The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1903-09-16

mand the day before and had been
ordered to report to me. 1t was in
command Of Lieut.. Halscy, Capt.
Hart being then on sick leave, having
lost leg in Virginia; and a few notes
from my buglc had thrown the eight
guns into battery, but not a moment
too soon, Fcr in the edge OF the same
woods which they occupied the night
before VIC could see the heavy blu G
line forming, and corps of sappers
throw down the intervening fence,
which was the work Of q moment.
Each gun was charged and the Ian
yard tightcncd. The line advanced
and is it crossed the line of rails, the
first note was followed by the simul-
tancous discharge Of eight guns, and
then 1t became a question of spccd
and OF accuracy in firing. Our n
fantry had not come up. and some
forty or fifty dsmounted cavalrymcn
in the woods in my rear was our only
support.
Gen. Hampton, supposing that the
infantry force had come up, had
moved with every mounted man to as
certain the position of the 1lth Army
Corps which had not been observed
for couple of days. 1t was apparent
that the line must be crushed or our
guns captured. The first shots were
at about 100 yards, and every shell
and shrapnel did its work, but on they
came. Hart battery had four three
iEch rifles, and mine one Parrot, one
twelve inch Napoleon and two howit-
zers, mixed guns intended for sea
coast service against armed trans
ports or infantry as occasion might
require.
at eight hundred yards Sergeant
Scruggs begarwith canister from his
Napoleon, and this fact Vas appare n t
from the swhths it cut. For an in
staut the ];ne reeled but for an instant
only. 1t Sas reformed and advanced
as steadily as it started. 4. four
hundred yards both howitzers began
firing canister, and every shl Il from
the rife guns was counting. Again
there was momentary confusion and
1t looked as if a break was inevita Bile.
The voices of the officers could be
distinctly heard, some encouraging
aud some swearing, and at least for a
hundred yards or more the "double 9
quick was madc with some sort Of
spirit, and then in second all was
confusion and the line became con :
| fused mass of hurrying, wild disorder.
While this was going on field
glass showed second line forming at
the edge of the woods. It started
but it was too late. The eight guns
continued mercile,s fire upon the
retreating crowd, and then upon the
edge Of the woods until the bugle said
cease firing" Not q single shot
from small arm was fred upon our
side. The artillery without support
! had defended itself egeins. ;nisutTy,
but now the situation became critiosl.
The enemy must understand that
they are opposed by artillery alone,
and the two batteries were an invit.
ipg prize. The attack must be re.
peated.
The distance from Elevation to
Bentonvillle had been uuder.e .estimat.
ed, and the infantry which Gen.
Hampton supposed was in my rear
was some miles away. How long be.
fore it would reach us I could no.
know. We felt nothing like cheering,
but the time was spent in reflliug the
limber-chests. A half an hour, and
an hour, which seemed day, had gone
by in constant expectancy, when I
heard one of my men call out, "Gen.
Hagood," which wns followed by
hearty yell, and turning I saw the
General riding directly towards me,
followed by his weary aud worn out
command, being all day and all night
on the march from Averysboro, where,
with Gen. Bragg, three days before,
they had struck two corps with tell
ing effect. We had been with Gen.
Hagood on James island in the sum.
mer of 1862, and every man in the
battery knew him, and his presence
was guarantee of faithful support.
The situation was relieved and
another charge would have been rob.
bed of apprehension. After twenty.
four hours march without rations,
few sacks of hard tack and q email
amount of North Carolina grape bran
dy furnished material for immediate
occupation. Almost at the same time
Stevenson and Loring moved down