The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1901-05-01
BILL ARP REVIEWS THE WAR
Death of Gen 'Tige" Anderson
Causes a Backward Glance

passed over the river. They wer
near the same age and were close tC
gether during the civil war. Genera
Anderson was our brigade commando
and Colonel Taylor commanded one o
his regiments, the First Kentucky
Since the war one of them was mad
chief of police of Atlantis and the othe
\ of louisville, Ky. Taylor was next t,
btbc last of the surviving colonels o
that brigade. 1t was General Bartrw'
old brigade, composed of the Seventh
Eighth, Ninth and Eleventh Gcorgi;
regiments and the First Kentucky an,
Virginia battery. The regiments
changed their colonels many times anC
of the old Eighth only one (Colonc
TowcrS), who was It's fifth colonel
now survives. None but the veterans
know how numerous were these
changes of commanding officers. The
records show that but one of the
Georgia regil ents that went into SER
vice in 1861 and 1862 brought back the
same colonel it took out. The officers
OF the companies were changed oftcncr
than the ColonelS. Deaths, resiuna-
tlons and promotions were ever going
on. Captain Twiggs's company of the
First Georgia regulars Lad twelve diff
ferent captains du.ing the service.
The personnel Of the privates was also
continually changing" discharged -
or *. ]. B. (klllcd IN battle)-is an
pended to more names than half the
first muster rolls, and recruiting was
constantly going on to fill up the files.
But was rumiuatng ab; ut old rige
and Tom Taylor, for after General
Bartow was killed | was transferred to
General Anderson's staff an ! followed
his fortunes for nearly two years in
tho Army of Northern Virginia. He
was every inch a soldier. lie never
questioned the widom of an order, but
obeyed it.
:" Ours not to make reply;
ours not TO reason why
ours but to do and die"
was his motto. L do not believe he
ever experienced the emotion of fear.
We thought that sometimes he was too
daring. l remember that on one
morning during the battles on The
Chlckahominy he wished to make a
personal rcconnalssa of the posi-
ton of the enemy On its left flank, and
asked Major Aver and myself to ride
with him. There was wide, open
field between the armies, probably
l,OOO acres, and our wing was covered
by a forest of thick woods curving
round the open space in form of
semi-circle. We kept covered by these
woods until we had got far round and
were as near to the Federal batteries
as we dared to go. The general said:
Well, there IS no use IN goin,, back
The long way that we came. let us
take the diameter Of this circle and
save mile or two" They will see
us and open tire,' said 1. {" Let them
shoot" said he, "tbey can't hit u.s.
We can outride their balls; come on;
follow me- We did follow, but we
dident want to and there was no ncccs
sity for taking such peril. l never
will forget that ride. The Federal bat
teries opened fire quickly as we flew
along the plain. The SIX Founders
sent their balls over us and behind us
and before US and some bounded along
the ground quite near us, but the gen.
eral only waived his hat and smiled.
We were all we'll mounted and made
the trip safely, but / never made
another reconnaissance with him Ono
evening our brigade was at rest on the
bank of the Rappahannock. We had
made long march and were waiting
orders. The boys were sitting down
or lying down upon the grass The
enemy were massed behind the noun
tain range that skirted the opposite
banks of the river.
\Vo ppplI MT ooo H. o,> l,,I ..,o
they were there, for their batteries
amused themselves by firing over the
mountains and dropping their shot and
shell at random over US and beyond
us. They exploded in the air and did
but little harm. We were not alarmed
and watched them as we would a pvro.
technic display. General Anderson
was stretched at length upon the
ground and we were not far away. His
line horse was cropping the grass and
the general held him with a long rein
that was attached to the bridle. While
we were chatting quietly shell cx-
ploded directly over us and murderous
fragment struck his horse on top of the
head and killed him instantly. Our
ncarness to the danger stopped all con-
aroused and excited Old Tige beyond
measure. Looking at his horse that
was dying at his lcet he used language
according to his anger and indignation.
His anathemas were fearful. I" We
will pay them for that" he said. "I
would have given my right arm for
that horse. But we will pay them
back two for one. We have come here
to fight, and old Bob will give us a
chance to get even. Blast their in
fcrnal batteries! All they dare to d.
is to hide behind mountain and shoot
over it," We did get even, and Old
Tige was comforted; for in a few days
the second battle of Manassas was
fought and great victory won. Forty
eight thousand troops under Lee ut
terly routed and vanquished $4,000
under Pope.
/ never think Of General Tcm TAYLOR
but what | think of the great battle of
Drainsville, in which he figured and a
smile comes over my memory. The
fun of that battle lasted our boys q
long time, and Major Aver ut Rome is
not done laughing at 1t yet. The valley
Of Drainsville was neutral ground and
the harvest of hav waa oreat Th.