The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1903-08-19

ucacTIptIOu VI ne III u cQcTal prlSOI
just at the close Of the civil war,
shall attempt to give such dcscrip.
sion, trusting that the long period Of
simc that has elapsed since l had the
fortune or misfortune to spend three
months or moro in one Of them, will
serve as en- excuse for such inaccura
cies of detail as may be found herein.
AS an aid to memory l shall first re-
count the events leading up to my cap.
ture and imprisonment.
About the beginning Of the year
'65-beipg then on the lines at Peters
burg-I received furlough to visit
my home at Charleston. At the ex-
piration of that furlough, being in il!
health, an extension was granted to
me. Before that extension expired
military movements plainly indicated
she speedy evacuation of Charleston
by the Confederate forces, and as ]
did not want to be caught in trap I
started to rejoin my command in Vir-
gisia. My transportation was made
oat for me vie Florence, Columbia
aad Charlotte. Trains were awfully
slow in those days, for as we'll may be
iraagined railroading was a difficult
job, and so, when at last the train by
whioh ! travelled from Florence, roach :
.sH.
s ed Kingville, which was the june
sion Of tho South Carolina and the
WILMINGTON aud Manchester railroad
s.--,his Was before the days Of the At
.sar,yD Coast Line Sherman was she'll
.ssrs Columbia, and the train was order
y ! TACK to Florence. AT that point
ii was rumored that Wilmington was
IN the hands Of the enemy. I was in
. quandary-Hardee's corps from the
Il esast was then passing through Flor
snee en- route TO North Carolina.
Everything was in turmoil and con.
( 1uaion, Quartermasters were too busy
{ 90 pay any attention to soldier de-
string to reioin his command in Vir-
gininS Sand so I sought out Capt. Ben
q Webb Of the Palmetto Guard siege
& a5ain, under whom had once served |,
Sand with his permission marched with
Ms company from Florence to Cheraw,
lthenee! to fayetteville and remained
with them untilthc battle Of Averys-
boro. Then / managed TO get through
somehow Cd Virginia, and succeeded
Y in5 REFINING my own regiment, the
81 Nth S. 9. W. just about twenty-four
hours before the disastrous battle Of
Five Forks. Ny recollection Of the
topography of the country shereabouss
i - somewhat confused, but T i@lieve
che place where that battle Waal Fought
n h - = aes. Ger s.en. n;nw;dd;a, ] CC,. and
Not moro than aihalf day 9 march from
Petcysburg, perhaps even nearer than
Sthat. Anynowson the morning OF the
1stl Of April, 1866, we were attacked
as this' point BY an Overwhelming
asree under Sheridan. Our. brigade
yVallsce;s) ;s) held our part Of the line
/; sgainss repeated assaults, but massipg
ASs troops against q weaker portion on
y ear left, Sheridan broke through and
iyse we're coon under murderouss fire
5sam both front and rear. u Col. Mo.
Master having been captured ip the
sssanlt on Fort Steadman in front sof
Petersburg, our regiment was in com.
zaand Of Lieut.. Col. Culp, who main
aAined his position gallantly until
a ounded in che head. Seeing the
hood pouring from his.wound and
thinking at the moment that he waa
/ seriously il not mortally hurt, I ran
sowards him to assist him, but it
! proved 20 be only q slight wound aud
ne needed no help. but joined his
efforts with those Of other officers to
aally for another stand, the men from
eur left who were rushing by us pell
..Ssnall utterly routed and panic stricken.
at was in vain, and q moment later.
sFveS .wese surrounded by Federals.
s.yslling to us to throw down our
ssIms aud surrender, To have done
otherwise would have been sheer sui
eide, and Col. Culp called out ssWe
\ surrender MY last view Of tho
Battlefield Of Five Forks was the sight
~ cur hrigadier iiWm. H, Wallaael
some hundred yards OF to the right
/ waving his hat on the point Of, hie,
! sword and calling 20 the flying men to
saAJs Co him. He did succeed in stop
ping some of them, and with amali
remnant Of his command drew Of from
ahe field without capture. SIX
HARD LUCK. u 81.
no me it5seened t1e irony Of fate to
have struggled DO hard to get back 20