The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1913-02-21

where I was before / could see who
who they were. 1 ordered the men to
fire and being so close 1 snatched a
gun from one of the men and jumped
behind tree by the side of a man
who was already there, and we both
fired at the same time. They killed
the man beside me and las he fell he
knocked me down, or nearly so, and
rose running and called to the men to
run. We got the first fire on them
and so confused them, and got away,
but they killed four or five good men
and wounded as many more. In run
ming back to our entertainments we
had to make a circuit to get around
them, and every man running tor
himself, we got scattered. had made
a larger circle and was about out of
breath and took to shelter behind
tree, and another man stopped behind
stump about twenty feet from me.
They fired at us and killed the man
behind the stump but missed me. The
tree was too small to shelter me
good, and | intended to run on again
when l got a little rested, but now
there was some close hugging to that
tree for few minutes. I could hear
the balls hit the tree and feel the jar.
One of our men came along close by
me who was wounded, and I told him
to drop his gun toward me. He did
so and l reached for it as quick as a
wink. 1t was already loaded. From
where they were firing at me the
bushes were pretty thick, and they
could not see me without coming out
in the edge of the road about seventy
five yards from me. He would run
out drop on his knee and shoot at me-
1 had my gun ready for him and
as soon as he dropped on his knee to
draw bead on me, my bead was al
ready drawn and he got my shot in
the leg. Things were looking bet
ter for me now, so I ran on into the
woods and got with the company, and
that evening we drove them back,
and some few steps from where
shot him there was blood and a part
of pants leg.
Now, if remember right, it was
not long after this we had some
hard fighting down below Richmond.
We were driving the enemy back un-
til late in the evening they got re-
Inducements and held their ground,
and we withdrew and returned to our
breastworks. l was in command of
the litter corps, that is about 20 men
to follow the line of battle and carry
all the wounded to where the ambu-
lance could get them and haul them
back to the hospital. We had GOOD
deal of it to do that day. The first
lieutenant of our company was killed
and several of our men were killed
and wounded. | remember there was
house between the firing lines. Two
women came out of the house just as
| got to it and asked me to not let
the men disturb or kill their two hogs
in the pen. 81 looked to see you shot
down in minute" 1 said, "fly down
that hill out of range of the Yankee
bullets" and they soon heard the bull
lets whizing, and the last l saw of
them they were very near flying. I
could not get any farther than this
house, when our men began falling
back, and if we had any wounded be-
yond this house the enemy got them.
Now in a few days after this the
enemy made heavy assault on Fort
Harrison, not far from the James
river and succeeded in taking it. We
triel to take it back again but failed
with heavy loss to us. We had one
man killed that day who had been in
all the fights the company had ever
been in, and he had never had his
clothing touched by bullet We be-
gan 70 think ne was the iuckiest man
we had, but his time had come. He
was a good soldier and always at his
post of duty. Our company was now
beginning to look small. We went
into service with a large company,
over 100 men as well as | can re-
member, but at that time we had
not more than forty men, and we
had been getting recruits every year.
but they were killed out and disabled
faster than we could get men.
Sometime after the fight at Fort
Harrison we had fight away to the
left of Fort Harrison, and killed and
captured several hundred men with
very small loss to ourselves. And
before or after this, we had a fight
near Whites Tavern, below Rich
.mond. / was still in command of the
litter bearers and had been for some