The Anderson intelligencer. (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, December 04, 1901, Page 2, Image 2
WAR S'
Reminiscences of the
vi
Coi. C. C. Sanders
General Hooker, commanding tbt
Federal army in 1863, occupied the
hills north of the Kappahannock, Va.
with a force of about 125,000 thor
oughly equipped and well seasoned
troops. It was by far the best fur
nished body of soldiery at that time
in the field on either side. It waH
commanded by "Fighting Joe Hook
er," who had boasted "that while in
command of the army of the west he
had only been able to sec the backs of
the LrOnicderato soldier.ii? iiuu
been transferred to the army of the
Potomac for the express purpose of
taking Richmond. So sanguine was
he of accomplishing i.hi> feat that he
dated his general orders "Headquar
ters in the Saddle." General Lee's
army of 50,<MJO veterans occupied the
south bank of the river and in front
of Frcdcricksburg. It was composed
of Stonewall Jackson's and A. P.
I Till * h corps and McLuws' and Ander
son's divisions of Longstro .t's corps
(Longstrcet with the balance of his
corps being at Suffolk, Va., some 200
miles away).
The restless Hooker, on the 1st and
2d of May, 1863, crossed tho river im
mediately in front of the Confederate
lines \ itli a mo-t formidable array of
artillery, cavalry and boBt equipped
infantry theo in the servieo on either
side?greater in numbers than any
force General Lpo had in his entire
cou.iaand to oppose him with. But
thn sequel soon proved the truth of
in.! aphorism that "the race is not
always to the swift nor the battle to
the strong." Hooker bad also crossed
tho Kappahannock about the same
time 12 miles above Frcdericksburg
with 75,000 men of all arms, resting
eaoh wing of his command at or near
the bauks of the river, ard in the
form of a crescent. In addition to
this Hooker hud sent a large body of
cavalry under General Stoneinnn to
out off Lee's communication with
Richmond. By this movement he
thought he had Leo entirely surround
ed and completely iu his power and
boastingly announced in general orders
to his forces that his, ''the finest body
of troops on the planet," would quick
ly destroy Lee and his army and be in
Richmond in a very short time. Tho
writer, just at this time, witnessed one
of the graudest military spectacles
ever beheld in modern times. He
saw drawn up along tho shores and
adjacent plains of tho Rappahannook
River line after line of light and*
heavy artillery, with intorvals between
them; caeh line formed in regular or
der of battle and each supported by a
full army oorps and divisions of infan
try und cavalry, extending almost as
far back as the oye could reach. All
these dazzling lines of armed men
fairly glittering in blue and gold, with
their polished guns, flashing sabers
and brilliantly colored standards,
formed a picture of military hpleudor,
when taken in connection with their
vast numbers?all in full view of the
comparatively small and poorly equip
ped forocs of the Confederates, cer
tainly seemed sufficient to appall tho
hearts of any but the brave, courage
ous and intensely patriotic soldiers
who, relying on the justice of their
cause, had resolved not to bo intimi
dated by numbers or dismayed by all
this magnificent display of martial
grandeur. But as gloomy us the pros
pect was to the Southern troops, that
wonderful military genius, the indomi
table, daring, resourceful strategist
aud leader, "Stonewall" Jackson, wup
there aud showed himself equal to the
emergency.
L ite al night, he resolved to make a
persoual inspection of tho country
roa's and other approaches leading
towuid Hooker's rear near Ch ncel
lorsville. Disguising himself h si
lently left o?mp about midnight. He
had no: goic far before he came upon
a solitaty Confederate soldier, squat
ted over a little tiro, trying to cook
tender a Btnall piece of poor and very
tough beef, his only ration. After
conversing a short while with this lone
ration cooker, ho found him to be an
intelligent and well informed man,
one born and raised in the immediate
neighborhood aud thoroughly ac
quainted with every road and by-path
in all that section. Aftor fully assur
ing himself of this man's reliability
and fitness as a guide he made himsolf
known and, scouring the consent of
the soldier's captain, took him with
him, and soon by his guidance had
examined the ground in Hooker's
rear. Jackson returned to his troops
and soon had them in motion in the
direction ot Richmond. This was
only a feint, however, and induced
th Federals to think that, ho (Jack
S0V-) was either unwilling to meet
them i n battle or had gone to look
after Sioueman, who was endeavoring
\ id cut off Lee's supplies, in this di
j zoetit n. however, Jackson did not go
>6ry i-r before ho suddenly turned
TORIES.
