The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1913-02-07

hoo DecH gone now ABOUT an hour
and l was getting restless and un-
easy. told Tom to turn me loose
and let me go to the door and get
back to me-" stepped out into the
and saw the Yankees about seventy
nve yards from me advancing slow
ly. l did not have time to get nv
gun and knapsack and blanket, but
burned the wind until l was nearly
up with the rear guard and then 7
stopped, looked back toward town
and saw the Yankees advancing
slowly along not near enough to our
men for firing. Our army was NOV
ing as fast at the roads would per-
init, for they were very muddy and
our artillery and wagon train were
making it a great deal worse for
the enemy. So did not have to rush
to get away from them. On account
OF bad roads we could not keep sup
piled with rations. | told John to
get ahead of the army and have me
something good for my supper. So
ne pulled out. We marched hard that
day, camping not far below Rich
mond near the Chickahominy River.
John was with the wagon train Just
across the river. Several of us went
over to get something to eat. We
had to wade the river and we got
wet up to our waists, and it was
cold and no dry clothes for change.
We were now very hungry, wet and
cold. John had his supper a little
more than half cooked. We pitched
into it with vim, but it was the
poorest, worse tasting meat l had
ever tasted. There was not a tea
spoonful of grease in the whole hog.
l could not eat enough of it to do
me any good. asked John why he
could not do any better than that,
and he said all the hogs around
there were poor and the one he pot
was the best looking he saw, and it
liked to have run him to death. L
told him l was sorry it did not out
run him. l finished my supper on
army bread an dwater. BY the way,
stayed all night in Birmingham
on the 18th of June, 1908 and got
into a conversation with a doctor
who had been in that same cam
paign and he told me that about the
same time he tried to eat some pork
that was so poor and bad tasting
that he could not eat it. In all prob
ability it was some of the same hog
as our negroes would get together
often on their foraging expeditions
and divide such things.
Now we are below and not far
from Richmond and 1 have forgotten
what did occur there at that time be-
fore the seven days fighting around
Richmond began but think there was
some pretty heavy skirmishing along
about that time as we would have to
show the Yankees we intended to do
some bloody work before they could
march into the city. However, we
began fortifying and reinforcing for
the great battles that were fought
around there before the end of that
campaign the second year of the war
l have school history before me
to see if I can refresh my memory,
but 1t is only on large battles and not
much of that. But I see from this
|HhtseAW that General Mcclellan
hsTed towards Richmond with 12o,-
600 men and that he was opposed
and held in check for a month by
Magruder with 10000 men. At
length the Confederates were forced
to fall back, and says Mcclellan
kept advancing towards Richmond
and fought Johnston at Seven Pines.
1t does not mention the Williamsburg
fight at all. 1 know that Johnston
was in command at Yorktown about
twelve or fifteen miles below Will
liamsburg when we began falling
back and while were were marching
through Williamsburg 1 heard firing
about mile behind US and we were
halted in few minutes. / saw Cen
eral Johnston raving mad at the
wagon drivers for blocking up the
road and that was what caused us to
have to fight that evening. l men
tion this to show you what over
whelming numbers we had to fight.
But victory is not always gained by
overwhelming numbers as was proved
on many other battle fields.
In the battle of Seven Pines we
were marched from our camp a few
miles away towards Seven Pines not
Knowing where we were going or what
for. But when we got within about
mile or more we heard firing, and
knew then that we were going to
fight. And we soon began to hear
the bullets whistling around us. We
then halted and threw off all extra
baggage so as to use our arms easily.
We were somewhat surprised when
we left camp, we were not expecting
fight so soon, and we thought the
Yankees would do the next assault
ing, but it seemed now that we were
the attacking party. And there was