The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1901-11-27
WAR STORIES.
From Mechanicsville to Malvern Hill


North and the South was organized
and enlisted in Webster, Jackson
County, North Carolina, on the 18th
day of April, 1861, and practiced drill.
ing from that day till the 9th day of
the same month. The State of North
Carolina had not yet seeded, and in
the meantime President Lincoln had
called for IS, 900 volunteers with which
it was said to put down the rebellion
In 30 days. North Carolina was ex-
pectcd by Mr.. Lincoln to furnish her
quota Of the volunteers called fo..
at that time the excitement was very
great, and instead of cnlisting to serve
in President Lincoln s cause tho young
men and great many men who had
wives and children to love and to care
for all over the State from the very
richest to the very poorest, abandoned
their planted crops or quit their places
of business and enlisted and organized
companies and bid adieu to their
fathers and mothers, and sisters and
dear wives and children, and hastened
to Raleigh and organized into regi-
ments for the Southern cause. From
Raleigh they hastened to the seat of
war in Virginia or to the coast of
North Carolina. My company was
Company "A, Of the Sixteenth North
Carolina regiment of volunteers, COM
posed Of l3 companies and containing
1880 men, mostly from the mountain
counties west of the Blue Ridge.
Sc men Lee, graduate Of West
lo.At and all old school teacher Of
Asbeville, was elected colonel of tho
regiment. He was brave, refined
aud noble Christian gentleman, but on
account of his old age and feeblcness
he had to resign and leave US in Jan
uary or February, 1862. In the month
Of June, 1861, the Sizieeth regiment
went from Raleigh to Richmond, and
in July from Richmond to Stanton,
and from Stanton to West Virginia,
and on the third day Of August, after
long and wearisomc mar.h, we pitch
ed our tents on the top of Valley
Mountaia and Valley Gap. It rained
a great deal while we were camped
there and the regiment lost many men
from measles and typhoid fever. Late
in November Of 1861, under General
Lee, we we're marched down Valley
River TO attack the Federals COM
manded by General RoYenorans. We
had our first skirmish with them and
drove their pickets in. There I heard
the first cannon roar and the cannon
balls whistle over our heads that I
had ever heard. They were too we'll
fortified across the narrow valley to be
routed by our army and we had to fall
back to Valley Mountain. During
this time the Sixteenth was attached
to General Gillam's brigade. IL the
last of November we had to evacuate
the mountain and waded many swollen
streams back to Stanton and from
Stanton we went to Manassas, and re-
mained there few weeks and built
some Notifications which we abandon
ed in January and went to Ocquoguan
Bay for short time, and from there
to Fredericksburg. AT this place in
February, 1862. General Joseph E.
Johnston and President Davis review
I'D tho Confederate army of more than
100000 soldiers, which believe was
the grandest army and the best 6ght-
ers that ever fought battles on this
continent. Then the army marched
so Yorktown and early in the spring
we had to evacuate Yorktown and fall
back to Richmond, being followed by
che Federal army. My regiment was
at that time in tho brigade with Hamp-
tons legion and the Nineteenth Geor-
gia regiment. The brigade was COM
manded by General Wade Hampton.
just after my regiment had passed by
our breastworks below Williamsburg,
the Federals rushed up behind on
abandoned fortifcations and attacked
the rear of our army after they had
passed the forti6cations and we're
passing through Williamsburg. My
regiment had passed through the town
on the road to Richmond, and stopped
and stacked their arms and were toast
ing cold corn bread and broiling bacon
over the camp fires preparing to take q
much needed lunch. But suddenly
we heard musketry mingled with the
roar Of artillery, the regiment was
formed into line Of battle Immediately y
and stood in sight Of the battle in
readiness to help if needed. But we
saw the rear Of our army which had
been attacked drive the Eederals back