! 13attic of Chancellors
lie.
t, in Atlanta Journal.
i toward Hooker's rear near Chancel
) lorsville.
, With his sharpshooters and a part
of Stuart's cavalry between him and
i the enemy, thus concealing his main
forces, he succeeded in carryiug his
men completely around the unsus
pecting Federals.
While witnessing all this the writer,
! though young, had had a fair military
education while at school and some
I experience while in command of a
! Georgia regiment which was then on
I the ground with some other troops be
j longing to General Longstrcet's corps,
I could not help thinking aud so ex
I pressed himself to one of his superior
I oilicurs that Lee outnumbered, as he
I was, at least two or three to one,
j would be compelled to fall back. Hut
I this did not prove to be so, as the
i ubiquitous "Stonewall" was soon
! pouring heavy volleys from his artil
lery and infantry into the flanks and
rear of Hooker's thoroughly surprised
and soon to be demoralized and routed
legions. Taking advantage of Hook1
cr's surprise Jackson rushed forwardj
with the velocity of a meteor aud tho
fury of a thuudorstorm and pushed
Hooker aud his powerful army back
until nightfall, when his victorious
troops fell down from sheer exhaustion
and bivouacked on tho field, surround
ed on all sides by the wounded and
slain of both armies.
After having again reconnoitred tho
ground and given his exhausted troops
a few hours' rest, Jackson concluded
to renew his attack that night. It
was whilo returning from this last rc
connoissanco that he aud the members
of his staff were mistaken by his own
men for a group of Federal cavalry
aud tired upon. Ab a result of this
disastrous umtako Jackson received
tho wouud from which he died a few
days later. Just before his death, ,
and whilo delirious, ho uttered those
notable and ever memorable words:
"Lot us pass over tho river and rest
under tho shade of the trees."
About 10 o'clock that night the
writer sat down with his back against
a tree in the midst of his regiment,
which was still in line of battle, and
while endoavoring to snatch a few mo
ments' sleep ho was suddenly aroused
by the firing of musketry and artillery
which seemed to proceed from a point
just beyond tho enemy's lines. This
firing proved to bo by a detachment of
our own troops that had silently
reached Hooker's rear. It was these
unfortunate shots that killed Stone
wall Jackson, the right hand of Lee,
one of tho groatost generals of the
army of Virginia and the idol of the
Confederacy.
Tho writer would hero bug tho in
dulgence of thoso who may ever tako
tho timo and trouble to peruse this
hastily written and rather disconnect
ed narrativo of the battle of Chancel
lorsville and somo of the heroio inci
dents directly conneoted therowith, to
say that ho had tho honor on several
occasions to post his regiment imme
diately around tho great Stonewall
Jackson at night and guard him whilo
he sought a fow hours' repose This
sleep was usually taken just before
day and at u different place, though
always within easy reach should his
plans require speedy execution. He
was invariably out of his ambulance,
in which he usually slept, and in his
saddle by daybreak. Ho was con
stantly moving. So it was exceeding
ly difficult for tho enemy and even his
own troop* to looatc him. ?
Thid(pob'oy was regarded as neces
sary, foi the Federals, as was well
known by us all, wore always anxious
10 know Jaokson's whereabouts in
order to evade, if possible, tho sudden
and generally irresistible onslaught ho
so often planned aud rapidly executed,
to their great discomfiture.
