The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1909-07-30

COuntleS, ana thinking ourselves Qua
Of danger, we turned South, leaving
Lncolnton about twenty miles to our
left. After several days we fell into
the great swarm OF Lees army, max
ing their way home. Near little town
We net up with Gen. MCGOWAN and
his staff, from this State, with sever
al hundred men of his brigade. The
general was naturally astonished at
seeing so many men under arms going
his way, and made enquiries as to its
meaning. Capt. J. F. J. Caldwell, of
his staff, long after the war, when
both were unknown to each other, told
this joke on one Of my men. His name
was John Miller, from away down in
the Fork, near Columbia. Miller was
a great stutterer and was slow Of
speech. He was near the rear Of my
command, when the general rode up
and asked:
"What is the meaning Of so many
men going home with guns, and who
is in command of the troops?'
Miller answered and said:
s:It is Capt. Dickert t's."
:'And who in the hell is Captain
Dickert?" asked the general.
Miller looked up in astonishment
and replied: ''Why, you don't know
Capt. Dickert9 Well, he is the smart
est man in the army
Gen. MCGOWAN turned to Capt.
Caldwell and said:
;'There is faith enough to remove
mountains.''
We were some distance above Dal-
las and were nearing small range OF
mountains, when a soldier from Lee 5
army rode up and reported that a
regiment of Yankees were following
as and had been nearly all day. We
moved rapidly to the crest of hill,
all covered with heavy timber, and
there I deployed the men in line OF
battle and awaited events. We heard
during tn day that the fords IN our
front, as high up as Newton, were
we'll guarded. So We found ourselves
between two forces Of the enemy.
Those in our rear never came up. Why
we never knew but We moved up to
the top Of the mountain and took up
camp for a few days, until we could
learn something definite.
Some Of the men went out on a
foraging expedition next day, and at
an old Unionist house they ran up on
a squadron of Yankees from the pick
cts from beyond the river. whom the
old citizen was entertaining highly,
with barrel of brandy in his barn.
I had safeguarded my men, by writ
ing them paroles as Lees soldiers, so
they had no trouble with the Yankee
troops, nor any difficulty in getting
brandy with greenbacks from the old
man. We were running short Of pro-
visions up on the mountain and on the
second day fine fat hog came root
ing leisurely along through camp.
Some Of the men wanted to shoot 1t,
but I was afraid gun shot might
create suspicion. John Ferguson, from
Spartanburg, picked up a rock and
asked permission to kill it, assuring
me it would never squeal. He threw
at the hog, and it dropped without a
groan. It was soon cleaned, but how
was it to be cooked in the little mess
tins we had? Some one remember
ed seeing large wash pot about two
miles down the mountain. near where
the old citizen with the barrel lived.
A detail was made and the pot was
lpgged to the top Of the mountain
and the hog cooked. I have wondered
often since what the parties thought
when they found their pot gone, and
what conclusions those came to who
found the pot up on the mountain.
We were compelled to cross the
river somehow and somewhere, so l
sent two trusty men down to the ford,
or ferry, to see what information they
could gain. The old miller, who lived
at the ferry, a rank Southerner, in
formed the men that there were about
fifty Yankee cavalrymen on the other
side of the river, with perhaps a half
dozen kept on this side as pickets. He
didn't see much chance Of our slip
ping by the soldiers, but several hum
dred yards above the river was shall
low and shoaly, and he thought we
could cross without much danger. We
concluded to- cross there that night,
surround the Yankee camp, fall upon