The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1901-07-17
Battle Of Gaines Mill.

read in Saturdays Journal letter
written TO Mr.. X. +. Bullard, of Mil
lcdgeville, by member of the Six
tccnth Michigan regiment, U. S. vol
unteeTs.
Reading this letter recalled an incl
dent Of the civil war which l will
relate.
[ was member of Company b,
Palmetto Sharpshooters, s. c. volun-
teers. The battle of Gaines mill was
fought June 26, 1862. About noon OF
that day General Longstreet received
orders to attack the Federal position
in his front. The order was imme-
diately executed. The strongly forti-
fed position Of the Federals in ony
front was stormed and captured by
Longstreet's men, together with a
number of prisoners.
Longstreet's men were highly com
plimented by General lee in person
for the gallantry displayed on this ee-
casion.
But to the incident. Late in the
afternoon of that day Colonel jenkins,
commanding the sharpshooters, de-
tached his regiment from the main
command and started on the march
through an open feldwhioh lay in our
front.
Why this movement was made
never knew. After goine about q
mile we discovered body of troops
emerging from. some woods on our
right and not more than Is, yards
from us. They had their flag Surled.
1t was getting dark, so. that it was
hard to distinguish friend from foe.
Colonel Jenkins attention. was di-
rected to these troops in. our 8ront by
some of out boys, who had been close
ly watching them, speaking IN low
tone: "Them's Nankees," "Them' 8
Yankees" Whereupon, he orderad
his regiment to "halt, frost face,"
and Immediately called to. the troops
in our front: "Unfurl' your fog"
Not paying any attention to- this de-
mand, our colonel, still undecided,
called to them again: 'AUnfurl your
flag or we will fire into you Their
commander then called to his men:
Halt; front face" Immediately Col
onel Jenkins gave the. command
"Fire!" Every ono of our boys had
his gun to his shoulder ready to pull
trigger, and they pulled it. you may
be sure.
These troops proved to. be che Six
teenth Michigan, 1, 100 stDong-as 6ne
looking body of men as I ever saw.
They were almost annihilated. Such
slaughter Yves. perhaps never known
during the civil war where 80 few
troops were engaged.
! When We ran up to where they were
their dead and wounded were literally
piled up one on top. Of another from
one end of their line to the other.
Many Of the Confederate soldiers
eyes filled with tears as they gaxed
upon the terrible havoc their deadly
missiles made. Many were the ex-
pressions Of sympathy and tender OF
help by brave men who but few
minutes before had fred tho guns that
produced this terrible slaughter.
You see the Carolinians got in the
first fire. They were in an open field
not tree, bush or stump interven.
ed between the opposing forces. Had
the Michiganders got the first fire the
result would doubtless have been
equally disastrous to the Carolinians.
Not one Of our men killed and only
2 or 3 slightly wounded.
Iwould like to know if the Miohi.
gander who wrote friend Bullard was
o member Of che Sixteenth Michigan
when the circumstances I have related
trauspired, and il go would like to aul
him il he renaembers young Caro-
linian. about my size bringing eanteenl
Of water from branch near by Il
quench the thirst Of his wounded ant
dying comrades.
| Al the anrrendes at Aprema..e.
the Palmetto Sharpshooters stacked
arms in front Of the Sixteenth Michi
gan. Remarkable, wasn't it2
Talk about yoar "close calls" I,
this wssn'ts "close cell" :cr :Ao Caro-
linians then 1 don't know what ,