The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1909-06-15
A Wild Ride on the (saltzahsteAis.
(Bv Col. ID. \. Dickert.)

hueglng the coast Vf South Caro-
Ina ever since he entered the State
1t was not known positively IN which
direction he would move next. wheth-
+r on 10 CharleSton2 Columbia, or
back north on Augusta, to intercept
speed TO the relief of/General Hardee,
commanding in this State. The great
e. part of the latHer's army lay
around Charleston and its approaches,
but a. divisions COM 1posed Of Staso
troops. Georgia MALTA, and some vet
Grams. part Of which was hershaw 5
South Carolina .Briaade, just from
VIRGINIA. WIS eSlcamped along the
h, eastern side of the Saltkahatchle,
near the Charle aston and Savannah
Railroad under t. he command OF MAJ.
Gen. McLaws. Some cavalry. under
Col Colcock. we're on the western
side of the river, some five or SIX
miles above.
The scouts had ordSrs, for week
or more, to watch very closely the ar
my of Sherman, and to report at on
ce the first move.
We had been passing over the river
in little skif kept by the plckets,
and only returning when we wished
to turn over prisoners or stock or to
replenish our haversacks. The morn
ing that Sherman commenced his ad-
vance, we had passed over the river
at DAYLIGHT, the stream at that time
being on a great boom, and in places
half mile wide, the overflow beng
stationary, and the main current NOV
ing along in slow, steady flow, the
water clear and icy cold. The over
flow. or back water, was frozen over
with a. thin skin Of ice. In the la
eoons, or drains it was from three
TO ten feet in depth. The whole low
er part Of the swamp being under
water. we could not tell what mo-
ment we would plunge into these Ia
goons. I had with me on TINS trip
Tom pavsinger. Jess. Seigman, Of this
county, George Hibler, Frank ohand'
and Ab. Farrow, now living at Cross
Anchor. a substantial and much re-
snec1ed citizen Of Union. There we're
two other men. whose names l Will
no+ mention. on account Of the TACT
that they afterwards proved them
selves to be too blood-thirsty, and
too Indifferent to the ethics we had es-
tablished among ourselves: so tha1
their names should not be MENTION
cd IN connection with honest men.
There was a boy, too, with US, Red
Richardson. lad about fifteen years
old. who, some days before, had VOL
unteered to scout with us. We WISH
cd some one who had been raised on
the western side Of the river, or who
knew the country, the people and the
roads. In those vast tangled sWamps
and among those deserted houses II
c was verv necessary to have some one
familiar with the country. he ap-
:,,l;o6 70 the General, as one who knew
the west side Of the river, for per-
mission to accompany us as a gu1de.
He was a fine, manly, lntellgenc
youth and not only became our guloe
for the time. but one OF the mos
daring, reckless riders, who ever rooe
.on the tanks or in the wake OF Sher-
mans army.
The morning of which | speak, we
founded through the ice and water
through the great swamp, in the d.
roction Of the main thoGoughtare
leading towards Columbia. We reach
ed a wooded knoll with a corn field on
the left. From this point We dis
covered that the army was IN motlon'
and DISPATCHED one Of the men pack
with that information This turned
ont. as T learned day or Two ago
from a letter to have been 40. l..
Farrov. Of Cross Anchor. OF which L
will have more 10 say 1uA 'neh 01
To make sure that it was no dem
onstration in force. or a foraglns
partv. had the men to conceal them-
solves in the underground, while 1
made my way up to the rear OF a
farm house, standing near the MAN
road. I had instructed the men TO
remain here until my return unless
they heard my gun fire, in which eve y
ent every man was to take care Oh
himself. We heard a great eommoo
ton in the road, the rumbllng OF
what we took to be artillery 1ne
cracking of whips, and the calls OF
the tearsters. I made my way UP 10
Val. 1,no q low rambling fence