The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1901-04-17

cts were captured without giving an
alarm ana our foe, all unconscious OF
danger, was quietly sleeping. The,
were IN two camps, one on the Oppo.
site SIDE of the town from our ap.
proach and the other to the right as
we entered. The gallant Wharton, of
the Texas Rangers, with part of the
command, was ordered to attack the
camp TO our right, while Forrest, with
the other part, was to attack the one
on the opposite side Of the town.
Wharton's attack was complete sur.
prise to the enemy. Without warning
he and his Rangers burst into The
sleeping camp, yelling and shouting,
drove out the terrified Fcdcrals, and
for a while he'd possession of the
camp. Afterwards, seeing the s:Hall
force of their asSaiantS. the Yankees
rallied, and, after stubborn fight, in
which W hartOn was wounded. they
rcgaincd possession OF the camp. The
part under Forrest, in which was the
"a Georgia, were not 80 successful
The noise Of the horses hoois striking
upon the stony ground as we charged
inhabitants, who rushed out to greet
us, wildly shouting and cheering, and
III their enthusiasm raising such din
as to reach the ears CT the sleeping
camp, short distance out of town
Then, too, another unexpected diff.
liculty arose. In the centre Of the
town, directly fronting the street up
which we were charging, stood the
brick Court House. In tins was a
Federal guard, Keeping watch over
| some prisoners. As soon as the head
of our column came in sight this guard
opened fire upon us out of the WIN.
dows of the Court House. This uncx-
pcctcd attack delayed Forrest and frus-
trated his plan of surprising the camp
beyond. When we got there, instead
of taking them by surprise, we found
them drawn up in line Of battle on the
crest of a slope in an old field, having
Il splendid battery of six guns and "A
long line OF infantry supporting it..
We were the party surprised. Under
this unlocked for condition of things
Forrest ordered Col. Lawton to draw
up his regiment in front of the Fedora
! lines, in piece of woods which shr y
tered us TO some extent, saying that
he, with the rest of his troop, would
ridc around them and attack them in
the rear, and ordering I.awton as soon
as he heard his guns in the rear to
charge them in front, Thus we stood
for about two hours, | suppose, wait
ing to hear Forests guns in the rear.
In the meantime the Fcdcrals know
ing that we were in the woods, kept
up an inccssant fire with their altil.
lery, sending a continual stream OF
sho! AMI shell scrccching over oul
heads, cutting down the limbs of trees
bursting over us, doing no particular
damage it is true, bu; terrifying and
dcmoralizing the men, most of whom
! had never been under fire before
Thus matters stood We, with 0ui
shotguns, listening 10 the music Of tho
shells, and the Yankees having a per
feet picnic IN the way of target prac
ticc; we being the la get.
Finally, becoming cmboldcncd b,
our continued silence, the sharpshoot
crs from the infantry crept down I,
the edge of the woods and, conccaln!
themselves in the undcrb ish, began t.
pick at us with their rifles, and tn
, whizZ of their bullets was getting to b
, uncomtortably close to ou. heads. Co
l Lawton, noticing this, directed his aG
jutant to carry verbal order to tn
major to send squadron-two con
Y panies-to charge those sharpshooter!
| drive them back and return to the con
/ mand. The adjutant, in his excit,
: ment, misunderstood the order AM