The herald and news. (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, August 30, 1907, Page SIX, Image 6
^ 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. The
name has been subjected to many
changes since the discovery of the
cataract, more than thirty different
readings being found in :he writings
ol various early explorers and
geographers.
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