The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1901-02-07

The darkness grew deeper and blackcr
and the smoke of the battle aided by the
shadows of night made it utterly imp"s-
sible for my command to do more than
grope its way through the heavy under
bush of the wilderness, where the engage
ment had occurred.
Il saw that it would be necessary to
halt for the night and | accordingly or
dered one of my brigades to cover our
front as skirmish and picket line until
morning and instructed them to report
to me its position at the earliest moment.
"The inky blackness rendered more
gloomy by the dense shade of the forest
greatly impeded the progress of the hri-
gade, and while they endeavored to get
into position began to grow uneasy.
Time passed and heard nothing from
them. My anxiety increased each mo-
ment and finally realizing the danger Of
delay and restive under the suspense, |
decided to personally look into the cause
of the delay.
81 took with me only one courier, Wm
Beasly, who had enlisted from LAGRANGE
SILENTLY and cautiously we began our
ride toward the front Neither of us
spoke. Even the horses seemed to realize
that much depended upon them and they
walked almost noislessly over the soft
earth, avoiding every tree and limb.
"Suddenly without any premonition we
found ourselves in the midst of large
body of troops without alignment or
defnate formation, which believed to lie
my own brigade.
'Not for a moment did | realize that
I had missed the position of my own
command and ridden into the very midst
of the blue coats.
Satisfied that I was among my own
men and desiring to know how the Off
Ger in charge had gotten the troops into
such tangled condition, I cautioned
Beasley to make no remark which would
indicate my identity.
There was only the faintest twinkle
of star in the heavens and accordingly
the color of their uniforms was not dis
tinguished 20 my eyes.
For several moments we stood, unde-
cidedly, hardly. knowing what course to
pursue when Beasley, who hal ridden
close by my side, leaned over to me and
said in whisper:
General, these are not our men; they
are Yankees"
Hugh, 3easley,"' 1 replied. That is
nonsense. How could we miss the bri
gade, which, according to my order,
should be here, and get among the enc
my's lines??"
A moment more we stood, and then
Beasley seized me earnestly by the arm
and said:
General, / tell you, sir, these are Yam
KEGS. I have just been looking at their
coats and then at yours can plainly
see that theirs are blue.
Il again cautioned him not to speak.
Our only safety now lay in turning our
horses heads slowly in the direction of
the camp and get on the outer edge of
the men and then ascertain definitely
whether they were Union or Confederate
soldiers.
II had scarcely breathed my order to
Beasley when We were halted by three
soldiers, who had evidently made the
discovery that We had, and had learned
that we did not belong to their side of
the line
when the words of the sentry rang
out over the stiffness of the night hun
dred men were on their feet and in a
seconds time We were surrounded by a
body of Union troops on every side.
II saw that our time had come, either
to submit to capture or to dare Il most
hazardous effort to escape.
"As is usually the case in such emer-
gencieS, the brain acts with lightning
rapidity. In few seconds had weigh
ed the narrow chance of escape. Stimuli
taneously, however, there rushed through
my brain the horrors of prison life, and
I resolved to take the risk
1T was move which meant either
liberty or Instant death from fifty, posi-
bly hundred, bullets. decided to
make the dash through and over the men
who had gathered around us. trusting to
chance, which sometimes takes care Of us
when it seems least possible.
Il was riding a magnificent horse,
which had but Il few hours before been
captured by some of my troops, ridden at
the time, they said, by General Shaler, of
the Union army, who had been taken
prisoner that day by my forces. My
own horse had been disabled in the con-
flict of the afternoon, and in his stead |
had mounted this superb creature, who
was both spirited and active.
Il threw myself down on his side and
clasped the sadie with my left leg.
Hanging in this position, with my left
arm around his neck, and Scizing his
bride near the mouth, called out, Come
on, Beasley,' and before the astonished
soldiers, who had not looked for any
move so daring, could collect themselves
had made one swift bound. Beaslry,
who was magnificent rider, followed
my example. Digging our spurs into the
sides of the animals, We leaped forward
with tremendous force, knocking down
and possibly trampling under the horses