The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1910-09-07

''Si'0" ~ nave the incident end SO
pleasantly for me. Had 1 not told
told hlm the horse belonged to Gen.
! kerShaW, the old soldier would have
paid no attention to my demand, and
L could not have enforced it but. for
tunately for me he recognized the
animal and surrendered him to mo
without word. 7 need not add that
| stuck closely to my horse after
that.
Sheridan Interccpts.
The next morning. Thursday, as we
halted near a beautiful farm house.
with its fine old grove of oaks and
chestnuts about it, a man bareheaded
and niue excited, rode up to father
and said, pointing to a high plateau
about a mile away. General, look
yonder!" We all looked and there
was long line of Sheridan's cavalry
winding on like a great snake, evil
IDENTIFY intending to intersect our line
OF march and burn more wagons.
we soon heard the clash Of the col
| lision, and then the teu-tale smoke
that meant the successful carrying out
| OF their intention. But this time
| they meant more serious work. and
dismounting formed line of battle, ad-
vancing against our infantry, already
worn out by incesSant marching and
not having drawn a ration sice we
left Richmond. I saw men eagerly
gather up the corn left by the cavalry
horses near Amelia Springs and eat
1T uncooked. 1 did it myself with no
| small appetite. and wanted more We
| marched on to point probably a
half mile beyond the farm house.
where we were placed in position to
| meet the impending attack. 1t was
the first time 1 had been close to con-
tending lines of battle. 1t was a
| most confusing experience. Our
people were in a thick piece of
woods and advanced with alacrity
when the order was given. Infantry
guised contempt for cavalry, and
they anticipated an easy job in driv-
ing off their opponents. But they,
flushed with the certainty that the
prey was at bay, if not already in
their grasp and greatly outnumbering
us, fought with immense stubborn
ness. We had no artillery-it had
all gone ahead. Sheridan had all he
wanted but after very
sharp struggle of several hours we
drove them off, and prepared to re-
sumo our march.
We had gone about a mile and
reached point where the road fork
ed, when our command was ordered
to take the road to the left and go to
the support of Gen. r. H. Anderson.
Gen. John B. Gordon's corps passed
us here, going on after the main
army, while we proceeded in the di-
rection of Sailors Creek, across which
We should find Anderson. AS soon
as Gordons men passed the fork.
Sheridan's troopers were right at
our heels, and we marched on.
skirmishing as we went Leaving
small brigade at a group of farm
houses, we crossed the creek and
formed line of battle on the crest of
the hill beyond, facing the creek. An
sent word to Gen. Ewell that if he
would hold the enemy in check for
half hour, he would clear the road
of the cavalry in his front and his
| command and ours could go on. Gen.
Ewell replied that he would do so.
and await information from him
when to take up his line of march.
Anderson's attack failed entirely and
in very short while he and one of
his staff rode up to report the failure.
adding that he intended, now that he
had no command. to escape while he
could. The two rode off down the
| creek and succeeded in effecting
4 d
some CT Sheridan'S men,
n Magnificent Charge.
Just after this occurred l saw the
most imposing spectacle. The whole
of Merritts division of cavalry in
column Of sQuadrons, debouched
from the woods into the immense old
field on the far side of Sailors Creek,
and amid the blasts of the bugle.
the waving of flags, and the hoarse
cheers of the men, charged upon the
devoted brigade left at the group of
farm houses, as | have related.
Many were the saddles emptied,
but the pressure from behind forbade
a halt, and on they SWept CARRYING