for US to have hand in the
glory Of it. That fancy, with many
other illusions, had in the clear light
of bitter experience faded from our
mental vision. Nearly three years
had passed, and the army to which we
we're attached had, despite the patient
.oil and suffering and the heroic self
sacrifice Of the battlefield, met with so
much disaster that it forced upon us
the conclusion that our struggle was
hopeless, and that if we fought on rs
we had determined to do death was
the inevitable end. It was only n
question Of time, and we tried to be
ready for it. That was my conviction
then and until the war was over. Had
it not been so, | might not have vol
untccrcd to go on the crrand which
undertook that night.
When tho order to movc in silence
had passed down the line, we knew
that we were coming close to the
enemy, and the march was continued
with the choruscs omitted. About
three o'clock we were again halted,
and some word was started at the head
Of the column to be carried in low
tone down the line, as was the custom
on midnight marches, since, on ac-
count of the darkness and the crowded
condition of the roadway, an aid or
courier could not get through. The
wording of this message gradually
grew clearer, and at last was distinct
ly made out: ga volunteer is wanted
at the head Of the column who will go
where he is sent" 1t evidently por-
tended some expedition out of the
ordinary, and in all likelihood involv-
ed moro than usual personal risk. If
this were not the case, some wcll-tricd
man would have been ordered to go
upon the duty When said to Lieut..
Jack Weatherly, Of my company, that
| would go if they thought was big
enough, lie sent word back toward the
head of the column that Company
would furnish the man. There was
no time to be lost, SO [ dismountcd to
readjust my saddle and unstrap my
oilcloth, blanket, havcrsack and forage
bag. These and my gun were left be
hind. One of the men of our com
pany (Jacob McCain) insisted on plac
ing his surcingle over my saddle 70
greater security, FOR fear my own sin
gle girth might break if I got int
trouble. carried with me only tw'
articles, my army six-shooter and
small Testament my motherhad placed
in my jacket pocket when left fo
the war. What strange companion
shipl A weapon capable of causin,
such anguish of mind and agony O
ID