The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1915-06-02


Believing that the readers of The
Sunday News will feel an interest in
the events that led up to the battle
OF Manassas. / write this
In July 1861, four regiments of
South Carolina troops were camped
at FairfaX--the End, Col. J. B. Ker-
shaw; the 3rd, Col. Williams;
the 7th, Col. 7. G. Bacon; the Sth
Col. Cash. These constituted Gen.
NJ. l.. Bonham's brigade, the first
brigade formed in Virginia.
We spent most of our time drill
Ing. We hardly had time to cook our
rations. In the morning squad drill,
company drill skirmish drill, bat
talon drill, regiment drill, brigade
drill. In the evening brigade drill,
regiment drill, battalion drill, skirm-
isi drill company drill. If there we're
any other kinds Of drills we had EN-.
On the morning Of the 10TH the
long roll beat; the enemy were adj
vancing, our pickets were being driv-
80 '''' o't VI ny company "cTS
picket they came running in, out Of
breath. They had been doing the
double quick for two miles. We fell
back on Ccntervillc, then to Bull Run.
Here we formed line Of battle on the
south side Of the Run, at Mitchell's
Ford, about three miles north of Ma
nassas junction. At once we began
digging trenches along the bank of
the creek. We worked day and night;
the ground was hard and tools were
scarce. The enemy hurried us up by
throwing shells in our line for four
days from a battery they had up the
road towards Ccntervillc. Col. Bacon
climbed a high tree and from it he
could see the smoke Of the cannon be-
fore we could hear the sound, then he
would call Look out!" and into the
trench everybody jumped
On the 18th, at Blackburn's Ford
on our right, Gen. Longstreet had
quite a little fight with a force OF
Federals about equal in number to
his own brigade. The enemy seem
ed to be feeling their way across the
Run, yet they never tested Mitchclls
Ford which was on the main road
from Centerville to Manassas, about
halfway between the two.
On Saturday, the Goth, between
sundown and dark, COL Bacon or
dered Capt. John S. Hard to take his
company CD to the north side OF
the Run, to do picket duty. Fordine
the creek we marched about half q
mile in the direction Of the enemy
and filed left into field Of clover
Here we halted. and half the com.
pany was detailed for videt duty
four men to a post. The other hall
was held in reserve, in the rear, un.
der the hill.
The first group Of four was taker
from the left of the company, these
being the smallest men, mere boys ir
fact, and posted nearest to the mair
road to Centerville. This group Of
four were BENJAMIN Sharpton, Jas
Cadle, Smithfield Radford, and Gallo.
way X. Henderson Orders were Civ
en- us that two should stand watch
while two slept in the clover, and q
fine soft bed it was
We had relieved each other few
times, and it was perhaps after mid,
night, when an officer rode up from
the rear, who proved to be Capt
Samuel MCGOWAN, special aid or
Gen. Bonham's staff. ] was awake
when he came up and he asked Il
anything was going on.
Nothing" | replied except tha
the enemy are moving up the creek
to our left"
"IIow do you know that?" he ask.
ed.
1--WE hear the wheels of wagons
and artillery rolling over the rock!
IN the road. Wait little and yol
will hear them"
at this moment he dismounted
and, leaving his horse with us. he
went forward little way, and lis
tened We could see him put hi:
hands to his ears. Present he came
back in hurry.
Has this been reported to Gen
Bonham or Gen. Beaurcgard?"
mo, sir; we were forbidden tc
leave our post, and no officer OF
n ,