The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1901-05-02

giment of infantry he would go for tn
hay. He said that the owners wer
mostly Southern men and wanted us t
have it, Old Joe was suspicious, bu
consented. The Federals were neare
to it and had large force of cavalr
in their camp. Tom Taylor was sen
along with his regiment and Maio
Aver put in charge Of 400 wagons wit
iour-horsc teams TO each. 1t wa
about fifteen miles to the valley over
pike road that was generally Wild
enough for teams to pass each other
but was very narrow where cut through
the little hills. Many of these cuts,
hundred yards long, were not moro
than ten feet wile. The day and tn,
scheme was kept profoundly secret.
One morning about the break Of da,
our boys were aroused by the uncarth
ly rumbling sound of 400 wagons roll
ing over the pike, but that sound was
nothing to the roaring Of those wagons
Oh their return. That train of wagons
was nearly four miles long and by the
time the head Of the column got fairly
into the valley and the major began
bosslng the loading of the foremost
teams Tom Taylor, with his men. were
resting in the suburbs and job Stuart
with 1000 cavalry, were paradcd or a
hill overlooking the valley. Just then
5000 Federal cavalry came charging
down from some hiding place bchiud
the woods and for an hour or more
Stuart and Taylor had their hands full.
The Federals had an artillery company
to help create panic and they were
! after the wagon train in desperate
determination. In the confusion that
| followed the surprise Stuart ordered
the wagons that were loading hay 10
countcrmarch in double quick and they
performed that mancuvcr with great
| alacrity until the head of the procession
reached the pike and could get no fa1-
ther, for the body and tail of the train
| blockaded the highway for two miles
back.
Then came the great stampede.
"Then rushed the steeds from battle
driven" All along the line the alarm
was given, whips were popping, team
sters were bawling. "Turu men; turn
and save your teams," exclaimed the
| ma jor. "Thc Yankees are cominy.''
And they did turn, but to this day no.
body knows how. Some of the wagon
ers sworc afterwards they flew over and
some crawled under and some turned a
fcur-horse team in an eight-foot cut.
Colonel Taylor ordered his men to
guard the wagons, but they couldn't
keep up with them. StuarL's men
were in hand to hand fight with the
enemies cavalry and slashed them with
swords and shot them with small
arms; but they were outnumbered and
had to fight and fall back at every
charge.
1t was about the middle of the after.
noon when the roaring Of the stamped
ing train reached our campground.
Old Joe Johnston heard it, for the
sound thereof was like the sound of
many waters. He understood it at
once and ordered whole brigade and
battery to double quick up the Drains
vile pike. I" told Stuart" he cx-
claimed, "they would trick if he didn't
look out. Those rascals IN that valley
are nearly all Union men and they got
word to the enemy. Pm afraid we
have lost some of our wagons, and 1t
will be hard joke on Stuart"
Later on We perceived great clouds
Of dust gathering over the pike and the
roaring came louder and louder and
nearer and nearer, and by and by,
with the aid of field glass, we could
see Major Aver rise over the top of q
distant hill and halt. He is a fine
rider and was astride fine horse
whose name was Scllm. He saw the
- tn t,o
slowed up, the long procession behind
him. Man aad beast were dripping
with streams Of sweat that would have
turned saw mill. In the grand melee
Colonel Taylor got cut off from his
command, for the boys were trying to
keep up with the wagons. But they
all came up in course Of time aud re-
ceived the plaudits of their comrades.
Stuart worried the enemy so bad that
they left the valley with nary wagon
and Major Aver left it with nary hay.
But they got it later, for old Joe got
his back up and swore he would have
it.
Those 400 wagoners were for long
time the heroes of the campfires. One
of them, jim Wikerson, our former
marshal, lives here now and still do
clares that he turned his team in an
eight.foot cut and passed two more in
a tcn-foot cut and had liked to have
beat tho whole train to camp. His
driving was like the driving of Jchu,
for he drove furiousiy.
The big battle OF Drainsville never
got into history, but it was camp talk
| at Centervllle all that winter. Dur.
ing the Revolution Of 177G there was q
great battle called the battle Of the
kegs" that caused infinite merrimen,
to the continental army and it was sci
to verse by a humorous poet, Francs
HOpkinson, but this is known TO Vir
| ginia veterans as the "l,attle of the
wagons" BILL ARP.
A youth lately leaving his aunt's
hOuse oCtpr q Wait When fp1inO II bo