The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1902-06-20
SKETCHES OF ARMY LIFE.
Intereatlng Incidents Of the Civil War Re
lated by "X. Con. Fed" Member Of the
Third 8. c. Regiment

OF all the young men who were
in the Confederate army from South
Carolina none ever seemed to me to
be superior to William Farley, of
Laurens county. He was haLd-
some young man, always went neat
ly dressed, generally had large
plume in his hat, and rode his horse
as if he and his horse were one. My
first recollection of Capt. Farley was
on the 21st day of July 1861
at Manassas. He~ was on the ri gL.
of the line when the battle opened >
and was broken out with the measles.
Bonham's Brigade were in line Oh
! Bull Run near Mitchelrs ford, thai
beautiful Sabbath morning, when
the battle opened on the left on
Manassas plains. Capt. Farley al
though quite sick hurried to the
fight. He had several close calls
that day and at its close was COM
pletely exhausted. He had tight
rub with the measles but finally
pulled through. Then began his
wonderful career as a scout. He
was at the front nearly all the time
and kept our officers we'll Informed
of the movements OF the enemy.
Capt Farley having a brother (Lieut.
Farley) in the Sd regiment visited
us very often. Some time in the
fall of 1861 he told US he was going
20 Washington and Baltimore. He
had secured huckster's wagon and
horse and had secured pass to 60
through the Federal lines Before
the time arrived to 60 through the
lines he got information that a fegl-
ment of Federal cavalry was goingto
make a raid near Drainville not far
from Arlington Heights. Farley gotta
young man by the name of Griffin
and two Virginia boys to 60 with
him to ambush the Federal column.
They secured a good situation and
waited all day for the enemy. They
did not come, and at night Captain
Farley with his men went to a house
and slept. About sunrise the next
morning they came out and found
that the Federals had passed them
in the night and were returning
with some civilians and prisoners.
They were away from their place OF
ambush and it would have been wise
for them to beat hasty retreat; but
instead of retreating they ran to
some bushes and scrubby pines and
opened fire on the head of the column.
The Federal line was thrown into
CONSERVATION and was about to re-
treat, when the lady at whose house
they had spent the night, ran out and
begged the Federal troops not to
kill the boys as there were only four
of them. This she did for the love
of the boys, but it proved their ruin.
One of the Virginians was killed;
one managed to make his escape.
| Griffin was wounded and none were
left to continue the fight except Far
Icy. He moved from place to place
in the little thicket and finally all his
ammunition was gone except one ball
and he concluded to reserve it for
the last resort and to try and knock
some Federal from his horse and
perhaps he could MAKE his escape.
He secured the horse but was
knocked on the head with carbine
by a Federal soldier and when he re-
gained dconciousness he was prisoner.
1t looked as if Farley would be MUIR
dered, but q Federal officer who had
been Fsrleys's college mate in the
University of Virginia, ret ognized
him and took him in charge. In a
few minutes Griffin was brought in
wounded and the Federal soldiers
told Farley that here was "The girl
he left behind him." Griffin looked
very much like a girl. They were car
ried to Washington and Baltimore
but was soon exchanged and re-
turned to the army. From this
time on Capt. Farley was one of the
army's most trusted scouts. He
was ever where the fighting was the
heaviest, and while he would do all
he could in an open fight to kill as
many of the Federsls as possible,
he would never kill prisoner even
whom II lookad like his own safety