Anderson
Daily Mail
April 20, 1902
Page 2
A CLOSE CALL
A Reminiscence of One of Hampton’s Raid in
1862
Col. T. B. Crows, editor
of the Laurensville Herald, publishes the following
reminiscence in the last issue of his paper which will be read with interest by
many in this county:
At a memorial meeting
held in Anderson
last Sunday afternoon in honor of Gen. Hampton several thrilling incidents in
his war career were related. Among
others was the following as reported to The Daily Mail of that city:
“Mr. W. W. Russell, who
was a scout and guide, rode with both Stuart and Hampton, gave some incidents
in the raids of the latter. He related
how, one dark night, two detachments, one under command of Hampton, the other in
charge of Col. Crews of Laurens, met in the darkness while trying to flank Burnsides’s army, and nothing but the presence of mind of a
private saved Gen. Hampton from being killed like Jackson by his own men.” The facts in this incident, in which our name
is mentioned, are as follows: A short
time before the battle of Fredericksburg, some time in the latter part of
November or early December, 1862, Gen. Hampton made a raid and reconnaissance
into the Yankee lines, his command being composed of detachments from several
regiments of the brigade, consisting of about 1,500 cavalry and a couple of
pieces of Hart’s Battery. The command
crossed the Rappahannock at Kelly’s ford and proceeded
to a point near Stafford’s store in Stafford county, on a road known as the
Telegraph road, a highway leading from Falmouth,
where Burnside’s army was then encamped, to Dumphries. This road was strongly guarded by Yankee
cavalry, pickets being posted every half mile, with a strong reserve post of
several hundred. Gen. Hampton’s main
purpose was to capture the reserve force.
Just before reaching the Telegraph road, which was approached by a
cross-country road, Gen. