The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1901-12-04

apart, forming somewhat heightened
line OF battle, each brigade ready by a
rapid movement to support one anoth-
er in case Of either one meeting TOO
strong resistance. He in this way
struck Sedgwick's left flank and rear
like tornado and poured such tor
rent of shot and shell, grape and can
lister into his strongly mnssed legions
as had seldom or never been seen be-
fore on any field of battle, while Lee
in person, with McLaw's division and
such other troops as he had at hand,
moved quickly in Sedgewick's front
at Salem Church, piercing his center.
AS his (Sedgewick's) left and rear had
already suffered severely from Cor
don's we'll planned and well executed
attack, his entire force was defeated
and put to fight and compelled to
cross the Rappahannock after mid
night. This splendid echcon move
ment made by Gordon, which proved
SO successful, seemed to have come to
him b. intuition. He was born SOL
dicr and did not realize at the time
that he was but repeating Is increment
that Joshua, Hannibal, Charlemaine
and other eminent commandants had
used ages before. Of all the brilliant
victories achieved by General Gordon
this one will be stndied and admired
by students Of military science for
coming generations. Certainly to
Lee, Gordon and all the officers and
private soldiers of the ARMY of North
ern Virginia belong glory, honor and
fame, which will go sounding down
the ages with increasing splcndor and
brilliance, and will inspire the youth
OF coming generations with patriotism,
true courage and every cnobling virtue
that goes to make up the very highest
ideals of perfect, self sacrificing man
hood and devotion to duty.
With no desire to criticise or in the
least to deprcciate the chivalric valor
or magnificent courage and heroism of
the gallant troops Of other Southern
States, nor to underestimate the valor
OF our opponents, the writer, as
Georgian and commander of Georgia
regiment, hopes that he will not be
taxed with exaggcration, or as claim
ing undue credit for the troops Of his
native State, WHEN he says they COW
cred themselves with glory in the
bloody conflict they took so conspicu-
Gus part in in and around Chancel-
lorsville, Virginia, on the third and
fourth Of May, 1863. The Georgia
troops who took prominent parts in
the several engagements were those of
Phillips and Cobb's legions and the
Sixteenth, Eighteenth and Twenty
fourth Georgia regiments, the latter
regiment the writer had the honor of
commanding. These brave sons of
noble old Georgia did their duty we'll
and unainchingly, losing heavily both
of officers and of men. Hundreds upon
hundreds of these brave boys are now
filling unmarked graves and long neg
iected trenches in and around Chan
ccllorsville and along the banks Of the
kappahannock. These silent homes
OF honor and neglected abodes of pa
triots still speak not only to Geor-
gians, but to the entire world ant .eo
wo who lie here died in vindication of
righteous cause; cause though it
failed, left not a stain on the unsoiled
escutcheon of our State or one foul
blot on a single page of her history.
No dishonorable act of ours in this
contest should cause blush to mantle
the cheek cf any honest. true hearted
Southern man.
Old Salem Church, around whose
hallowed portals were enacted SO many
deeds of heroic valor aud awful scenes
OF desperate conflicts, will long be re-
membered by every one who Witnessed
tuem. scarcely ever before ln the
history of ancient or modern warfare
was 80 horrible spectacle Of death
and carnage presented to human sight.
This venerable old edifce, that had SO
long been oonsecrated to God and so
long used for His service by the fol-
lowers of the Priuce of Peace, stand
ing, as it did. midway between Fred.
ericksburg and charlottesville, was
the very center Of one OF the most de-
structive battles of the war between
the States. Here hundreds upon hun
dreds of the wounded of both armies
were gathered up and brought for sur
gical attention-the building being
used as field hospital. The scenes
of death and Nurnayo ,v;tnocsoJ loro