The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1901-11-27

and were retrcatiDg. The killed and
wounded of my regiment in that day 8
battle were many and greatly lament
ed. Soon after the break of day We
moved further to the right into az
open feld close in front of the Yankee
breastworks. All ever this field wero
many dead and wounded of an Ala
bama brigade. We then advanced in
line Of battle and went over their
abandoned line of Notifications. They
had heard that Stonewall Jackson was
coming in their rear and they hasten
ed to retreat and dodge him. We
soon formed into line Of march and
pursued them thl Tough their evacuated
burning camps. About 2 clock that
day my regiment and brigade were
formed into line Of battle at the place
that soon became the battlefield of
Gaines Mill. My company was de-
ployed and sent in front of the regi-
ment as skirmishers.
We had not advanced very far when
we met solid line of bluecoats, ad-
vancing and supported by another
solid line short distance in the rear
of the first line. My company fired
into them and fell back. They did
not return the fire at US then. We
fell back before them out of one field
and through woodland and into an
other field, and in the middle Of this
field we met and passed through the
reat of solid line of our men advanc-
ing to meet them 10 the middle Of that
field. just as my company, as re-
treating line Of skirmishers, passed
through to the rear of this solid ad.
vanciug line the rebel warwhoop min
gled with mighty volley of musketry
was sounded all along the line and at
the same instant the Yankees return
ed solid volley into our ranks. We
went little distance to the left to
where we had been sent away from the
regiment as skirmishers end found the
regiment in mighty shower of balls.
We took our place in line with the
regiment which was then starting to
charge. The fight was now getting
lively and in earnest. This time we
had no breastworks to charge, with
swamp in our way.
But the two largest and best oppos-
ing armies that ever met on this con-
tincnt met face to fuoe and fought
this battle of Gaines Mill, fairly and
squarely. Our first volley with q
mighty rush forward drove them back
across the field Till we came in close
contact with their batteries and lines
Of fresh troops. The battle was waged
for hours stubbornly by both armies.
We would charge them off the field
and several times they came back at
us again and again and disputed our
possession Of the field. The battle
lasted till in the night. And just
after the darkness of night had come
upon us we made last farewell good
night charge and drove them back
more than O mile and held the battle
field.
We got the best Of that fight, for I
honestly believe that there were two
dead or wounded Federale 20 every dead
or wounded Confederate, and we held
the field undisputed after that charge.
That night and the next day till late
in the afternoon we remained on that
battle field and enjoy ed muoh-need-
ed rest. Then. We fell into line Of
march and marched all night. The
next morning about 8 o'clock we
stopped and hurriedly enjoyed break
fast Of Yankee crackers and bacon
which we had captured during the
previous day. had some genuine
Yankee coffee and I asked my captain
and lieutenant to drink coffee with
me. They accepted the invitation
and while we aat on the ground and
ate hard tack and enjoyed the drinking
of coffee We talked Of the dead and
wounded aud their great suffering. In
the midst Of our conversation re-
marked that it was hard to suffer as
many Of the wounded suffer and then
die But would prefer being NOR
tally wounded aud have some time in