Jackson being disabled, as before
stated, his corps was placed under,
command of that indomitable, dashing
cavalry general, J. E. B. Stuart, who,
under tho eye of Lee. forced Hooker
back across the Kappahannock River,
whilo A. P. Hill's corps and McLaw's
division forced General Sodgewick,
with his many army corps, who were
moving in the direction of Chancel
lorsvillo, in the rear of Lee> across
the samo river at Bank's ford. At
this juncture the fate of Our army
seomed to hang upon a mere fhroad?
tho slightest error or mistake, though
only of a foather's weight, might have
turned '.he scale against us. Tho su
preme momont had arrived. Sodge
wick must bo crushed, for ho was
alroady pressing Loo's rear and was
aiming to unite with Hooker, whioh
might provo disastrous. But Lee,
like the great and uncqualod comman
der that ho was, proved equal to the
occasion. Ho had left General Gor
don with several brigades at Hamil
ton's crossing to guard in the direction
of Richmond. Gordon moved in
echelon, that sa, one brigade behind
another at greater or lens distance
apart, forming a somewhat lengthened
line of battle, each brigade ready by a
rapid movement to support one anoth
er in case of cither one meeting too
strong resistance. He in this way
struck Scdgwick's left flank and rear
like a tornado and poured such a tor
rent of shot and shell, grapu and can
ister into his strongly massed legions
as had seldom or never been seen be
fore on any field of battle, whilo Lee
in person, with McLaw's division and
such other troops as he had at hand,
moved quickly in Sedgowiek's front
at Salem Church, piercing his center.
As his (Sedgewick's) left and rear had
already suffered severely from Gor
don's well planned and well executed
attack, his entire force was defeated
and put to flight and compelled to
cross the Kappahannock after mid
night. This splendid echelon move
ment made by Cordon, which proved
so successful, seemed to have come to
him by intuition. He was a born sol
dier and did not realize at the time
that he was hut repeating a mo* cmcnt
that Joshua. Hannibal. Charlomainc
and other eminent commandants had
used ages before. Of all the brilliant
victories achieved by General Gordon
this one will be studied and admired
by studeuts of military science for
coming generations. Certainly to
Leo, Gordon and all the officers aud
private soldiers of the Army of North
ern Virginia beloug glory, honor and
fame, which will go soundiug down
the ages with increasing splendor and
brilliance, aud will inspire tho youth
of coming generations with patriotism,
true courage and every enobling virtue
that goes to make up the very highest
ideals of perfect, self-sacrificing man
hood and devotion to duty.
With no desire to criticise or in the
least to depreciate the chivalric valor
or magnificent courage and heroism of
the gallant troops of other Southern
States, nor to underestimate the valor
of our opponents, the writer, as a
Georgian and commander of a Georgia
regiment, hopes that he will not be
taxed with exaggeration, or as claim
ing undue credit for the troops of bis
nativo State, wh"n he says they cov
ered themselves with glory in the
bloody conflict they took so conspicu
ous a part in in and around Chancel
lorsville, Virginia, on tho third and
fourth of May, 1868. The Georgia
troops who took prominent parts in
the several engagements were those of
Phillips' and Cobb's legions and the
Sixteenth, Eighteenth and Twenty
fourth Georgia regitneuts, the latter
regiment the writer had the honor of
commanding. These brave sous of
noble old Georgia did their duty well
and unflinchingly, losing heavily both
of officers nod of men. Hundreds upon
hundreds of these brave boys are now
filling unmarked graves and long neg
lected trenehes in and around Chan
oollorsville and along the banks of the
Kappahannock. These silent homrs
of honor and neglected abodes of pa
triots still speak uot only to Geor
gians, but to the entire world and *? ?
wo who lie here died in vindication of
a righteous cause; a cause though it
failed, left not a stain on the unsoiled
escutoheon of our State or one foul
blot on a single page of her history.
No dishonorable act of ours in this
contest should cause a blush to mantle
the cheek of any honest, true hearted
Southern man.
Old Salem Church, around whose
hallowed portals were enacted so many
deeds of heroic valor and awful scenes
of desperate oonfliots, will long be re
membered by every one who witnessed
them. Scarcely ever before in the
history of ancient or modorn warfare
was so horrible a speotaolo of death
and carnage presented to human sight.
This venerable old edifice, that had so
long been consecrated to God and so
long used for His service by the fol
I lowers of the Prince of Peaoe, stand
ing, as it did, midway between Fred
ericksburg and Chancellorsville, was
the-very center of one of the most de
structive battles of the war betweon
the States. Here hundreds upon hun
dreds of the wounded of both armies
were gathered up and brought for sur
gical attention?the building being
used as a field hospital. Tho scenes
of death and carnage witnessed here
no human longue or pen can adequate
ly describe. Even the stoutest hearts
of thoco who had been long inured to
scenes of blood and suffering, stood
palu aud speechless and trembling as
they beheld these heartrending sights.
