The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1904-07-13
A Prisoner Of War Forty-0ne Years Ago.

Reader, write this sketch OF
my prison life of nine months:
One month at Gettysburg ano
Baltimore jail, and eight months
at Point Look Out, Maryland:
entirely from memory. II you
were over a prisoner of war.
have your sympathy. If other.
wise I ask your sympathy. Per
haps it would not be out of place
to preface this article with a brief
account Of the second days fight
at Gettysburg, Pa, in which the
writer took part. Reader, this
may be stale stuff to you, but it
is truth, and truth is stranger
than fiction" On the first day
of July 1868, our Brigade s:Ker-
shaw's'' the Oldest Brigade in
Lees Army, was marching rap
idly through the town Of Cham
bersburg, Pa, we heard the
booming of cannon in the dis
tance. The advance column of
Lees army and the advance of the
Federal army, were fighting at
Gettysburg. The citizens of
Chambersburg took great pleas.
ure in guying Us, as we passed
through their town, that their
troops was getting the best of
the fight. In reply we told them
they were very much mistaken
that our boys was thrashing the
Federals. AS the red sun was
setting behind the western hills,
Il remember the sun was unusu-
ally red; could it have been in
dicative Of bloody We halted on
Marsh creek a small stream four
miles from Gettysburg. Why
we halted there, do not know.
history does not explain the rea'
son. We could easily have made
the balance of the distance in a
short time to Gettysburg. We
soon had our supper. Yes read
er we ate, sometimes. We were
soon resting our tired limbs on
the soil of Pennsylvania. By
six o'clock on the morning Of the
second day of July, we reached
Gettysburg. (Oh, fateful battle.
feld) Although we whipped
those people, in the first days
fight, we did not profit by the
advantage. Reader do you know
why? If not, I will tell you.
"Stonewall" Jackson was dead.
Oh. cruel bullets that took away
ssStonewal" Jackson, the 'tblue
light" of the army of Northern
Virginia, who fell at Chancel-
lorsville on the eve of a great
victory, had he lived to have
shared with US in the battle
of Gettysburg, We would
have won a decisive victory which
would have staggered the Gov
ernment at Washington. and the
end would have been in sight.
(Lee's army wept when Stone
wall jackson died. Reader, per-
haps you might ask the question,
why SO, I would unhesitating]y
answer. His lightning like per-
.ception, and his impelling
force of action, his great soul
would not have allowed his wea-
ried body to have rested on
Pennsylvania soil: the night Of
the first day of July, 1868, until
he had occupied the vacant
heights afterwards held by the
Federals. He thought not of
impossibilities. But would have
said. 1t must be done. He had
the get up and get about him as
the soldier puts it. Some one
has said that, Gen. Forrest was
questioned, as to his success IN
war, replied, that ''to get there
first with the biggest crowd" !"
Jackson never got there first with
the biggest crowd, but always
got there first with the winning
crowd. Gen. Mead hurried his
troops from Pipe creek to Gett-
ysburg all night of the first day
Of July, and therefore got the
advantage of position. At Fred
ericksburg. Va, in December,
1862, we had the position on the
Federals, and repulsed them with
all ease. Position counts for
much in war. Gen. Lee did not
realized the loss Of the great
Jackson, until after the battle of
Gettysburg. But his magnani-
nous spirit would not allow him
to criticise or censure any one,
be took the responsibility of the
result of his failure, to drive the
enemy from the heights of Gett-
ysburg. His like we will never
see again until the end Of time. %
Pardon me for Distressing. Now
for the second days fight at Gett-
ysburg. AS I have already men
toned, that we reached the
ground that was to be the field
of carnage. We discovered
quickly, that the Federals had it
on US, as to ridges and heights.
However it was our destiny
to fight at Gettysburg. We
marched and counter marched
for some length of time before
we got into position. In the
| meanwhile shirmishers were
taken from our Brigade, by com
panies: my company was taheI
II