The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1901-08-14
WAR STORIES.
More About the Second Great Battle Of
Manassas.
Atlanta Journal
Manassas.

log me Of General Jackson's condition
and his wants. AS it was evident
that the attack against General jack
son could not be continued ten min
utes under fire Of these batteries, I
made no immediate movement of my
troops. Before the second battery
could &c placed il position the enemy
began to retire and that portion of the
army was put to fight.
In giving General Longstreet's re-
port [ have given the sense without
confin;ng myself 70 his words. His
report accords with my recollection,
except that | did not see any fleeing
enemy in the sense of leaving the
field in confusion or disorder. Judg-
ing from the apparent feetness of the
courier's horse and our. own speed in
going forward into action, would say
that five mi utes did not lapse from
the giving Of the order to the firing of
our first shot. Our position was near
the turnpike. The enemy was in the
open field about 500 yards from the
pike.
General Sykes, the Federal COM
mander, says his troops were in col
umns of regiments. This may account
for the fact that my mind was i'm
pressed with the idea that the field
was densely black with the enemy.
We fred rapidly. Hsw could we
miss them? The earth was covered.
They soon slowed to halt, broke, re-
formed, broke, and once more reform
ed and began to retire in left obiique
direction to the turnpike, distance
OF more than 500 yards, and all the
way through an open field and within
easy range Of our puns.
General Sykes also says they re-
treated in columns of regiment in line
Of battle under severe artillery IRE
and never wavered.. That is true as I
saw it, and they were moving slowly
! and their gait was not quickened by
the inroads our balls and shells were
making in their ranks at every step.
1t is also true, as General Long
steet says, that the retreat began be-
fore the second battery was placed in
position. After the retreat began
two guns from some other battery
took position on our left and helped
US to push them on to judgment.
Captain Boyce says officially "the
essential service rendered by my bat
terry here was in forcing back large
column Of the enemy that was attemp-
ting to cross to skirt Of woods to re-
inforce this part Of the enemy's line,
and battling the repeated efforts Of q
battery to get in position near the
oreek.",
Another battery came up at rapid
speed and tried to take position on the
Grove house hill, position that com :
manded ours, but few shots from
our guns few into them so quiok that
they left as fast as they came. From
that time on we did our mischief with
out let or hindrance.
Now tell ns what troops deserve
credit for breaking the force of those
overwhelming numbers referred to by
Jackson and that made General Lee
anxious. General Longstreet says it
was the battery that he first put in
position. Beyond the possibility of
doubt that was tho Macbeth Light
ARTILLERY, commanded by Captain
Boyoe.
Now if that was the point on which
the tide Of battle turned and Lee 8
army swept on to victory, then justice
as we'll as merit should have induced
General Lougstrcet to mention the
company and its commander.
AS the only surviving officer Of the
company, do not wish laurels we did
not win, SO if there is any other bat
terry that claims that "Betsy and I
killed the bear" let the contention
come now while some one living may
be able to settle the dispute.
We bivouaced that night just, across
the pike from where we fought and
moved up the next morning to the
Henry house.
Our camp was in the proximity to
numerous rail pens that marked the
resting place Of Hampton men who
fell in the first Manassas. And the
Henry house was near by. The Fed
eral wounded had been gathered in
great numbers and laid in circle
around the house. But. not all. I
saw several afterwards ON t;,s battle
field, where they had BEEN nearly
twenty-four hours without attention.
j walked arounfl ha f,;rc1a ne ,vnnnd