After the house was filled the spa
oious churchyard was literally covered
with wounded and dying. Tho sight
inside of the building, for horror, was,
perhaps never equaled within so limi
ted a space, every available foot of
space was crowded with wounded and
bleeding soldiers. The floor, the
benches even tho chancel and pulpit
were nil packed almost to suffocation
wiih them. ?
The amputated limbs were piled up
in every cornet almost as high as a
man could reaoh; blood flowed in
streams along the aisles and out at the
doors; screams and groans were heard
on all sides, while the surgeons with
their assistants, worked with knives,
saws, sutures and bandages to relieve
or savo all they could from bleeding
to death. These heartrending horrors
are now, after nearly forty years has
elapsed, as vivid in tue memory of tho j
I,
writer, and probably in the memories
of many others who witnessed them as
though they had occurred but on yes
terday.
This venerable old edifice was badly
wrocked during the battle, but in con
sideration of tho fact that the wound
ed Federals received just as tender '
and careful treatment at the hands of
our surgeons and their assistants as ;
the Confederates did, caused some
generous citizens of the North soon
after the war closed, to show their up- |
preoiation of the kindness shown their
suffering soldiers, had the house re
built in a very handsome manner.
So old Salem Church stands to-day
one of the most beautiful houses of
worship in all that part of the coun
try, and a noted landmark of one of
the bloodiest battles of the late eivil
war.
In conclusion, I will state that sel
dom bo overwhelming a victory was
ever gained ovf such fearful ndd? ??
Genoral Lee's over General Hooker at
Chancellorsville. By it, Richmond
was saved and the Federal army, one
of tho largest and best appointed that
had ever been encountered by our
troops up to that time, was thorough
ly beaten aud forced to save itself
from almost utter extermination by
ignominious retreat. According y>
statistics taken from Hooker's ;\ud
Lee's roports, new on record at Wash
ington and recently published, is
taken the following figures. Hooker
had in the action 113,833 troops, 404
pieces of artillery, besides small arms,
and lost 17,287 men, while Lee had
only 50,081 troops, 160 oanaon, be
sides small arms, and lost 12,000 men.
These figures clearly show the military
genius, skill and ability of General
Leo and his subordinate officers as
well as the pure metal of whioh the
Confederate soldier, from the highest
officer to the humblest man in the
ranks was oompo?od.
Knew all About it.
Rear Admiral William s Kirkland
was affectionately known in the navy
as "Red Bill."
A young'ensign hesitatingly found
his way into the admiral's cabin one
day, and with a great deal of circum
locution and coughing finally let it
be known that he loved the admiral's
daughter, and would be the happiest
man on earth if he had her parent's
consent to marry her.
"No, sir!" thundered the admiral.
"No, Biree. Not now, anyhow. No
pauper of an ensign is going to marry
my daughter. You'd better wait until
you are promoted aud are able to sup
port yourself before you think of mar
rying."
The young officer astounded the ad
miral by not retiring precipitately. He
even ventured the reminder that the
admiral himself had married when he
was but an ensign, and that his mar
ried life had been a happy one.
"Red Bill" Kirkland glared at the
presumptuous spoaker for a moment
and then thundered: ,
"I know I married when I was an
ensign. My father-in-law supported
me for several years, too, but I'll be
hanged if yours will!"?JVeio York
Time?.
? A man can earn money faster
than a woman can, but she can spend
it faster than ho oan earn it.
? It isn't always easy to tell how
much you don't love one woman till
you meet another that you do love.
Slightly Disfigured b
YES, we have dUfiured the Hayed
but still have some Bargains left in?
Shoes, Hats, Pants and
I am adding on a Stock of?
Groceries, Sugar,
Try a Barrel of Bransford, Clifton or 6
pleased. White Wine Vinegar 2&e. pe
New Stock
You will find our assortm
Anderson. We have all the la
you v; ant that Is up-to-date yo
best materials and built right,
priced. Elegant styles at?
