The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1911-05-12

to the army till after I lost my arm
and was retired. Jimmie Withcrs, OF
our company, was killed, and jim Nc
Cling, of the battalion. At Spottsyl-
vania Court House Grant made an
other desperate effort TO reach Rich
mond and came very near getting
ahead but Gen. Lee was on the alert
and met him just in time to check his
advance. Here our battalion sustain
ed a charge and had several men
wounded with the bayonet, and but for
the timely aid of the Second regiment,
under Maj. VIM. Wallace, might have
been all killed or captured, but the
gallant Second saved US. After sew
eral days Of hard fighting, Grant again
backed and moved to the left, and
found Gen. Lee confronting him at
Cold Harbor, where a terrible battle
ensued and many were killed on both
sides. Green Gibson, of our company
and Jesse Gradick we're wounded
Here Col. Keitt was killed while lead
ing the brigade in charge on Gen.
Kershaw's grey horse. He was colonel
of the 10th regiment, which had just
come from the coast Of South Caro-
lima, but being the ranking colonel
he took command, Gen. Kershaw hav-
ing been promoted to major general
The 10th regiment had more men, al
the time of joining US, than all the
balance of the brigade, and was dub
bed by the brigade the 20th army
corps.
After the fight at Cold Harbor, Grant
again moved to the left, and was met
at North Anna and Hanover Junction
and retreated to cover of his gunboats
on the James River. It is htstori-
cal fact that Grant lost more men from
the Wilderness to James River than
Lee had in his entire army. Comment
is unnecessary. If Lee had had the
men and means that Grant had he
could have gone North, stayed as long
as he pleased, and come back when
he got ready. Grants next aggres-
sive move was against Petersburg
where he came very near getting into
the city, but by forced march, Ker-
shaw's, now Kennedy's brigade, reach
ed the city and met him beyond the
cemetery, just in time to check his
advance We had q heavy skirmist
in which C. R. Holmes, Kershaw's
adjutant general, received a flesh
wound in the leg. 1t fell to my lot tc
be in command Of part Of the skir,
mish lines in front of our forces, and
when the enemy's skirnaish lines ad'
va1cei, We were between the two fires
but no one else was wounded or kill
ed, to my recollection. Here We en-
trenched and remained about a month
being relieved by other troops anc
camDed at the water works until i1
July.
Here Grant halted and entrenchet
and mined and kept up continuou:
sharpshooting and shelling the city
until the last of August, when ne made
desperate effort to capture the cit!
by a combined attack on our works
The famous mine was sprung with
terrible results to his own army. Hi:
attack proved a veritable boomerang
resulting in a great slaughter of his
own men. The Confederates suffered
heavily, too, but the movement on hi:
part was a most complete and disas
! trous failure. The mine was sprung
almost exactly where our brigade ha(
| a few days before occupied tht
trenches. From our position near thu
waterworks our brigade was moved
in July across to the north side O.
the James river on a pontoon brldg'
near Drury's Bluff. We movet
down the river to Deep Bottom, whert
We hastily threw up some light breast
works, but were shelled out of tn
swamp from the Yankee gunboats
and on the 2Sth Of July, 1854, in con
nection with McGowau's South Caro-
lima and Lanes North Carolina bri
gades, we engaged a body of Fedora
cavalry, dismounted, and fighting a
infantry at New Market Heights
near Fusse1's Mill. Emerging from
wilderness, we found the enemy be
hind a rail fence, and drove them
short distance, but they did not civ
back as We wished they would, bu
stopped and exchanged shots with us
1t was a hot place, but We stood Oh
ground and won the day. MCGOWAN
, brigade captured two pieces Of artil