The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1908-11-20
STORIES OF THE
WAR OF SECESSION
Night March OF Buffers Brigade to Armstrong; Mill
September 30th, 1854.

arr reprinted IN these columns from
ths columbia state. becau-- tber.
arr 80 MANY south CaroImisu- Twin.
in this county Who will be- interested
in their publication. Ed. Banner
Ocala Fla 1905
D. Brpoks-Iu complying with
your request "a lot of gallant Young
Fellows come troopiuE zap bstor. me-.
l1eu' NeIfIe-. Who was killed. the
Aldrich BOYS. Alfred and Robert. the
Duzisrs. Anthony and ri. etc. Oar
Eaqs uho nueI ben Shipman's place
al fssrEeauI major when Shiuman
Was wounded. tha SullKans. John
and Minis. of Company q. Campbell.
of Nhiners COMPANY yourself.
BeckWith of Company e.. and others
worthy of mention. With a thousand
of such men a COmmonder could
tackle almost any odds. n may be-
interesting TO give a brief statement
OF the series of happenings which led
up TO the events before US.
With Gen. bearings North Carolina
brigade We had been fighting nearly
all day in the vicinity of the Vaughn
road. south Of Petersburg. AS night
approached our lines were Withdrawn
and We were ordered into camp and
the guard detail established. As I
sat talking with some of nv officers
Memory brought up the sad fate of a
dear friend and schOolmate of mine.
Lieut. William Allen, of Charleston.
When his regiment the 23rd. Of South
Carolina. was ordered To Virginia.
he handed me some of his personal
belongings. saying: Il know / will
never come back home, and I do not
wish strangers 10 have these things. a."
He was killed in the first fight after
mis- regiment arrived and his body
was not recovered. Thinking Of this.
I remarked that "premOnitions are
not always verified. Today is the first
time / ever felt I was going 20 be
killed before il closed. yet here / am
alive" While I was talking. the bu-
gle al brigade headquarters called
boots and saddles" Orders from
.Gen. Dunovant followed: Sixth
South Carolina in front to go TO Arm
strOng's mill" Armstrong; mill
consisted of a small settlement and
a very large dwelling house on high
pillars with a 10-rail worm fence
st8ked and ridered, quite near. and
along a road which came from the di
rection where we had been fighting
during the gay. Our course would
strike this road at right angles al
the house and would have an eXten
sive new ground clearing on its left
The column. by tours. was soon form
ed and put in motion, with no ad
Nee guard, but with the camp guard
and Gen. Dunovant and his staff, i'm
mediatey in front Of the Sixth.
could not help remarking TO Lieut.
Kennerly. who was acting adjutan
for me al the time. as 10 the queer
Va Of the disposition. I knew tha
a camp guard. as ii was usually de
tailed. was not a unit, and in an emeT
gencv would be almost worthless "a
a fighting force. When the brigade
was almost at the fence a sharp com
mand rang out: Halt" and immedi
atelv after. Whose command do yO1
belong to-" I turned to Kennerly an'
said: John, we are up against ID
Yanks." How do you know? n
asked. Why. that fellow talk
through his nose. Go back and VAR
the squadron commanders TO hol
their men steady, no matter wha
happens. and TO extend the same OF
ders TO their troop commanders
The night was black, a misty raj
was falling. The files in front coul
hardly be distinguished. There va
Ahead calm. One could almost hea
a leaf falling TO the ground. The co
umn stood motiOnless. in anxious e.
necratiOn. Gen. DunOvant after
moments hesitation. replied. Dune
wants brigade" "DunOvants or
cade. is it, I do not know YOU. Dl
mount one and give the countersi@n
Cant Pick Butler of the staff va
then ordered 10 so forward and con
DIV with the demand. but Pick ia
no Yankee countersisn. and hAe
full well that he was going into I'd
hands of the Phillistines and 10
.xankee prison. and Pick was SO,
} The officer became impatient. an"
again ordered. ~Dismomt one an
give the coUntersign. or / VIII III
into you" Gen DunoVanJ IroNoN'
ar Picks hardness. said: capt. b.
Ter. are you going TO obey my order
an shall attend 10 it," Pick rephe.
81 am going TO- but the poor te-io
81 moved slowly. Fortunately
NIL ;- .,rrt~oqcbing the eNtN