Getting thcOid Alan's Consent.
"It was settled sometime ago that
be was to marry my daughter," said
the father of a girl of tho period, "bat
it yet remained for the young man to
get my consent. It was merely a for
mality, however, as I had eat no figure
whatever during the campaign, my
girl arranging matters to suit herself
without consulting me or my wishes.
"Now, I remembered with what
trepidation I had approached my
wife's father when I asked him for.
her hand, and I made up my mind
that when that young man showed up
to ask me for my daughter's hand I
would have revenge, not only for what
I had to pass through when I urged
my suit, but for being shoved into the
back ground during the present pro
ceedings.
"Well, he called at my office yester
day, and I told my office boy to admit
ullruv OllVi ODO
we were not disturbed.
"'Just drop in,' said he, easily,
declining to take a seat, 'to toll you
that I am going to marry your daugh
ter the middle of next month." It will
be an informal affair, So you may con
sider yourself invited without further
notice. Good day.'
"Before I could catch my beath he
was gone, and when I complained to
my daughter about his treatment of
me, all the comfort I got was that I
could consider myself fortunate in
getting an invitation, as it was to be
an exclusive affair."? Detroit Eree
]yn-88. -
?'Apropos of the money question,
nary a man in publio life or out has
yet devoloyed a scheme which will give
everybody all the money he wants.
? It has been calculated that the
hair of the beard grows at the rate of
one and one-half hues a weok. Tnin
will give a length of six and oue-half
inches in the course of a year.
woods
Know that iu spite of hard work, in the
clear forest air the blood often becomes
impure. The heavy food served iu the
lumber camps is to a great extent re
sponsible for this condition of the
blood, which renders the body an easy
prey to many forms of disease.
There is no better
blood purifier thah
Dr. Pierce's Gold
en Medical Discov
ery. It cure9 enip
tions, pimples, ec
z e m a, scrofula,
rheumatism, and
other 'diseases
caused by an im
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together by cleans
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breed and feed dis
ease.
Accept no sub
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covery." There is
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"just as good "for
the blood.
? I will forever thank
you for advising me
to take Dr. Pierce's
Golden Medical Ois
covcry," -writes Mrs.
?ames Murphy, of
on da, Pocahontas
Co.. Iowa. "It has cured me of chronic scrofula
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to Dr. Pierce's Golden Medical Discovery. X
took several boUles of the 'Discovery' before
I stopped."
Dr. Pierce's Common Sense Medical
Adviser, containing 100S pages, and over
700 illustrations, is sent fiee ou receipt
of stamps to defray expense of mailing
only! Send 21 one-cent stamps for the
book in paper cover, or 31 cents for the
r>k in cloth binding. Address Dr. R.
Pierce, Buffalo, N. Y.
at Still in the Ring !
\ Stock considerably the past six w? eks,
1 Notions of all Kinds. .
Coffee and Floor.
Ipotless, and I am sure you will be
r gallon.
W. BUCHANAN, Masonic Temple.
ST 33 OTT 13;
reu buy i
ant the largest and finest in
test new styles? and whatever
a will find here. BnUt of' tho
our Carriages are also} right
PRICES.
JOS. 3. FEE?w*ELI.
The Kind Ton Have Always Bought, and which hail betn
in use for over SO years, has borne the signatnro of
and has been made under his per
sonnl supervision since its infancy.
Allow no one to deceive you in this.
All Counterfeits, Imitations and ?? Just-as-go?d*' are but
Experiments that trifle with and endanger the healtU ?fvH
Infants and Children?Experience against Experiment?
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? When the Leaves
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18 the limo to eow OATS, B,N JE. and BARLEY. Now, in order thaCyou
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for you. JUST RECEIVED?
3G00 bushels Texas Bed Bust Proof Oats,
2000 bushels Ninety Sis Bed Bust Proof Oats,
1000 bushels Winter Grazing Oats.
Car Load Bye and Barley. /
Cou 1*1 have wild the above without moving gam" for a handsome profit,
but prefer?*d to give them to you at a loss, as we want to uupply those that
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Kecollei't the above in only about one-quarter our usual supply, and is all
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'if 2si. ?k? ?sAtrxisoN.
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