The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1904-07-13

every ulOuIollG. 11tlo q O1uS "
fine Virginia tobacco in my
knapsack, I took it out, ant
placed it in the bosom Of my
) Shirt, and threw the knapsacl
away. clothes and all. Perhaps
! I did wrong, in throwing away
everything I had, but it was my
custom not to hamper myself
with a superfuous load wher
; going into battle. Gen. Ker
shaw was near his brigade, grand
soldier he was. At four O'Clock
the command was given, for
ward. We had been waiting behind
a rock fence, as we crossed ovel
this fence, we entered a large
wheat field. AS we marched
forward. I discovered just in
front of me, one of my company
stiff in death, killed on the Skin.
mish line. Thoughts flew through
my mind, thick and fast. Isola,
ted from me, was my dear com,
pany, though in command of one
of the best Captains of the Con.
federate Army, generous and
brave he was) others may be
dead, and if I am spared through
this frey ordeal of strife, I will
not know, until the battle ends,
who is killed and who survives.
All at once we heard the order,
by the right flank. What did
this mean? We soon found out
that there was a gap between the
left of Hoods division and the
right of our division McLaws.
We soon moved up quickly our
right on Hoods left. We then
fronted and moved forward.
| While we were making this
movement, the enemies cannon
opened on US with grape CAMS
ter, men fell in great numbers.
right and left. The heights and
ridges occupied by the federals,
were crowned with bristling ar
tillery, grape and canister made
great swaths in our division,
you could see as many as a score
fall at once. ':Dixie" :'Land of
the orange and cotton bloom
| thv sons were diving for thy
cause, which they loved SO well.
We soon got near enough to use
our rifles, and the fight was on.
In the midst of the battle our
color bearer fell by my side. The
brave Col. John D. Kennedy OF
the End regiment was also woun-
ded. Eleven times he was woun-
ded during the war. Gallant
soldier gone to his reward.
The guns planted on Little
Round Top, the shells from
them, exploded in every direc-
ton, the shelling was terrific.
The batteries on the ridges were
making terrible gaps in our line.
Our brigade( (Kershaw's) 's)advanced
against Little Round Top.
It was considered the impreg-
ubale part of the federal line:
and defended by Regulars, who
were the best fighters in the fed
eral army. Men we're falling in
every direction, gap after gap
was made in our line by shells
from the hills and grape and can
lister from the ridges. The fight
ing was furious. The enemy
were reinforcing this point of
their line, Little Round Top was
completely parked with cannon.
Kershaw's brigade pushed for
ward, during the enemy upon
their strongholds, when night
with her sable curtain put an
end to the bloody struggle. The
ground was covered with dead,
dying and wounded, Confederates
and Federals alike. The red
earth of Pa, was made crimson,
pouring from the veins of several
thousand soldiers. The earth
truly drank blood. Thus ended
the second days fight at Gettys.
burg. Reader, I was spared, |
was thankful to my Heavenly
Father. who has protected me,
through these sixty-siX years OF
my life. We drove those people
on the second days fight as we
did on the first, but they still held
held their strongbolds.' $50
near and yet so far Some
time after dark my company
came to the 2nd regiment. In
command of our good captain
who was also wounded he report
ed three killed and six wounded
on the skirmish line. We had
not eaten anything since seven
o'clock in the morning; about II
o'clock we had our rations cook
ed and we ate them. Reader
what would you have called that
meal? dinner or supper. !
thought Of my plug Of tobacco,
not a chew in six hours, | took
it from the bosom Of my shirt
and I could almost squeeze the
perspiration out Of it, | took a
chew and put it by to dry.
We were soon asleep, waiting
for the coming day. The SUI
rose clear and bright over the
field of blood. This was the day
that Gen. Picket made his for
lorn charge upon the centre Of
the enemies lines. Gen. Lee