The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1902-11-12

Jul iIShC auu DcIWccn US ana the rail-
road on the crest Of the hill and high
est point our four gun battery began
to get into position to play upon the
Yankee picket lines on the opposite
hill north Of our position. There
could see in q cloud of dust many
horses coming over the hill tops,
which my inexperienced and unframed
eyes Qor | was only ~ took to be ar
tillcry horses. then the getting into
proper position and the numbering the
guns, the retiring Of horses and caisons
to safe place over tie hill was soon
complete. We then discovered that
we had something on our hands. but
we of the cavalry did no firing from
the trenches as We had nothing so far
to confront but few pickcts and our
pickcts was between US and them. the
Yankee artillery playing upon our
battery mainly to our right, but in
short space Of time we got orders from
Colonel Young through Adjutant G or
don to retreat back to our horses as
the enemy was fankiDg us on the east
side of the railroad, and as they had
such overwhelming numbers it would
have been an easy task to have cncir-
clcd our little band had we undertook
to have held our position.
AS the Yankees discovered our re-
treat the minnie balls came thick and
fast as well as shot and she'll, but for
tunately for us We had the protection
OF skirt OF thick woods between the
Notifications and the open old field
where we had left our horses. Speak
ing of this woods reminds me of two
memorable events. First. AS we we're
moving in almost solid line through
those timbers We came to very large
tree ton and necessarily we had 10 di-
vide the left and while separated
thus huge she'll came and tore that
tree top into atoms and plowed great
hole in the earth, thus we saw the
hand Of providence again.
And Immediately after this occur
renee and while still in the woods, |
felt the weight of man fall against
me. Looking around I discovered it
was Sergeant Hooper, of our regiment,
but do not now remember the compa-
ny, but as noble a soldier as ever car.
ricd gun. He got up on his feet
and exclaimed: ooh, God, 1 am
shot!' and then it was that discov-
cred the blood squirting from a wound
under the left eye at every pulsation,
having received :he ball in the back of
the head. I advised him to divest
himself of all burdens, gun, cartridge
box, haversack, etc., which he did,
and while parleying with him I found
was left alone with no one save
dying man, but he soon fell with
gasp and l have wished thousand
times that could have been as faith
ful TO him as was the brave Albanian
to his comrade the evening before, but
| saw that l could not move him out
OF the encmy's reach, besides I would
subject myself to certain capture. 1
then ran on to where I had left nv
pony, only little way off over the
hill, and 10 and behold, all was gone.
The horse holder had tied her to q
bush and in her great excitement had
rallied and paved around till the bri-
die reins were twisted like rope and
while | was engaged in getting ready
to mount, Captain Barkly, Of Colonel
Young's staff, came on by me with
Major Madison Bell riding behind him
on tho same horse, having taken our
dear major up, he having lost his own
horse. AS soon as I could mount I
rushed on to where the most Of our
men seemed to be going, but every
thing was in complete disorder and
dismay and the best efforts of officers
failed to bring order out of confusion.
The woods To our left and east of
the railroad were blue with Federals,
but strange as it may seem to be, but
little firing was done from them and
none from our side, as every one
Of us seemed to think that self.preser.
vation was the first law of nature; we
were going at full tilt down alongside
a deep railroad cut, both us and the
Federals, with nothing but the cut be-
tween US, the Federals salutins us
with an occasional shot from his
pistol aud with "Hold on, johnnie
Reb."
I could plainly see that the railroad
cut was soon to give out, but thus af-
fording an opportunity to Mr.. Yankee
to cross over and mix with US in
hand to hand struggle, and 1 could
huk think that IL xvaa n pood idea IN