Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-10-02

eFNNnlnk lneN GOuiu BtA nolh VI Ah1A Ne'~
white. I was beside the color bearer
Sergeant Bennett. who seemed 10 be en-
ragged at the white signals around him
ard would wave his flag around his head,
yelling. you may wave your rags and
newspapers. but here is the battle cross.
We heard the report of cannon about the
centre of the town and some one said,
Cheer up. boys. we have artillery on
our side of the river yet" When we ar
rived at the street that leads to the bridge
we filed to our left and as We did so,
Federal battery of several pieces about
$50 yards OH the same street to our right
opened fire.
1t was one of the closest places the regu-
lars were In during the war, and while the
grape and canister were cracking through
the regiment our entire length we could
do nothing but run, as our safety depend
ed on crossing the bridge, which was
several blocks away. Before reaching the
bridge we went down a hill and were out
of sight of the artillery with the exception
of our flag which they were firing at.
Captain DuBose ordered the colors low
cred but Sergeant Bennett swore he would
die before he would trail them, but final
~ did as Captain DuBose ordered him. We
then left that street by turning to our
left around some buildings and, entered
the bridge over the Pee Dee, which was
walled up and covered over. Rosin had
and some of Buffers cavalry were wait
ing for us so they could stick fire TO II.
When the regulars were about halfway
through the bridge the enemy entered the
bridge in our rear and we fought through
Il, while the cavalry fired II on both SIDES
as we went. IL was certainly warm place
and the boys were glad to get out of 1t
and enter large field on the bank OF the
river with the woods about one mile dis
tant After leaving the bridge the road
inclines. down the river and makes grad
ual turn to the left. Colonel Wayne must
have thought he had fulfilled his orders 10
the letter, as he galloped on to the 'front.'
leaving the regiment to follow at It's leis-
ure. When we were about 300 yards from
the bridge General Butler rode up at full
speed and asked for the officer in COM
mand. Captain Tom Fort, of company l.,
and Captain Frank Myers, of company e,
have both told me since the war that they
were in command and as both were ON
GERS of known courage and veracity'
will leave IL for them to settle. General
Butler ordered the officer to face the reg
iment in line and retake the bridge, as the
enemy were putting the fire out. The off1-
I Ger replied to him by saying that the reg
iment had run at least four miles ana nau
fought a portion of the way, ana they
were physically unable TO make the
| charge. General Butler got his dander up
| retaken and burned and to wheel his reg
iment in line and charge 1t. The regi-
ment was ordered to wheel TO the lett
in line and as we completed the Wheel
battery of six guns numbered on the
bluff about 30 yards below the orlose'
Some one yelled lookout, and l saw
puff of white smoke and the next instant
a shell went crashing through the line 10
my right, cutting off the leg OF Sersednl
Charley Bruce. of company i, who was
one Of the best and bravest men In the
regiment. The regiment was in line be-
low the bridge and opposite the battery
We were then ordered to charge, and
instead of charging the bridge, we chars,
ed square down on the battery. Generai
Butler ordered the men TO bear TO the right
and get the bridge between them and the
battery but by that time all six guns were
raining shell I'm our ranks. and the men
had but one object in view, and that was
the trees along the river bank. Believing
General Buffers order, Bear TO
the right men. and get the bridge De-
tween you and the battery, was the cor
rect thing to do. left the right OF my
company and made for the right ana the
bridge at the same time. Several others
left the line at the same time, but l can
recollect the name of only one OF them,
and why recollect him We both escaped
death. as il were. by the skin of our teeth
at the same time. 1t was First Sergeant
Alex Clemency. of Co. G. and Drawer OF
better soldier did not belong to the regu-
lars. After we were some little distance
to the right of the regiment Sergeant
Clemency and myself were near together
both running our best for the bridge, with
Clemency about six feet in the lead. A
shell struck the. ground between us ana
exploded covering us completely with dirt
and smoke. The shock staggered me TOT
a moment, when 1 again Love forward
through the smoke, and as / emerged from
It stumbled over Clemency who was ly-
ing on his face stretched out his fun
length, dead, as l supposed. | could but
envy him his condition, and expressed my
feelings by saying, Alex, poor boy, you
have received your last furlough, but
you are better off than l am" Desperate
did not express my feelings. l would not
have lodged a shell as large as a barrel
had seen one coming at me. / tried TO
run, but IT seemed to me a terrapin could
have made better time. as jumped up and
down in the same tracks instead OF going
forward. On the Cheraw side the bridge
was on level with the street, but on our
side there was a plank roadway sloping
from the bridge to the ground, and as
reached that Sergeant Clemency caught up
with me. he having stepped in hole and
fell at the time the shell exploded. In
stead Of being killed as supposedly (which,
no doubt, saved his life. When l passed
over him he was too near exhausted to get
up When near enough to see through the
bridge the scene that met my gaze for the
time transfixed me to the spot. About
30 feet within the bridge / saw an officer
with his horse lying dead near him, cool
and deliberately firing at the enemy, who
were trying TO put out the fire, while 9TH
ers were making the mimic balls fly thick
and fast around him. If he had been back
ed by LOCO men he could not have been
more cool or self-compOsed.
Time was flying and the bullets with it,
and the few regulars who had reached
myself decided the officer was like Cen
eral d. II. Hills corporal needed little
achievements. Dropping on our knees
we crawled to the mouth of the bridge,
placed our rifles on the floor and made
music I'm the air. / don't claim that 1t was
sweet music, but If you had seen the en-
envy scampering out of the other end OF
| the bridge you might have called II hot
music. The fire seemed to leap for joy
/ and II seemed like only few minutes
] before the bridge was in flames from one
I end TO the other. During the time the
! artillery had been turned on our end Of
| the bridge until the heat of the fire caus-
/ ed the boys to take shelter I'm a gully not
I far from the river bank where we stretch
! ed ourselves at full length and inhaled our
lungs full of Gods pure, fresh air.
II did not seem long before the bridge
gave way and went down into the river.
| Our difficult task had been accomplished,
| and the muddy waters of the swift roll