The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1901-01-02
A CLOSE CALL.
A Thrilling N arrative Of war Times.
Col. LIP. Thomas in. atlanta Journal.

"close call b." Theis individual en-
counters with the enemy make inter
estipg reading and will equal in thrill
ing interest any storios told by writ
ers of any age. The Journals inten-
ton to print series Of these articles,
beginning with one from Colonel L.
B. Thomas, as gallant colonel aa
ever wore sword. Wo hoi to fol-
low this up with other articles.
Hon. W. T. Smith, Buford, Ca:
Dear B::!!!. 4As your request, aud
others Of that grand old regiment, the
Forty-second Georgia, together with
others not belonging to it, to give
them an account Of my adventures
with the Federal cavalry away back in.
war times. I have concluded to do
so, so that you can use it as you
please. In fact, in thinking over this
affair, which you always take. so much
d.iight in narrating to our boys at our
annual reunions, with all tie trim
mings which your fertile imagination
puts on, feel compelled to give you
true history of it. You, on these
occasions, remember, always speak
Of it as the officer Of our regiment
.hst The Yankees treed, just as if 1
had been squirrel, and for about
thirty minutes, more or less, you keep
the crowd laughing at my expense;
but you might call this little affair
one of my closo calls during the war
times, and as I have been asked 80
often what was the closet call made by
myself to death or capture during
these times, this may answer the pur-
pose. Yet it would be hard to an
sger, and I could not attempt it if the
account was to cover the battles
through which passed. Numbers of
my men fell near me in battle, and in
the desperate charges on the battle
field at Resaoca eight bullet holes were
found in my clothing and an old army
blanket which was thrown across my
shoulder, after tho fight was over. I
took charge Of our regiment, the For
tysccond Georgia infantry, cn the
battlefield there on that day, after our
brave colonel, r. j. Henderson, had
been wounded, and nearly all the off,
GERS, with over one hundred men Of
this regiment. After this battle I was
in command in nearly all tho battles
till the close of the war, and surren-
dered with it as lieutenant colonel,
other regiments having been placed in
the same command, making the con-
solidated Forty-second Georgia regi-
ment Of Stovall's brigade.
You see from the above statement
that "closo ,alls" were numerous ard
common events that we all shared in;
but | will give an account Of one Of
my adventures only, somewhat thrill
ing, where capture and escape made
up the partioulas features oe tie
event, and where I do not claim much 4
for gallantry displayed on the battle
field, but good deal Of credit might
be given me for ieetness Of feet, and
this might be pns down as one Of the
closest calls / had during the late un-
peasantness.
'Tis said, you know, that success
ful retreat is better than a bad stand.
We will go back to the battle of Re-
sacca, where / took command. Fol-
lowing that most bloody event came
New Hope, Kennesaw, and the march
lag and countermarching until We
passed the Chattahoochee River, fall
Ing back gradually on Atlanta, losing
men daily on the skirmish line and
battlefield. The events, thrilling in
deed, we're occurring daily, but too
numerous to mention heae. Then
followed in quick succession the bat
tie of the goth Of July, 1864, on
peachtree Creek; then the 22d and
-'.h OF July, all detailed In history,
and true account given Of gallantry
unsurpassed by soldiers Of any age.
These battles are only mentioned that
you may The better understand the
] physical condition OF our spirited SOL
alery. / was broken down myself
from the arduous duties aud dangers
through which / had passed. Ny
4 ! S'fe had refugeed from Lawrenceville,
va. to her grandfather's, Mr.. Sam
ael Lee, about four miles from Jones'
Ooro. She had with her our two small
4 Children, and had fed from home and
'ae enemy and located herself right in
'ne path Of Sherman and his yictori-
Gus army, then soon to overrun all the
4 country around and near Jonesboro.