The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1905-06-28


pocket properly closed, and, stranger
still, n subsequent examination show
cd that he must have had the back Of
the watch open, instead Of the face.
for 1t was blown full Of powder, while
It's face was intact. He al&ays be-
lieved lie shut that watch, and re-
lIaced it in his pocket while being
hurled out into the marsh. The
breech In the rear Of the vent of the
swamp Angel had been blown clear out
ot the jacket through the chassis and
scafiolding into the mud.
The gun itself did, indeed, die like
soldier. 1t jumped forward upon
the rarapet clean out Of the carriage
and nearly in the same position as
when ready to be fired, boldly upright,
npd the shot went smoothly on its
flight to the city, as if disaster had
not sped it on its course. The bat
tcries on James Island made a target
Of the gun for the next few days, ev-
identity still fearing it, for its attitude
was menace
When the explosion occurred in the
battery there were two officers and
sixteen men present, yet only two
men beside the commander were in
jured. One was wounded across the
hands by flying bolt bend and
another struck across the thighs by
the flight of piece Of timber, which
had been used to block up the chassis.
Upon call for volunteers to 20 for q
boat Sergt. Payne and private offer
ed their services. These men had to
walk the plank in the dark to get the
boat and bring it to the battery.
Their progress was necessarily slow
1t took them an hour and q half to
return to the battery with the boat.
A great part of the time they were
under fire. Both men were mentioned
for medals from Gen. Gilmore for
their bravery and they deserved them.
After the arrival Of the boat the
whole party embarked under a lively
salute from their friends on the Con-
federate side, leaving the faithful gun
in the care of the picket guard, which
had taken post during the firing upon
platform made for that purpose Q
few hundred yards in the rear Of the
battery.
The embarkation with the wounded
men of the detachment was the most
trying part of the whole affair. The
landing place, only temporary plat
form. was located directly in front of
the battery, about forty yards from
it. 1t was much cut up by the shots
and exposed to the full force of the
fire of all the guns and mortars.
How3ver, the party reached camp
before daylight without accident.
1t vas almost miraculous that not O
man snould have been hit during this
tremendous bombardment from at
least dozen guns and mortars, from
two teu-inoh Columbians and four
ten-inch mortars at Fort jackson, and
at least six field pieces in Fort Simp-
kins, between the Swamp Angel and
Fort johnson in the woods. The field
pieces were paid little attention to,
no matter what projectiles they used.
They often struck the parapet, but
their shots we're too light to do much
damage. The Columbians commanded
more respect. A lookout was station
ed to observe those Columbians. At
his half jocular warning. "Spitfre!"
when he saw the flash the men would
abandon their work and shelter under
the parapet until the fragments pass
ed over and then quietly resume
their duty. The mortar shells were
sent with too long fuse and passed
over before bursting.
On the other hand, had the Coufed.
crate Columbians been served with
solid shot, shell with concussion,. or
with longtime fuse, they would
have demolished the Swamp Angel.
The effect Of the two. nights work
of that stern Swamp Angel upon the