The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1901-03-06
WAR STORIES.
Thrilling Times with NIcCoolz and Whele1's
Cavalry.
tUI. 4. u. McByidc, .iNuntu Jouynai.
Cavalry.

dispensed his generous hospi tality.
Ills comfortable and spacious home
still standing in the old town of Fay
cttsvilc will be pleasantly remember.
cd by many still living. Here on the
morning Of July ~, 1861, had Il
call Of very unusual and exciting
character. My wound had given me
great pain and fever for several days.
was confined to my bed most Of the
time. In the afternoon Of the 18th
my fever arose, and during the night
I rolled and tossed, or awokc from
short, restless slumbcrs amidst fright
full dreams, and as it may interest
scientists and those curious about
that mysterious, subtle influence which
connects mind and matter, [ will tell
of what has been to me through all
these years an interesting physical cx
pcricncc, Notwithstanding the fact
that for years there was enough of the
physical to make it very painful; for
the first year or two, would awaken
from frightfnl dream trembling and
in cold perspiration; the dream was
and is to this day always of the same
nature, but after the second or third
year, there has been but little pain,
and no cold perspiration or fright.
Now while dreaming, | seem to know
that it is a dream, and am not disturb
ed by it. dream that am en- aged
in skirmish or battle; sec the
federal soldiers some times only few,
some times many hundred, uniformed
just as they were in the war, near to
nc, aiming at me with their guns; |
can see the flash, and am awakened
by the report Of the guns. long ago
discovered that the scand which
awakened me was not all dream, but
some movement of matter or secretion
in my head causing noise, and
firmly believe that as the sccrctory
motion starts, it touches the scnsOr
nerves SO as 10 cause the recurrence Of
the same dream.
"Wc are such stuff as dreams arc
made on.
About o'clock ON the morning of
the 29th, l felt rather than heard that
indescribable sound which arises from
opposing armies or large bodies of
men and animals, something like the
awful silence which preccdes the tor
nado, or the seismic tremor which
comes with the earthquake, the dread
vibrating stiffness which every soldier
has felt on the eve Of battle lasted but
few moments. Fully aroused, l
heard the heavy tramp Of feet and
changing sabres on the piazza in tho
hall, and on the stairway leading to
my room. The door was thrown vio-
lently open, and four Of Gen. Nc
Cooks troopers rushed in; one Of
them had light in one hand and a re-
volvcr in the other; all had their guns
ready for action; they ordered me to
get out Of bed. l objected, told them
| was not able. At this they present
cd their guns SO close to my head that
| could almost feel the cold steel, and
told me that they would blow my
brains out if | did not get up irme-
diately. just then Miss Matte It'd
we'll (who afterwards married the bril-
liant lawyer, Stockton S. Fears, and
whose gallant cousin, w. II Tidwell,
now living with me at McDonough,
Ca, helped carry me from the field
when | was wounded at Cold IIarbor),
rushed into the room screaming, and
fell upon her knees, begging them not
to kill me. Her gentle spiri. has
flown to that distant land hey ond the
seas of time, but tonight l can sec
her lovely. pleading form, as on bend
cd knees, with upliftcd claspcd hands,
she begged that my life be spared,
and this picture will remain with me
until life and memory fail. In spite
Of all our pleading and protest two of
them took hold of me, one by each
arm, and pulled me out of bed, helped
me to dress and carried nc across the
square to small law Office, where
General McCook and his staff and
number OF officers were assembled.
Seeing that my head was bandaged,
and that l appeared to be weak, one
OF them gave me chair. General
McCook, his staff and most of the
officers and troopers were a fine look
ing body of mep. AS memory now
serves me, I met Colonel Purdy, Col
onel Lamson, Colonel Dorr, General
Croxton and Colonel James Brown
low, now living in Knoxville, and
many others, all of whom treated me