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^ VOL. CREWS TELLS OF A CLASH WITH HAMPTO A Midnight Charge in Which ho F the Weight of his Leader's Sabre ?Hampton Almost Shot by One of his Own Men. Some lime ago I was icquested the editor <?t' The News and Cour: and The Stiii,lay News to write 1 the latter a story regarding a war : eident in which (Jen. Hampton, 11 sell ami others of his cavalry eo niand participated, and which ca dangerously near resulting in t serious wounding, if not death, of <1 beloved chief. I herewith submit t subjoined brief sketch: j, 11 may be necessary, bv way of sort of preface, to >ay that about li years c ha rye of ('id. T. M. Crews, Laurcyis, edr.son in honor of (!( Hampton, several thrilling- ineidei in his war career were related. Amo was the following as reported in I papers of that city : "jVlr. W. W. Witssell, who was scout and guide, rode with bo Stuart and Hampton, gave some in <lenls in the raids of the latter. I related how one dark night two < 7 a'cbnieuts, one under command 1 lampion, the other in charge of C r. H. Crews, of Laurens, met in I darkness while trying to flank Ibu side's army, and nothing hut the pr< encc of mind of a private saved (l< Hampton from being killed, like .lac sou, by liis own men.'' A veteran friend of mine, who w present on the occasion, wrote me note rci|iiest ing I hat I give the im dent more in detail. I tried to so, briefly explaining, or rather ?*< reeling. some of the errors or lapse !:irt mi the part of the speaker, wlii was not unnatural alter an inlerv ol torly years since the incident < cured. I lie I act - o| the somewhat nicim able incident in <|iic-:iiou. as I reniei ber them. I hey having occurred nesi )\ I oriy-t i\ e \ ears ago, but which believe are sub>t a lit ia 11 \ correct, a ;i< follow,* : A >liort lime before the battle I'redrick>buru. >oine lime in ihe I; ier pari ? I November or early in I' ''ember. I Sti'J. (!en. 11 a1111>I o11 made raid ami reconiioissance into the Ya kee lines, his command on this par ciilai occasion being composed of i taclimenls from the several re; jnenls ot bis brigade, consisting ol fhousaml or more cavalry ami a eon I;?- of guns of Hart's battery. T .'ornmand crossed the Uappahanmi sit Kelly's Kurd, about dark, and aft vu'oceediiig some miles, went into bi onac until just before day. It was e'lear. but bitterly cold night. No t was allowed, of course, as we wt ben well inside the lines of the ei my, smiie twenty miles or more, pi haps, where even loud talking \\ Jorhidden, ollicers' commands hoi rather whispered than audible. Lei jng bivouac (cavalry on such que, never thought of going regularlv 1o camp) the command proceeded a point near Stafford's store in i per Stafford County, situated on iVNid known as the "Telegra road." a highway leading from K mouth, where llurnside's army v then encamped, to Humphries. T road was of much importance to I vMicniy, being the main arlerv or clu nel of communication between tin two posts, especially at this partie ar juncture, and hence was strom guarded by Yankee cavalry, pick being posted every half mile, with strong reserve post of several hi <lred. (Jon. Hampton's iiumedi; purpose was to capture I his rescn bal. in addition, had other objects view. dust before reaching Telegra road, which was approached by 4*ross-eouiitrv road, fJen. Hamptoi command, with the exception of I Jeff Davis Legion, was halted sev :ii hours lo allow time for the lat regiment, which was sent a circuit* roule, to get in rear of the Yanl reserve. A for waiting n snllieicnt time, supposed, for the legion to make I fircuil. the main portion of the co tn.ind struck the Telegraph road a y?roceeded upon it for the purpose capturing all the force ai the rcsci l?osl thai the legion tailed to caplu as by that roail, in the direction Falmouth, was the only avenue escape for the enemy. But. unfortunately the guide for Jefjf Davis Legion made a mistake jsot making the circuit extens -enough, and striking the Telegri wad between the reserve and the n picket post, in the direction of main approaching column, iiistead getting in rear of' the reserve post originally designed and planned Hampton. , The legion, however, although t ang to capture the resorve, captu : . : . , ' . :-.'v & several smaller posts ami proceeded > 'N. down the road up which Hampton's 1 main column was approaching-, ex- i elt peeling; the Yankees to bo retreating < i in that direction, having heard oc- < easioital firing fdr- some time. As 1 th* legion tvpproAched near' enough I to >be'distinctly heard, one of Hamp- I by ton's- videttew, about forty yards I ier ahead of the advance guacd, (to the j 'or command of which 1 hail been assign- I i.i- ed,) feeling assured that the expected i iy- ^ ankees were closely approaching, >1 m- calling out: "Here they come, boys!" 1 me Instantly (Sen. Hampton, (always at he the front,) who was abreast of the s iur first set ol lours of the advance j lie guard, gave the command to charge, t lie himself leading, followed by the ( J( 1st South Carolina, the leading regive nient that night, the whole affair ,,( taking place after dark. When the , II. head ol Hampton's column struck ijs what was supposed to be the fleeing j hi. Yankees there was, ol course, (|uite j lit* a clash, each thinking the other the enemy, but instead it was (Jreek meet n ting (}reek, or rather friend in death j ith ",aI)l,'y with friend?sabre and pisej. ,(>1 being used in a hand-to-hand life- 1 II t destroying struggle. 1(>. It lasted, however, but a few brief 0|' moments?Hampton, with his innate ' (,| coolness ami presence of mind in evhe (,|.v emergency, having iliscovered the mistake, called out in clarion voice: >s- S|??p I his. men, we're all (Jeorgia!" j ii. verbal signal or watchword for ,\^ thai somewhat eventful night was ' '' (Jeorgia.'' as ' I"' head ol llamptou's main col- ( a ,mm 11)1,1 charged the Jeff Davis Le- ( i.j_ | gion through mistake. ?lo When order was restored it was I r- fortunately found that though sever- I of a I of the men were wounded, some of \ ch them painfully, none was killed. The I a! hordes were less tortuiiate, several be- i ?c- ing killed and wounded. I We shall not soon forget the oc- 1 ?r- currence or the night, which was ex- ' in- liiig'v cold, I lie sky thickly over- ' ir- east. I h real cuing snow, and although ' I . I here was a young- moon il gave little ' re I or iin li^ln,- ii*>t enough lo distinguish l a gray jacket from a blue. I "'! Among others silghtly wounded in ' 1 Ii is affair the writer received quite ,t'" :l vigorous rap on the head and 1 shoulder from a sabre in the hand ? and from the strong arm of his chief I ti- (leu. Hampton himself. Hut for 1 \ 'I"' g<*od lortmie ot having an uuusu- ' ally thick visor to my cap the blow ' would doubtless have done me much 'P greater injury. As it was, however, ' 'lc> the sabre cut entirely through the ' ('k visor and inflicted a slight wound just > er at the root of the hair, above the left ! ly' temple. This, with a stiff shoulder ? ; '"i" ?' lew days, was the extent of niv ' 11 injuries. I was more fortunate than ' >l'? some others. I?ut when I received my '< l?- chief's sabre blow 1 saw more stars I pr* than I ever expect to see again with- 1 as out looking at them, and having my- ! "" s?'lf previously dealt some pretty ' hea\ \ biows to others was not much 1 :,s consolation. \ el my consolation did I U1- com when t!ie Oeneral invited me to I 1(1 take supper with him and staff the i 'P- same night at the house of a loyal a southern sympathizer, though in life l'!l Yankee lilies. The hill ot' fare was . A boun'iitul. including genuine coffee? |as and something stronger?each of 'J1S which luxury had been long a slram'he 0l. >se Hampton, as 1 afterwards 1 ul- ','*1'" ''a''">'' a (dose call on the ,.|v >? question. One of his trusted ets Walker I'ussell, in the midst ( n ol H>?' dar:;nes? and confusion, had covered the General with his pistol, tjt, being within a lew feet of him, and (1. supposing lie was one of the enemy. in I wa< in 1 lie v.?i \ act ot' firing when' j I lamplo", iiaxing discovered the .ui<ph the irder to cease the a slniggle. I luis a terrible calamity , was narrowly averted 11 l|u, I hat Wade 'lampion was born, as er- been well claimed, ''a military llM. genius, ' no man who saw or studied ?us 'ns career in the war between the slates could doubt for a moment. He was not military bred or eduea' as cd, but seemed ;o understand the I he scenec of war is if by intuition. I'.v mi-: cr calm and i.i n f'ed. even in gr sit I mil emergency and :?