The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1915-05-26
BEFORE THE BATTLE
OF MANASSAS

+.ENe Sunday News will feel an inter-
~s-s IN the events that led up to the
t,ztSse of Manassas, I write this:
IL July, 1861, four regiments OF
.Ssuih Carolina troops were camped
at FHrfax-the End, Col. J. B. Ker-
. Eksau; the 3rd, Col WILLIAMS;
rho gzh, Col. T. G. Bacon; the Sth'
<4,sd, Cash. These constituted Gen.
III. L Bonham's brigade, the first
:s,rrade formed in Virginia.
NE spent most of u time drill
.1p- We hardly had time to cook
III, rations. In the morning squad
..trs. company drill, skirmish drill,
a1as1alion drill, regiment drill, brl-
y.rass drill. In the evening brigade
.uazsI- regiment drill, battalion drill,
.sHruish drill, company drill. If
there were any other kinds of drills
EYE had 'em.
&ln the morning of the 10th, the
yZoae roll beat; the enemy were ad-
rsxneing, our pickets were being driv-
.ss1. In. Part of my company were
aaeAet, they came running in, out
v:as breath. They had been doing
; khs double-quick for two miles. We
firM back on Centerville, then to Bull
!Tr1 Here we formed line of bat
ria sn the south side of the Run, at
1lsrhell's Ford, about three miles
x,urHh of Manassas junction. At
x7acse we began digging trenches
=zAsaag the bank of the creek. We
'rssuraed day and night; the ground
wus hard and tools were scarce. The
enemy hurried US up by throwing
sEaells in our line for four days from
"A '1atm1g they had up the road to-
-Syznds Centerville. Col. Bacon climb
s:.1 high tree and from it he could
NEE the smoke of the cannon before
NE a:nuld hear the sound, then he
1pS9hS call "Look out" and into the
french everybody jumped.
On the 18th, at Blackburn's Ford,
,axn aur right, Gen. Longstreet had
,xyzise a little fight with a force of
Federals about equal in number to
.asx own brigade. The enemy SEEM
I'D sD be feeling their way across the
-Rln, yet they never tested Mitchell's
.FGnd, which. was on the main road
from Centerville to Manassas, about
hallway between the two.
On Saturday, the Goth, between
ssmaown and dark, Col. Bacon or
NIs1ed Capt. John S. Hard to take his
..arMnpany (F) to the north side of
:rzlr Bun, to do picket duty. Fording
sahe creek we marched about half a
E1xafr in the direction of the enemy
zxzaf filed left into a field of clovec.
.EgsE we halted, and half the COM
. nulg was detailed for videt duty,
..Saaar men to a post. The other half
ssas held in reserve, in the rear, IN
. s5er THE hill.
The first group of four was taken
t!EJom the left of the company, these
beng the smallest men, mere boys in
2IarI, and posted nearest to the main
:|rad to Centerville. This group of
: tour We're Benjamin S~harpton, Jas.
tS-zafr, ISmithfield Radford, and
( Galloway K. Henderson. Orders
sSs1s given us that two should stand
"uTaleh while two slept in the clover,
land a fine soft bed it was.
We had relieved each other a few
NHimes, and it was perhaps after mid
night, when an officer rode up from
The rear, who proved to be Capt
Samuel MCGOWAN, a special aid on
Gan Bonham's staff. l was awake
xaSa1 he came up and he asked if
anything was going on.
"Nothing," I replied, Except that
fLhe enemy are moving up the creek
go DIR left"
"How do you know that?" he ask
.G5Ad.
we hear the wheels of wagons
End artillery rolling over the rocks
an the road. Wait a little and you
will hear them"
At this moment he G%ismounted.
z:ftd, leaving his horse with us, he
a"st MT forward a little way, and lis
T. .Rned. We could see him put his