Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1910-06-10
IN VIRGINIA IN "a.
Chester Soldier Grows Reminiscent Of
Memorable Campaign.


For The Yorkville Enquirer:
About the last week in April, 1864,
Johnson Hagood's brigade left James
Island and went to Virginia, and the
Seventh battalion, (better known as
Nelson's battalion), which formed a
part Of the brigade, went with it.
belonged to company G, Of that bat
TALON.
We got to Petersburg on the 9th Of
May. In fifteen minutes after we got
off the train, we heard the enemy's
bullets whistling. l think it was the
next day we waded Swift creek twice,
the second time late in the afternoon.
was then detailed to go up the creek
to the bridge and report there for
duty.
When l got there, l found a North
Carolina major and about twenty five
men, and they called me into coun-
Gil of war to devise a plan Of
advance on what we supposed to
be the enemy's position. We de-
ployed as skirmishers and advanced
through a pine and cedar thicket. Some
of our men fired a few times; but l
saw no enemy to shoot at. We then
fell back in good order to the bridge.
Shortly afterward our battalion came
up, and we got into bitches or breast
works on a hillside. overlooking the
creek, and lay there all night with our
wet clothes on, and without blankets.
The next day we started in the rain,
for Drewrys Bluff, and got there late
the second day, with the enemy firing
on the rear of our column. A few days
later, we had a fierce battle, which
has been written about again and
again. Our battalion was repulsed,
and after we got back to our breast
works, seventy-five or eighty Yankees
threw down their guns, and came to
us and surrendered. We drove the
enemy back and took up our line Of
march in their rear the next day. We
came up on them the same evening at
Bermuda Hundreds. l had been on
rear guard and videtta all that day.
and was on picket that night.
That night the enemy tried to get
their men to advance on us, but they
would not plainly heard the officers
cursing their men for being towards.
A few nights later l was on picket
again in an open field; an officer came
to me and asked me if could advance
that picket line. | told him | could. If
the men would go. He said they
would go when I started. l asked him
how far. He said to advance until
fired upon. That was dangerous, but
told him | would try it. if the men
would go. 1t was a dark night and
not a word was to be spoken above
whisper Everything was to be done
by signs and motions. We advanced
until someone on the enemy's side fir
ed q pistol The bullet struck the
ground near me. We then halted. AS
soon as we got the line straight, we
went to work digging rinepits. We had
good line of rifiepits by daylight, and
a surprised line of Yankees.
A few days later, l was on picket
again, and for some reason the Yam
KEGS were not firing any, but were
standing up and walking about. One
of their men, an officer | supposed,
from his uniform, exposed himself,
head and shoulders above the breast
works Tom Price was i'm the rihepit
with me and he wanted to shoot him;
told him to wait and let the enemy
fire first but he said he would shoot
and was taking aim when l pulled his
gun down before he fired. So | saved
that mans life, for Tom was a good
shot, and my interference gave us one
days rest, for there was no firing on
either line that day. Neither side
has given me credit for that days rest.