The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1901-05-01
WAR STORIES.
A Terrible Test Of Forttude, Faith and
Patriotism.


during The States War
This writer heard the boom Of the
first gun fired at Fort Sumter, on the
18th April, 'Gl. which rnilled the
feathers and knocked the plume out
of Uncle Sans cap and prc-agcd a
long and bloody war, also the roar Of
the les. gun =. Arrcaa..cx, Va on
the 9th April, 90, the sound Of which
was fraught with such ominous fore
bedings for the South; and history re-
cords that the intervening months Of
April were full of fate in the "tcntcd
field"
Cur command, ;;ardcn's Palmetto
Battery, had been Withdrawn from the
trenches around Petersburg, where VIC
had been for weary weeks, and had
been sent to reinforce the extreme
left Of our lines, north Of Richmond,
on the Nine mile road. There VIC
were encamped on that bright and
tranquil and cventful Sunday. the %
April, 1865, in blissful and placid
ignorance of the terrific strife and
triumph Of the enemy. There was
neither sight nor sound that betokcn-
ed aught beyond the usual, until late
in the day, the startling rumor flew
from mouth to mouth that we had lost
position on the right, below Peters
burg, our troops forced back, our
works taken, and Richmond and
Petersburg we're to be evacuated that
night and our army Withdrawn.
Where? None knew. Deep anxiety
and gloom ovcrshadowcd US all.
Late in the evening orders were re-
ceived to move, with strong hint at
light marching order. This we had
already surmiscd, and therefore little
was packed for transportation and our
quarters left very much intact.
The writer has vivid remembrance
of pot of peas and rice, (IIoppin
John,) seasoned with generous
chunk Of thick, chccsy Naussau ba-
con, sweet Sunday dinner, the cook
ing IF which VIC had been watching
with abiding interest and awaiting
with ravcnous relish; but alas, the
fruition Of that hope was not to be,
and our deep and patriotic sorrow for
tho evacuation and dcscrtion Of our
Capital was o'cn mingled with an
ovcrwccning regret for the loss of our
pot Of I1oppin' John, and even to day,
after the lapse Of near forty years, the
memory of that last pot Of dinner ob
trudes itself and minglcs with those
other and sadder memories that come
trooping down the corridors of time.
Thousands begun that last march
hungry and with empty haversacks.
On reaching the thoroughly demor-
allied city Of Richmond eur command
passed through the principal streets,
and the writer can testify to tho truth
Of many of those graphic descriptions
that have become historical. There
was v ';ly revclry Of confusion. The
steady and continuous passing and
tramp and rumble Of marching troops
and trains was the sole and single H.
lustration Of order or system. The
rest was chaos, and pandemonium
Teigned; seething, tumultuous masses
of rabble humanity, augmented by
hordes Of army stragglcrs, possessed
tho doomed city aud, for the nonce,
took advantage Of the turmoil and hia-
tus in the government as licen e for
looting, pillage and anarchy in general
Mobs madly rushed in and out of
stores, ware houses, bar rooms, load
ing themselves with plunder; only to
be thrown down and discarded for an
other load Of something, for the in
stant, more tempting. Barrels Of Ii
quor were rolled out to the streets, the
heads squashed in, and before can
tcen or bottle could be filled by the
struggling, wrangling mass Of brawl-
crs. would be overturned, and it is no
fictitious story that records the gut
ters aud even sidewalks as streaming
rivulets Of liquor. Government ware
houses were gltted, and here it was
discovered that millions Of rations
were being boarded for some mystic
rous reason, and clothing, shoes aud
blankets galore. while the troops
had been doled scant feed and less
clothes.
Why? Echo answers, Why? Those
earnest patriots who determined to
follow the fortunes of the Stars and
Bars to the last ditch marched with
firm tread, sadly and silently across
Meyo's Bridge, over the James River,
and hada final farewell To the Gnnfed