The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1902-01-22

didn't see fit 70 accept the challenge by
returning tue fire, but, after few mo-
mcnts delibcrat:on, ordered us to re-
treat, and we obcycd promptly and
vigorously, dashing down the hill in
the widest confusion, some Of us
stumbling and falling hcadlong down
the steep descent as we went. Next
day the entire party, in command of
Captain Mcbride, ascended that hill
again, and on this occasion our ed
vance was not opposed. We lcarued
from some of the Inhabitants that
during our fight on the preceding day
the Yankees were fleeing similarly in
the other direction
On the night before the battle of
Knoxville the Tenth Georgia regiment
was selected to make the preliminary
advance to drive in the pickets during
the night. 1t was considerably after
our usual bed time when we formed in
line preparatory to starting We wer.
kept standing for considerable time
while the details Of the movement
were being perfected, and during the
long, weary moments, some Of us were
haunted by the most dreadful fore
bodings. ] had hitherto made some
slight pretensions &c bravery but Oh
this occasion my courage failed me en-
tircly. The air was cold, and the
chiilincss brought upon us great de-
preston. The night was dark and
the darkness seemed to very greatly
increase the frightfulness of the terri
BILE outlook. had always been in
clined to superstitious fear of von-
turing into strange places in the dark.
We had never been over the ground
over which we were to pass, and as it
had been held by the enemy, our way
was probably beset with pitfalls and
internal machines that threat ened our
destruction. And it seemed that we
would be at disadvantage on account
of the fact the Yankees could hear our
approach while we, by reason of the
darkness, would be ignorant of their
whereabouts and they could strike us
down before we could prepare to offer
my resistance.
When we got ready to move we de-
ployed as skirmishcrs, at intervals of
about five steps apart, and marched
slowly and continuously to the front.
We had been cautioned to proceed as
noiselessly as possible, but the cough
ing, sneezing, stumbling and the
breaking of small wooden sticks under
our feet made considerable racket in
spite Of our efforts to avoid being
overheard. When we got within
about forty yards of the pickets they
discovered US, fred and fed, but most
of their shots were aimed entirely too
high to be dangerous to US, as was
shown by the direction of the flashes
from their guns and 80 our casualties
were few in number and slight in de-
gree. After waking some Of their men
whom they had left asleep, and send
ing them back as prisoners, we ad-
vanoed one or two hundred yards,
transformed ourselves from skir-
mishers into picket line and spent
the remainder of the night shivering
on the frozen ground and suffering ag-
onies beyond the power of language to
express.
We had carried but little of any
thing TO wrap ourselves in, the bullets
from the enemy's lines whistled over
US too thickly to admit Of our stand
ing on our feet, and to have kindled a
Ere would have drawn the oonoentra-
ted firing Of the whole line, so We had
no other alternative but to wait and
suffer. Soon after daybreak our line
Of battle started forward to storm the
fort, and after desperate onslaught
upon it, the gallant little army, which
was commanded by General Long
street, was driven back, leaving many
of their number among the killed and
wounded.
The Yankees had their position so
we'll fortified and the approaches to it
so completely blockaded with obstruo.
tions, that ou. little band of assail-
ants found it absolutely impreguable.