The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1902-04-15

river which It was aSSentl3l to burn
after the crossing completed, if left
in tact, would afford the Federals
the opportunity of swift pursuit. Not
a moment was to be lost. The cav
airy leader must be able to both
think and act with the rapidity of
fash of lightning, and that Hamp
ton did on this occasion. He real
lied that an once Of prevention is
worth a pound of cure in war as we'll
as IN disease and that one mans ser
vices in the nick of time may be more
valu, bic than that of a thousand a
few minutes later. So, calling to the
scout and two members of his staff
to follow him aud picking up three
privates from Company K, Fourth
S. G. c. Charleston Light Dragoons)
Y X y and also one man said to
be from Wheeler's command
the general dashed around the cor
ner and gave the order. Charge.
His seven followers-there were no
others in the charge-obeyed with
alacrity and all, the general leading,
flung themselves upon the Federals,
who were drawn up IN the street.
These fired volley with their car
bines hut by that time the Confed-
crates had struck them and confused
by tt Q suddenness of the attack, the
fierce assaults and the powder smoke
they did not realize the small mum
Der of their assailants. So they tried
to wheel about to run, but among
them were pistol balls at close quar-
ters, and the hack and thrust of
sabres. Less than a hundred yards
down the street was turn at right
angles to the left into the byroad by
which they had entered the town
and by which they were endeavoring
now to escape. Here they became
jammed together in confusion, all
organization lost and their pursuers
cut and thrust like devils incarnate,
as the fugitives probably thought.
Eleven Federals were killed and IL
captured and the rest, many of them
wounded, fed in wild panic carrying
CONSERVATION to their friends with
excited tales of hundreds of men in
buckram, as the best will do in such
circumstances" The only Confeder-
ate casualty was the killing of fine
mare. Thus was the crossing of the
river secured to the Confederates.
Hampton had grasped the situation
and solved the problem.
After the close of the war Gen.
Hampton resumed his cotton plant
ing operations but was not generally
successful. He spent a good por-
ton of his time looking after his
Mississippi plantation and this gave
rise to the charge, made by his politi
cal enemies some years later, that he
was an alien. Just here it may be
we'll to tell how it was that Gen.
Hampton came to head the move
ment that led to the redemption of
South Carolina from Radical rule.
In December, 1878, he came to
the distinguished South Coroliuians
who WAS at the head Of the white
incipiant organization. He was then
on his way to Mississippi. He asked
what was going to be done and asked
specifically could the people of the
State be aroused to do anything.
He was answered 'yes,' that they had
determined to make stralghtout
fight and win or die He said, "That
is the only hope for the State" He
was then asked: "If we nominate
you will you lead the fght?' 'On
that PLATFORM" he answered, II will
make the fight to finish, not for the
office but for the principle" Gen.
Hampton went on to his Mississippi
plantation and in the meantime Col.
Hoyt's paper in the up country and
a few others began to help the white
leaders. The convention was called
for May, but Chamberlain's Fusion
lists were SO strong that all that could
be done was to adjourn the conven-
tion without action. The Fusionists
contended in that convention that
Hampton was Fusionist. Gen.
Hampton came back to South Caro-