The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1916-04-14

WHICH hiu DeeH lorHheu OF pOleS with
many feet of earth tramped down on
it to offer protection from gun fire.
1t was slow business, but little by
little / dug the earth away, and fin
ally got through about eight feet, so
that | could see daylight. By that
time l was terribly thirsty and, climb
ing up to the top of the hole | had
made, | looked out to see what had
happened, and how near the Yankees
were, if they should be around.
"On reaching the top of the hole
and looking out l saw the Yankees
were almost right at me. l wanted
water SO bad l called to one of them
and asked for 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 l dropped down the
hole, and the bullet hitting where I
had been, knocked lot of dirt down
on my head. Not long after that Cen
eral "Billy" Mohun, as brave Con-
federate 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
breastworks. 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 1
was saved from an awful DEATH"
Though Lieutenant Greer, who vas
born on November 22nd, 1886, about
seven miles from this city, and who
enlisted with the Cross Keys COM
pany, Robert ]. Betsill commanding,
in 1861, was in many of the big fights
only surrendering with Lee at Appo-
mattox, he received but one wound,
and that in the shoulder at the battle
of Sharpsburg.
B. Frank Greer. He volunteered in
December, 1860, with Gadberry's
Minute Men," They volunteered 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 Petomac
river, aD11ng had neasels he CONTRACT
ed pneumonia and died at Staunton,
Virginia, where he is buried.
Capt. Thos. jefferson Greer. Was
another brother who lies buried in
Sardis church yard. He volunteered in
December, 1860, under Col. Cad
berry's command-"Mi Mem
who volunteered to go in one minutes
time. General Gadberry, then a bril-
liant young lawyer, made an impas-
stoned speech declaring they could
whip the Yankees in six weeks, that
he would be willing to G1'ink every
drop of blood split Captain jeff
Greer saw him as he lay mortally
wounded on the battlefield and he
said he never saw any soldier bleed
so profusely. They had placed tho
colonel on the bank of 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
Greer 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 morningE,
and he was waking soldiers to cook
breakfast, when he noticed in the dis
tance the earth was being blown in
the air. Very soon it was upon him.
All about him the earth seemed to be
opening like great jaws and swallow
ing again, opening and then swallow
ing again. He was cut off from the
Confederate soldiers entirely but ran
over these places, several yards, till
he was with them, his coat tail being
riddled with bullets. (They say real
soldier knows when to run as well as
when to stand). And then the Yam
KEGS were upon them with fixed bay
onets. Captain Greer and Mr.. john
Mcdaniel, whose widow now lives in
the Sardis neighborhood, were stand
ing side by side fighting when Cap
tain Greer sa wa big negro soldier
make lunge at Mr.. Mcdaniel with a
bayonet, Captain Greer raised the butt
of his rifle and struck the negro a
killing blow, thereby saving Mr.. Nc
Daniels life. Captain Greer went on
down to the branch to hunt for his
brother, Captain Charner Greer who,
that night had been sleeping in a
bomb-proof pit. He found him wash
ing the mud and clay from his eyes
and hair.
Captain Jeff Greer lost a leg at
Burgess Farm the last battle below
Petersburg, and. was taken prisoner
there. Frank Vaughn, orderly SER