Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-10-02
EIeHTY.sEcoND INsTALLMENT

the enemy at and below Stone Bridge,
the triumph Of the day was not COM
plete till their reserves were driven
from their rallying point, opposite
Blackburn's ford; and the honor OF this
daring and hazardous enterprise Is en-
phatically due, and is given by all who
know anything about it to Col Jenkins
regiment. The ever vigilant and dis
cerning eye Of Beauregard himself,
saw both the extreme Importance and
the extreme danger Of this assault;
and early in the morning had ordered
three brigades, Jones, Ewells' and one
other to advance, meet beyond the
Run and make the charge, with the
reserved purpose If successful OF flank
ing the enemy's left in the general en-
gagement. There can be no doubt that
the fight would have ended hours soon
er If this plan had succeeded; but 1T
did not. From causes unknown to us,
the other brigades failed to meet us, at
the appointed rendezvous, and Gen.
Jones after lying with his men in the
woods for hours, hearing that a large
body of cavalry were coming up on our
right, and an overwhelming corps OF
infantry were striving to cut us of on
our left, hastily retreated to Bulls Run.
The boys had scarcely time to MUNICH
their dinner Of crackers and bacon,
however, before they were put upon
the march again. This time it had been
planned to make the charge with Cen
eral Longstreet. The day was waning
rapidly, and there was no time to lose.
We made forced and circuitous march
Of some five miles, up and down rug
ged hills, through forests rendered
almost impenetrable by the dense un-
dergrowth, and over yawning ravines.
When we reached the place from which
the long and apparently desperate as
sault was to be made, the men were
nearly exhausted from fatigue. Never
th4'ess the untamable spirit which
burned in their bosoms urged them on
to deeds Of dauntless heroism. The 5th
men drawn up in line Of battle, and
crouched at a ready" on an open hill
side; the Mississinni 18th were drawn
up in a ravine behind them; and the
Mississippi 18th were on the left lower
down the ravine. Skirmishers were
thrown forward to scour the field, and
drive the outposts of the enemy. No
sooner had these received and returned
CALLING fire, than our colonel gave the
order to advance, when a shout arose
from our line, and the men went for
ward with a rush over the hill.
We crossed an open field in full blaze
Of rapid fire from the enemy's sharp
shooters and artillery. Then came the
astonishing part Of this almost unpre-
cedented charge. We now had to de-
scend a steep hill covered very densely
with the crooked and serpentine laurel
"a place which the bear, panther and
wild cat themselves would delight to
haunt. This hill side was from 25 to
so yards in extent, and took thes wifi
est Of us from to 10 minutes to de-
scend it. This had to be done, too, when
when we were in full blaze Of triple
fire from the enemy's cannon, their
musketry and a tremendous flank fire
from the Mississippians, who unfortu-
nately, mistook us for the advancing
enemv Yet our men never faltered.
They mounted to the fence, and in two
minutes the whole hill side was stir
ring like a bee hive. Being corporal
of the color-guard, and a smaller man
than the sergeant, and only having a
gun instead of a long flag staff to car
ry through the jungle, we reached the
foot of the hill before the colors and
had a moment to turn and survey the
scene. You never saw a hail storm de-
scend with more relentless and stormy
fury. The Yankees used buck and ball,
and every musket, consequently dis
charged four deadly missiles, and their
columns also, now began to open fire
upon us. We caught the CLEAN Of our
glorious tri ri-color about half way down
the HILL and the groans Of the wound
ed fell harshly upon our ears.
Our regiment crossed the creek at
the bottom of the hill, some Of them
wading the water to almost waistdeep,
passed the fiat and advanced, midway
the next ascent, when the colonel halt
ed us, in order to put stop to the un-
fortunate fire of the Mississippians
which now increased in fury as they
mistook us for the retreating enemy
Our shout in charging and promiscu-
Gus fire which went up from our whole
line, put the foe to a precipitious
fight; and General Longstreet came
upon the field just in time to see the
action, close, and possess himself of
the guns which they left behind;
though he gives all the honor in driv-
ment.
Our force from $500 to 200, with
two pieces Of the Washington artil-
lery, which however, after almost su-
Ciioi o"iiiS ~ Wv NSSN-
roughness Of the ground, made to them
selves, a mortifying failure to get into
position. The enemy had, it is thought,
at least 5000 musketeers, two or three
companies of sharpshooters, 500 caval-
ry, field battery of three pieces, and
three other pieces in a masqued bat
terry. The loss on our side were three
men killed and nineteen wounded; on
that Of the enemy about forty men.
General Jones in his official report, said
that he was happy to report his bri-
gade as contributing "a little" to the
general success; General Beauregard
said, not little, but a great deal" and
President Davis, who was among the
Mississippians on Sunday night. says
he knows nothing equal to this loni