The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1905-05-31
WAR STORIES.
Ncwjryl.y Observer.

with ne, being iLht smart of "A war,
went W - tie I'D man and told him
pr. Evans would pay him for his rails
II hc would 60 to see him there was
a saying among the men Df the -
regiment, whcncycr man wanted
anything, that 'Dr. Evans had it,"
Nelson described DR.. Evans TO the
cltizcu and gave him some directions
where to lind him. We never heard
any more from him. On our wav
back that night was carrying torch
and had my bacon in a sack on my
shoulder. Nelson had the crackers
in tcnt-fy, holding to the four COR
ncrs. The Yankees could see our
light, and being just in rear of the
breastworks, they threw a shell at the
light. 1t passed right over US. Mel.
son ducked his head and lost his grip
on the tent.hy and let some Of the
corners slip out Of his hand, the scat
tered hardtacks all around, everybody
calling out, "Put out that light" So
| stuck the torch in the dirt; and
there we were in the dark, and our
hardtacks scattered around; but we
got down on our hands and knees and
felt around till we got all we could
find. There was some complaint
about the crackers when we got to the
company, but we never give the facts
in tie case till after next ration day.
On the morning of the 18th, about
4 clock, we could hear firing out on
the skirmish line to our right in the
direction Of Spottsylvania courthouse.
1t kept drawing nearer and getting
harder. This was the prelude n the
terrible battle that Was TO be Tough.
that day. In short while the whole
line from the 'horse. shoe bend"
away beyond Spottsylvania was en-
gagged in death struggle. 1t seemed
that Gen. Grant had massed his forces
here in a determined effort to break
Gen. Lees lines. They were driven
back at every point. But at the
"horsc' shoe bend" they were held at
bay, but they could not be driven off.
They stuck at this point all through
the day. We were not engaged. We
were moved nearer to the fight. All
day long we could see fresh troops
from the enemy going in that direc-
tion. Gen. Lee had no fresh troops
to send to the relief of McGowan
brigade, for it was McGowan's that
held this point of the line, and for Is
hours these men stayed there under
one continual pour of shot and shell,
until about 10 or II o'clock that
night, when they were Withdrawn to q
line of works in their rear on the part
Of the line Strengthening the "horse-
shoe" in the line. The firing was 80
severe that no one could get to them
with ammunition. They would bring
it to point on the line and pass it in
small packages by hand from man to
man till it reached the ones who want
ed it.
l have heard Col. VIM. Lester of
the 18th regiment of this brigade
giving an account Of some of the
scenes Of that day. He said he saw
young man killed; he fell into the
ditch behind the 6orks in the water;
his father WAS near him and saw him
fall; he stopped fighting and went to
his son and raised him out of the
ditch and laid him on the bank and
Strengthened him, and while STOPPING
over him he was shot and fell dead
across his son. This days fighting
seemed TO satisfy Gen. Grant at this
point, and be began another flank
move in the direction of Hanover
Junction.
We stayed where we were till the
evening of the 18th, when we were
oroered over the works and forward
march" thought for sure We were
goners now, but we only found few
sharp.shooters. We went on over
their works, then right flank and down
their works. We did not go far till
just in our front was some woods
and in these woods there was q strong
skirmish line. We were halted until
our skirmishers could drive them out.
Right in front Of Us the YANKEES had
butchered beef and left the paunch.
One of our men was 80 badly frighte--
ed by the bullets whistling near US
that he went and lay down behind
this paunch for protection.
AS We were coming over from our
works We passed where Yankee bat.
terry had been shooting over the tops
Of some small pines and for hundred
yards or more in front of the battery