The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1902-07-23

field and it did not take the second
look to discover that they we're our
colored friends, as Private John Smith
said, "Nagers, begasus" We we're
ordered to lie low and hold our FIRE
until we could see the whitea of their
eyes. They advanced about 100 yards
and halted as they could hear our men
in the road talking and laughing.
They listened awhile and then dropped
in the weeds whicA were about breast
high.
We had two 5 pound pieces belong
ing to the Marion battery on the right
OF the road which opened on them and
put them to fight. There was large
live oak where their line halted and
numbers Of them made for that, and
it was interesting to see the shells
burst beneath it's branches. Some
officer of rank was either killed or
seriously wouudedunder it as they tried
all day to carry him out but the shells
were too hot for them. On the morn
ing of the 7th We had $50 men stretch
ed over nearly one mile with four
guns, two on the left and two on the
right Of the road, with Major r. A.
Wayne in command of the island.
We learned after the battle that the
enemy numbered $500, two white and
three colored regiments. About i in
the evening three colored regiments
advanced on our lines, one on the left,
one on the center and the other on our
extreme right, held by twenty Of the
Stono scouts.
Companies F and NJ were ordered by
the right flank double quick to aid the
scouts, and when within two yards of
them obliqued to the right, as the
enemy were then charging the works.
We had not left our works more than
40 yards when minnie clipped by my
head, as l was leading the skirmish
line. Glancing to my left beyond the
works saw stout mulatto loading
his rifle. 1t was the work Of an in
stant to halt, bring my rifle to my
shoulder, aim at his breast and press
the trigger. At the fash of my rife
he jumped three feet straight up and
fell in the weeds. I moved off still at
the head of the company and loaded
my rife on the run. I saw. the ne.
groes charge over the works, and
something else that made my blood
run cold, they were bayoneting tho
wounded, Il out of the 20 Stono
scouts were killed and wounded. It
was the 26th N. Y. coloYed regiment,
seven companies crossed the works in
line Of battle and three by the left
flank, forming two sides Of a square.
We faced them and the battle opened
in earnest, 46 Rebels deployed as
skirmishers against 1000 colored
troops with white officers. They
gradually drove US back and it was
heartrendering to listen to the appeals
of our wounded to be carried to the
rear, but we had to leave them to their
sad fate.
After we had been driven back
about 250 yards two companies arrived
from the center, company G., of the
regulars and company from the 32d
Georgia. Company q struck the flank
ing column and the 32d stopped at the
right Of company NJ. They arrived
on the double quick and the iieuten-
ant in command ordered them to
charge, but they came to dead halt.
He threatened them with hie sword,
but all to no purpose. Then he dash
ed in front OF them with his sword in
one hand and his hat in the other and
said: Follow me, boys" Then it
would have done your heart good to
hear the wild rebel yell and see those
boys charging to the front.
The whole line then 100 strong
charged at the same time and it did
not take many minutes to drive them
beyond the works. When we charged
Corporal T. J. Musgrove and myself
flushed colored brother in the weeds.
We tried to make him surrender, but
he would not and Musgrove killed
him. I saw our officers Keeping our
men from bayoneting the wounded,
because they used the bayonets on
ours.
While We were charging Major
Wayne arrived from the left where he
had defeated the enemy and led us in
the charge. I could hear him above
the report of our rifles say: "Give
them hell, my regulars Sergeant
Watson, of Company F, was struck by