The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1916-11-24

III.
it was remarkable, and for while
was the worst scared in my life.
You see it was that first night that
|, in company with Lieutenant Hill
of Cross Anchor, spent in the bomb
proof pit. When the Yankees blew up
the mines that made the Crater" it
threw great piles of dirt over the
mouth of our bomb proof pit, and we
were shut in, it looked for Il while
like in living grave, for we were
there from before daybreak until
about O'Clock in the afternoon. Soon
after | realized what had happened |
began wondering how | could get out;
then thought of my sword, and be-
gan digging away with it at the edge
of the roof of the pit, which had been
formed of poles with many feet of
earth tramped down on it to offer
protection from gun fire. 1t was a
slow business, but little by little dug
the earth away, and finally got
through about eight feet, so that |
could see daylight. By that time 1
was terribly thirsty, and climbing up
to the top of the hole | had made, |
looked out to see what had happened,
and how near the Yankees we're, if
they should be around. On reaching
the top of the hole and looking out |
saw the Yankees were almost right at
me. | wanted water so bad | called
to one of them and asked for a
drink. The Yankee officer heard me,
but hung his head, and made no reply.
A negro soldier, who was standing
near him, said, "I'll give you water"
and seeing him raise his gun to shoot
[ dropped down the hole, and the bull
let, hitting where | had been, knocked
a lot of dirt down on my head. Not
long after that General BILLY" Mo-
hun, as brave Confederate soldier as
Virginia sent out, with one brigade
charged in an effort to recapture the
breastworks. Looking out again,
saw his men lying fiat on the ground
with the Yankees firing across them
two ways. Then Mohun brought up
another brigade, and all of them
rushed forward and took the breast
works. AS they charged, some of
them hearing me call, reached down
and pulled me out of the pit where
had been so long, and which it seemed
would be my grave, and so l was
saved from an awful DEATH"
Though Lieutenant Greer, who was
born on November 22nd, 1886, about
seven miles from this city, and who
enlisted with the Cross Keys COM
pany, Robert j. Betsill commanding,
in 1861, was in many of the big fights,
only surrending with Lee at Apo
M n hn L
and that in the shoulder at the battle
of Sharpsburg"
B. FRANK GREER-He volun-
teered in December, 1860, with Cad
berry's Minute Men," They volun-
teered to go in one minutes time He
served in the war three years. He
told his mother when he left home for
the war, no bullet would ever be
moulded by the Yankees that would
kill him. He was not wounded once.
but during service he swan across the
Potomac river, having had measles he
contracted Pneumonia and died at
Staunton, Virginia, where he is buried
CAPT. THOS. JEFFERSON
GREER-Was another brother who
lies buried in Sardis churchyard He
volunteered in December, 1860, under
Col. Gadberry's command-"M Minute
Men"-who volunteered to go in one
minutes time. General Gadberry, then
brilliant young lawyer, made an i'm
passioned speech declaring they could
whip the Yankees in six weeks, that
he would be willing to drink every
drop of blood split! Captain Jeff.
Greer saw him as he lay mortally
mounded on the battlefield; and he
said he never saw any soldier bleed
so profusely. They had placed the
colonel on the bank of a cool stream
but the blood flowed so freely from his
wounds down into the stream they had
to move him further back so as not to
spoil the water of the stream. Capt.
jeff. Greer and Capt. Charner were
both at the blowing up of Petersburg,
each had his company there, one on
the right wing of the army, the other
on the left. Capt. Jeff. Greer had Just
come off duty Git was early in the
morning), and he was waking soldiers
diers to cook breakfast, when he no
ticed in the distance the earth was
being blown high in the air. Very
soon 1T was upon him! All about him
the earth seemed to be opening like
great jaws and swallowing again, op-
ening and then swallowing again. He