The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1902-06-25

non, and the tearing sound Of the rap
back rapidly and we pressed on after
them. 1t was terrible day. When
| think of it, it recalls the lines in
Tam O'Shanter:
"Thc wind blew as 'twould blow it's
last,
The rattling showers rode on the
blast"
Thinly clad, / was soon chilled to
the bone and my teeth were chatter
ing as with ague. My company com.
mander saw this aud sent for the sur
geon. l remember the gallant figure
OF the doctor, whose name was Mann,
as he rode up, mounted on large pac-
ing chestnut sorrel. He had q can
teen of whiskey and offered me some,
but because doubtless Of my Metho-
dist training, l had never tasted ar
dent spirits. All the admonitions
had heard at home, and from the pull
pit were fresh in my memory, and
much to the surprise Of my comrades,
| declined it. Several at once proffer-
ed to take the Doctors prescription in
my stead. He made no reply to them
and put the stopper back in his can
teen.
Sometime in the forenoon, as re.
call, We reached the neighborhood of
Griswoldville, which was then in the
possession Of the enemy in strong
force. General Wheeler determined
to attack. My brigade was to go 10
dismounted. We couIted of four
horseholders and I was number four,
but | had no mind to remain with the
horses. u will be recalled that this
was the duty of number four. I
heard afterwards a story of General
Forrest, when once his command was
counted off for the same purpose as
the names we're called they would an
swer one, two, three, bully! and that
great fighter said, "Let number one
hold horses aud number two, three
and bully go into the fight" The
truth is I was 80 chilled that relish
ed the opportunity of the tramp afoot,
and man Of more experience, amid
the jeers Of the company, changed
numbers with me. While we were
waiting for the command to go for
ward, some of the boys began to build
FIRE. General Wheeler was sitting
on his horse near US, and just as the
smoke rose above the tops Of the trees
it must have been seen by the enemy,
for instantly came the shrek Of q
she'll and the missile itself ripped
through dead pine near the fire.
General Wheeler said quietly, "Put
out that fire." and his order was
obeyed with great promptitude. Be-
fore We could attack, the enemy re-
treated from Griswoldville and we
marched through the town, and went
into camp. By this time it was about
sunset and it had blown off clear and
cold. cannot tell where we camped,
but l know it was in a wood Of pines
and blackjacks.
We now cooked the only meal we
had that day. Our meat was fresh
pork, and one frying pan was made to
serve the whole company Of twelve
or fifteen meo. A little -four had
been issued to us in Macon. This
was already wet, and we made it into
hoe cakes OF size suitable to the pan,
and after frying the pork we stewed or
boiled these -four hoe cakes in the
grease or gravy which had axuded
therefrom.
Bill Robb was unwilling to wait his
turn ct the frying pan. He skewered
his ration of meat on the ramrod Of
his rife and turned it before the fire
until it was sufficiently barbecusd, all
the time deploring the fact that he
was losing his gravy. Our culinary
arrangements, it will be seen, were
simple. The bread thus cooked was
almost as heavy as the bullets in our
cartridge boxes, but to me never was
food more delicious nor do ever re.
call sensation of greater comfort
than as reclining by the fire that
night on the blanket of my kindly
lieutenant sought to make him tell
me about the foes we were to inset the
next day, and he sought to make me
recount the books I had been reading
and thus recall for him those literary
delights Of which his long life in the
camps had deprived him. He had al
ready discovered that belonged to
reading people. My father would toler-
ate in his home none but the works Of
fine authors. My memory was then