>n "sI the mo-' in: nl miueiil danger, iiis was a pes.'??><; I<i * j I've I hat inspired cnirve ami imn rleu ire, t lie utmost confidence to his followofjers. In adition to these distinguish of ing and marked characteristics, as well as that Napoleonic "four the o'clock in the morning courage," atin tribute*! to the "Little Corporal" as ivc a test of true bravery in the soldier, iph Hampton possessed other qualities as cxt a military leader in large measure, the He was eminently kind and humane of to his men?the private as well as to ns the subaltern ofUcer. A single inb.v stance will amply illustrate: On one occasion of a raid far over in the ail- j Yankee lines, on a midwintor night, red 1362, the weather^ quite cold and / mowing, one of his command, a mere Jul in years, not being sufliciently lad, loll from his horse from sheer old and numbness, apparently fro/.-. !u *tark a,,d stiff- As soon'us the act was made known to Gen. Ilampon ho halted the entire column, re-1 urned in person to the place where the boy lay and with his own hands issisted in carrying- rails from a near!>y fence, helped build a fire ami re- ' nained with the boy u itil he was smI-' licently recovered to , rouiou. his lorse. , This single evidence of kirn..- > "id humanity to an In i(. t private," may seem ?ii;;fv. ; sonneetioii with the ?l' a valorous chieftain. lint as it was ?. . o|.! '.vmpalhy and pity l'i ; ;;;o nelples-; vhieh actualed the immortal Lee to lismount from his war horse amidst he roar oi (loath-dealing engines of he battlefield and replace the unfied'?d sparrow that had fluttered Irom ts nest, SO the mention of Hampton's' cindness to the frozen boy is at least' jermissible. j I have alluded, in another place, to j 1 Jen. Hampton's uniform calmness'; uid perfect self-possession umler all' ircumstances. Me possessed another irtue in large degree?that of pat-! cut resignation to pain and suffering! 'rom the result of casualty on Hie! >attlefield. I was <juite near bin;! vhen he received two painful wounds 1 -one by gunshot in hip, he oiii.-r :I ' 'abre cnl on hamfl?at the battle of lettysburg. It was feared :ti ibe ime that the former wound miyht j "ove l?l?l. It did disable him for our or five months. He returned to us command the latter part of November in the midst of a hot'linle at'-! ':<ir in Stevensbursr. Mead having nade a forward movement and llamp-J oil's cavalry was resisting his ad-j i mice. Hampton's presence on I he I iebl acted I))] the men as promptlv as i I an eleel ric current had touched t h.. ' lerve id every soldier in line, ami j end I.. I he other a ?!n I a - j daim rang out. "Hampton is here."| lis men felt reassured and rejoiced j it his coining. Win n Cell. Hampton was wounded j hi the occasion referred to, although' lisableil and in a serious conditio.i. ,(' 'lid not immediately leave the 'iebl. but was assisted to i" small muse near by, only a few kindred yards Irom the place where: J? was wounded. After the last c\K rge of he day, late in the afternoon of July M. when there was a lull and a seening tacit agreement between the belligerents to suspend hostilities, having 'ome wounded men of my comjxany in lie same hospital where Hen. Ilampon was lying, (though I was not iware lie was there until I reached the point,) T rode down to look after them, I found the Oeneral in a very small room on a cot, lyiu-r partially >n his side and back, writing a note ;is calmly and unmoved as if in some peaceful ivivat a thousand miles distant instead of so near "war's fierce alarums." 'lust at that juncture an ambulance was driven up and I was one of three >r lour others who helped to place the wounded hero in what, we wore fearful might prove a vehicle to convev him to that ''long drawn aisle and frettijd vault" from which there is no return. Hut our fears were fortunately groundless. Hampton lived to serve his loved Southland still longer and Add still more and, if possible, brighter laurels to his already well bedecked crown. T. H. Crows. I an reus, S. August 1907. Niagara. Niagara is a corruption of the Senoca word "neagara," meaning across the nock," an allusion to a strip of land between the lakos. 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