The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1903-06-10

ever towards its abatement. The best
defense we could make against it was
to endure it with the greatest possible
degree Of patience and resignation.
We were frequently called upon to 20
forth, TO meet the enemy in deadly
conflict upon the field of battle and
that ordeal was SO terrible I have no
language to adequately express my
ideas Of it, 1t seemed like a march
directly into the very jaws Of death,
and such it frequently proved to be
in reality to many Of our comrades.
Preparations for battle were gen
orally made in the greatest possible
haste. We had been trained to rally
into the ranks of our companies in
stautly at the sound of the long roll
on Il yilncntal drum, the companies
were Immediately assembled to form
the regiment and the regiment march
ed rapidly away to its place in the
line of battle. After getting into line
of battle we would sometimes stand,
in dreadful suspense, for consider
able time, waiting for the necessary
adjustment Of the different forces on
the line. The line Of battle was form
cd parallel to that of the enemy, ond
it possible, at distance beyond the
range of their guns, but we somotim es
formed under heavy firing, as for in.
stance, at the battle of the Wilder
ness. Going into battle was q very
serious business and changed our Gus
tomary sportiveness and gaiety into
tho solemnity of funeral procession.
1t usually wrought wonderful moral
reformation upon the men which un-
fortunately seldom survived the close
of the pending battle. Profaue swear
crs could express their thoughts with
out the use Of the customary oath;
scoffers refrained from scofIing and
hardened ukeptics seemed to breathe
secret prayers. Oar thoughts revert
ed invoiuntarily to our homes and
loved ones, realistic visions Of the
forms and visagcs of those we loved
fitted across our imaginations and the
music of their parting salutations seem
ed to echo in our ears. When our
advance brought us within range Of
the encmys guns, the bullets would
Hit by our ears with terrifying skricks
and strike violently against trees,
fences and other objects with clang
like tho sound Of the wood choppers
axe, and the monotony of that hid
eous racket was varied occasionally
by the horrifying crash Of bullet
against the solid bone of some human
target.
The order to commence firing was
always welcomed as source of re-
lief from the terrible suspense Of un-
resisting exposure, that we might
drown the shrieks Of passing bullets
in the roar of our own guns and gain
the reinsurance that comes from active
effort in our own defense. But wheth-
CT brave or timid tho consciousness Of
danger was always prominent in our
seusibilities and was constantly en-.
phasized by the falling of comrades
around US and by their skrieks and
groans, whenever such sounds could
be heard, above the din Of battle.
Whenever we succeeded in breaking
the enemy's lines and drove them
from their positions, as VIC generally
did in most Of our engagements with
them, We considered the dangers Of
the conflict mostly over, for we had
noticed that tho shots of retreating
foes wero seldom effective. The
wounded wero generally carried off
from the battlefield and cared for dur
ing the battle by the ambulance de.
partmsnt, whose special duty it was
to attend to them, but men sometimes
fell in inaccessible places, where tho
ambulance men could not reach them
and were left alone and unattended
for many hours. In some instances
great forest fires swept over the woods
wherein the dead and wounded were
strewn, and the tortures of burning
were added to those of bleeding, thirst,
helplessness, etc. Some of our severest
sufferings were endured on those mac.
cessiblo battlefelds.
After the battle was over the grue-
some task of gathering up and bury
ing the dead bodies of both friends
and foes developed upon the army
that held the battlefield, except when,
as was sometimes the case, detach-
ment from the banished army was
allowed to return under fsg of truce
to bury their ovn daad n@T W.,