The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1904-12-14

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>ii-. e2Ionoi, anl y. r Jones, briy.-
dicr.
II did rot sec great dcal Of that
ba,tlc, said the old captain, 'aud
what | did see did not amount to
much. thought it was terrible at
the time, Of course, for it was the oc-
casion of my baptism in fire. after
wards learned more about what fight
ing really meant.
eve did not get in until late in tie
evening, along about 3 0 clock, ard
| about an hour before the enemy was
routed from the field. Our brigade
consisted Of the Fifth South Carolina
and the 18th and IL Mississippi, all
green troops of course.
1--WE came on the field in the face
OF battery about mile ora mile and
half in front Of us aud we're pushing
forward to try to take it, Somebody
had made a terrible bunder in tie
topography Of the country. We af-
tcrward thought it was General Jones
AT any rate, we soon saw that it would
never DO to continue straight, because
we would be butchcrcd, and after man
ocuvcriug around, Col. jenkins sue.
cccdcd in taking us into rayine that
enabled US to get within three hundred
yards Of the battery.
1.-The shells whistlcd over our heads
at what we thought was a terrible
rate, and although we we're perfectly
safe, most of US were scared. l am
sure | was scared, although within
less than year after shat, l would
have been perfectly content to 60 to
sleep in such a place without the
slightest apprehension of danger.
III got out amongst us that Col.
Jenkins intended to charge the bat
terry. lie said he could take it with
out bit of trouble, and was making
arrangements to do 80 when all at
once there came an order from Gen.
Jones telling Jenkins to get out Of
! there OF he would be captured within
| fifteen minutes-that every man of US
would be taken prisoners.
Col. Jenkins declared that Jones
did not know what he was talking
about; that it wolld be no trouble to
take the battery, and he held q con
sutation with his officers and others
We were all pretty nearly on an equal
ity then-as to whether or not be
should disobey orders and charge the
battery anyway. | have already said
that most of us were scared, and when
young corporal said it was always
best to obey orders, the suggestion
met with pretty general approval, ex-
cept that jenkins was almost ready to
cry with veXation.
"As we commenced getting out we
were met with volley of musketry
that wounded four men. Jim Mason
Of iorkville was one Of them, and he
carried the bullet in his shoulder to
the grave. Bill Davidson, Felix
MuIlinax and John T. Mcknight were
the others. Following the volley our
assailants came charging toward us
like crazy devils. They were the
Seventeenth Mississippians of our
cwn brigade and had mistaken US for
the enemy. We first discovered the
mistake and did not return the fire.;
but the officers hsd to whip men with
their swords to bring them to their
senses. They were just wild and we
were terribly demoralized.
"After while, we got out Of the
place and back to the point from
which he had started on Bull Run.
The Yankees were in retreat every
where, and the battery which jenkins
wanted to capture in spite of the Or
ders of his commander, had been si-
lent ever since we had left it. In
fact if we had done as he had wanted
to he would not only have captured
| the battesy without losing man, but
along with it ne would have gotten
several companies Of prisoners.
''The Mississippians were badly
hurt when they learned Of their Als-
take, and they held their heads down
for sometime after that; but they were
not long in retrieving themselves
completely. This is tho regiment
what whipped General Baker and
drove his men into the Potomac at
Leesburg. They were AS good fight.
era as T over eaw -Ynrkrilln In