The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1901-05-15

TO beat Strcamings Of celestial light
burst upon his enraptured vision; the
din and roar of battle was hushed by
heavenly harmonies and one of Time s
purest, tendercst, knightliest souls
went to an immortal home.
The Tenth Georgia, with but little
exposure to danger, Witnessed the
many bioody assaults made by the
Yankees against the stone wall aud
against Jackson's men in the open
fields to our right; at night the fash
ing muskctry looked like myrlads of
ire aieS; stretched away TO inc right
and along Stafford Heights and the
Kappahannock, for many miles the
campfircs of the enemy and nearer the
Pickering lights of the pickcts, as the
noise of the camps and the music of
the bands of c. her army died away.
Suddenly between 10 and IL o'clock
the northern sky was illuminated by
an extended aurora borcalis shedding
baleful reddish light. which seemed
tit ending to the bloody strife and
carnage.
The Yankees remained compare
lively quiet all day Sunday, December
18th. The battle was over, and all
day long lay in expectation of re-
newal of the strife; there was some
hot skirmishing, but no general move
mcnt. About 4 o'clock Sunday even
ing, December 18th, tho Tenth Geor-
gia marched from Lees Hill to the
stone and fence and relieved the
Twenty fourth Georgia regiment which
had covered itself with glory in the
banner battle Of the war; we had con-
siderable skirmishing that night and
next day but no serious move was
made; on the night of tho 18th the
Fedcrals rccrosscd the river and the
boys of tho Tenth were on picket on
the banks Of the river, where the Mis-.
sissippians had fought so fcrccly; on
tho 10Th or 18th beautiful lady. ao.
companied by Yankee officer in
charge of fatigue party of ten or
twelve private soldiers, came over
with flag Of truce to recover the body
of her husband, who, as remember,
was professor in Yale or Harvard
College; was ordered to take charge
OF the party and give such informa-
tion and help as was proper. The
ofhoer and soldiers who came with her,
thought they could locate his body; it
was one of the saddest duties I ever
performed. We exhumcd great many
bodies; every member Of the Tenth,
who was near, joined in the search;
the siekening orders nearly cvercsme
US; the dead were piled on each other
in long, deep ditcA, and as the men
raked the dirt off them, they present
cd gruesome sight. After long
aud fruitless search, we sadly gave it
up, the sorrowing wife was 10th to go;
it was pathetic sight. l will never
forget her look of despair or the tear
stained cheeks of the Confederate and
Federal soldiers.
Not hate but glory made these chiefs
contend,
~ NnN nf snrk al,
friend"
In company with Captain G. G.
Kibbeo, who was afterwards promoted
to lieutenant colonel Of the Denth for
skili aud valor Oh the field, I conduct
ed the truce party across the river.
We were received and entertained by
Colonel Morrison, Of the
Seventy. ninth New York regiment.
He gave US an excellent lunch, some
fino old Bourbon and cigars. While
We wore enjoying ourselves, suddenly
the Yankees opened q rapid artillery
FIRE on somo wagon trains on our side.
It developed that tho commander Of
the battery did not know of the truce.
His one-sided battle was quickly
stopped. We guyed Colonel Morrison
good-naturcdly and told him that VIC
had left sufficient force on our side to
take care of our trains; his experience
the past few days doubtless convinced
him we were correct.
Of the numbcrless daring deeds Of
the war none can exceed in reckless
valor those Of the young South Caro-.
linian Kirkland, who begged leave to
carry water to the wounded yankees
in front Of the stone fence, the shells
and bullets 80 thick that it seemed
that bird could not escape them;
with two or three canteens filled with
water he jumped over tho wall and
from Que wounded Yankee 20