The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1903-05-13
we would hold that fence, 20 matter
who should come against us.
NEEDED THAT FENCE

WnO snOulu COu15 dRdlDSU us.
NEEDED THAT FENCE
The feet is comrades, we needed that
stone fence in our business that night
and L was TO be certain that Col. Nance
should know that we needed it and that
the possession OF that fence was q most
pressing military necessity am not
trying to repeat the exact language
L can only give the substance. 1t was
dark but as / now remember, net
cloudy, 80 1 went and went cheerfully,
for to me the stone fence was as great
military necessity as it was to Watts
and Lauford. Once there was a young
man, who felt that the happiness of
his whole life depended on his success
in gaining the love and the hand OF a
young lady. So one day he talked to
her about tho matter. He talked. He
had never in his life talked ss he did
that day. He was terribly in earnest.
After eXhausttng himself he stopped.
The young lady calmly answered
mo" And then he ramblingly asked
her IL she would tell him where he had
put his hat. This closed the case.
Well, went to Col. Nance's tent,
where there were several officers, and
like the young man aforesaid l most
earnestly tried to make Col. Nance see
the situation-the necessity-the mil
itary necessity of our taking that fence,
and how the last one of us would be
shot from at fence, if we did not our
selves take it.
| NO MORE MEN.
Coz. Nance said for me to return and
tell John Watts tn he could not send
him the additional men. | failed as
completely as my young friend did in
his courting. l saluted, about-faced and
marched out of the tent and had gone
about ten or fifteen steps when I
heard Col. Nance's voice, calling my
| name. answered and he ordered me
to stand till he came up to me. Then,
my comrades, Col. Nance exhibited a
love for the men in his regiment, which
did not dream that he felt. He took
me by the hand and said, that possibly
he ought to let me go on to our COM
pany, without any further being said,
but that he could not do so. He told
me to tell Watts that the Division
would retreat that night; thai it WAS
the "Briars," land lie used the nameJ
turn TO go on the skirmish line; that as
the army retreated it would be the
6ntu pf fha eli cl, tD h01 ~
enemy back at all hazards; that he Sc
riously doubted If we would be able to
do what was required of US; that wo
would probably be cut to peices and
what remained be captured. He spoke
OF US so feeling'y; said how sorry he
was that we were so placed; declared
that he would not have told me if he
had not believed that we would stand
the trial. / had never seen Col Nance
so moved. He said that he was much
grieved that we were so placed but
that he would not be justified in send
Ing any more men into such danger
unless it WAS q necessity; AMI bidding
me good bye most feelingly he turned
ohI ~ hSu OOWdruS MS UenU.
MADE HIS REPORT.
When got back TO the company l
told Waits, and I think Lanford, what
Col. Nance said; 60 not remember
whether we told the men who were
dep!oyed or not. John Watts was ex-
cited for while. Ben Lanford, as
usual with him, did not seem to pay
much attention to this news. AS for
me was very nearly "stampeded", I
was scared. Not wink did / sleep
that night. Watt and Lanford slept
their turns as soundly as IL no yankees
were down at that fence-that military
necessity. | walked up and down the
line trying to keep all the "Briars"
awake. We had marched and fought
three days, been kept awake great
portion Of the n'ghts and it was hard
to watch. 1t was not hard for me.
Amid all the watching / heard no
noise on our side, heard rumbling
wagons going down the hillside on the
yankee side About sunrise the morning
OF the 5'h we heard clear distinct
voice calling "Attention skirmishers
Kershaw's Brigede" and we at once
sprang to our feet, faced to the front
with our guns at tho shoulder. We
we"e ordered to march Ia retreat and
when we got nearly to the place where
we had left the regiment the night be-
fore the companies we're rallied. We
at once struck into the road our Divis-
ion had gone b .ck on. We marched in
perfect order as though we were on
drill.
ALL IN LINE.
Not man missed the step. All the
time | expected that we would be at.
tackled. When we had gone several
miles, some one called out 'look over
yonder" and looking L saw a line of
federal calvary half mile to our Ief',
about even with us and going the same
way. Directly another man said "look
over yonder" and looking to the right
l eaw column OF federal infantry, o
little further off than the calvary but
.al 4