The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-09-04
,--st-r
BY Captain 6. *. Henderson, of South
CaroiiUn.

On Saturday afternoon,the day before
the battle Of Manassas. between sun
down and dark, Colonel Thomas q.
Bacon OF the Seventh South Carolina
Infantry. Bonhams brigad- ordered
Captain John S. iIard to take his
Company l. of that regiment and 90
on picket duty for the night. Captain
Hard took his company across the
stream Bull Run 10 the north side
and to the top Sof the hill, and there
l..ed to the left out of the road into
the clover field. And here we wero
informed we were TO spend the whole
night on guard duty. Half of the
company was detailed in groups OF
four. and the balance or the company
was held in reserve fifty yard in the
rear of the half that had been deployed
as pickets. Mr. Henderson and his
i three omradns---Benjsnlin Sharpton.
| James Kadle and smithfeld Radford-
J formed the first group and were located
on the main road between Manassas
and Centerviile, at Mitchell's Ford.
+ Two of tho men OF each group were
/ allowed TO sleep at the post in thu
clover while the other two were on
guard. and they changed at intervals
The only instruction given was to halt
anybody approaching from the north.
and if they did not stop to shoot,
About midnight Captain Samuel
MCGOWAN. special aid TO General Bon
ham. rode up from the rear and asked
what was going on, and they reported
TO him that everything was well. ex-
cept that the enemy was marching TO
their left up the creek. That informa-
ton seemed to excite elm and he
asked how they knew, and they told him
they had heard the marching soldiers.
moving wagons and cannon for hours.
He dismounted and one OF the picket
held his horse and he went forward a
few PAGES in front OF the picket. He
. asked II the matter had been reported
to General Beauresard, and he was
told that no instructions had been
given as to that. He said IL our
opinion was correct. General Besure-
gard should know IL at once. He re-
ported TO General Bonham and then
TO General Beauregard The pickets
continued on post all night, and next
morning al sun-up they moved for
ward in the direction OF the enemy.
marching into and through scope OF
woods. When we arrived on the north
side OF the woods. the whole Federal
army was exposed to view. marching
up the river in the direction of stone
! Bridge During the morning they
were relieved OF picket duty, and their
company rejoined their regiment down
at Mtcheli's Ford Not long after
wards the booming OF cannon up the
river told that the two armies had
met the first time in deadly combat.
A numbers of years ago Mr.. Hen
derson wrote to Captain, then Judge
MCGOWAN, the following letter about
that eventful night. and Judge Nc
Gowan's reply is recopied from the
Abbeville Press and Banner. We pub
lish both
Judge Samuel MCGOWAN.
Columbia, S. G.
Ny Dear sir.--It has been thirty
years since the event occurred that
leads to this not Probably you VIII
remember IT, probably not,
On the night before the battle OF
Manassas, or Bull Run. which was
Saturday night, the writer with a
comrade. Benjamin Sharpton. was on
picket guard on the outer iine-on
the left hand side of the road leading
from Manassas to Centeryille, via