The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1902-11-12
WAR STORIES.
Incidents Of Close Calls.


experience along that line, but have
been waiting long and patiently for
some one more competent than myself
to give descriptive account Of one Of
the finest little struggles Of the late
war between the States.
AS General Sherman was on his
march Of destruction and vandalism to
the sea with fighting Joe Wheeler at
his heels. 1t was about the middle Of
November, 1861, late in the afternoon.
General VERSIONS division was nearing
Joneshoro, Ca, when we were at
tackled and drawn into quite combat
with the Yankees, on the western
borders Of that ill-fatcd little town
But few lives were lost on our side,
however. My mind revcrts to one Of
the most touching scenes it was ever
my lot to look upon. Two Of the
Fifty-third Alabama cavalry. IIa-
man s brigade, doubtless ncigh5 5ors at
home and devoted friends and mess
mates in war, had covcnanted together
that if one should get killed in battle
and the other survived that the SUI
viving one would at the risk Of his
own life see to it that the dead body
should not fall into the hands of the
enemy for burial So on this eventful
day as the sun was sinking out Of
sight into the western horizon min
ME ball from the enemy's lines sealed
tho fate Of one of the two comrades
AID at twinkling the sun Of his no.
D.e life also went down, aud as he fell
his horsd either escaped or was taken
charge Of by some other member of
that brave band. l do not now re-
member, but one thing do know of a
truth, that true to solemn obligation
and very likely to devoted love and
fidelity to comrades loving wife and
sweet children at home who was fond
ly looking for the homecoming in the
final sweet by and by, amidst fast fly
iLg bullets the surviving hero, for
hero he was, jumped from his own
horse and grabbed the body Of his
dead comrade and throwcd it across
the front Of his saddle, stomach down
ward and balanced it there as one
would sack Of corn, thcu calmly and
coolly mounted his steed and galloped
off in complete defiance to the many
missiles that followed, but who in the
providence of the God of all battles
never received a scratch; but soon
after this, as it was getting dark, all
demonstrations Of battle ceased and
when our regiment, the Eleventh
Georgia cavalry, formed again in the
street near tbe depot, this brave Ala
bamian came to us with his man still
resting in front Of him and in that po-
sition he continued to carry his pre-
cious burden until camp was reached,
near Lovejoy' 8 station, six miles south
of Jonesboro, where he secured tools
to dig grave and as far as was in his
power gave him a decent burial at
country graveyard, and no doubt with
sigh Of relief, he consoled himself
with consciousness of duty done
and sacred obligation kept in good
faith. 1t was not my privilege, how
ever, to attend this burial. for at the
self-same hour l was put on detail to
60 to the Flint River bridge to do
picket duty all night under command
of Sergeant Eldor, of Clarke County,
but now Of Watkinsville. Oconee
county, and early on the following
morning as we were returning to our
command and riding slowly along the
road and all was quiet as a funeral
procession, our noble sergeant must
have had presentment or revelation
of the scenes that were 80 soon to fol-
low, for in the quiet moments he
raised himself in the saddle aud said:
Boys, I feel that we are going to
get into one of the worst stampedes
to-day we were ever in"
But none OF US attached much i'm
portance to the prophesy or gave it
much thought. Camps being reached
we were ordered to report to Captain
Tabor Of company X. My captain
who was in charge of huge pile Of
corn in the shuck in the middle Of
field some distance away, all was or
dered to shuck and shell half bushel
and strap it to our saddles, but before
we had time to perform that duty we
were warned by bugle call from our
bugler, Rafe Dunahoo, of Athens,
Ca, to come, and when we got to
them were ordered to fall into line and
be ready for action as the enemy was
forming on the east side Of the old
Macon and Western railroad. So We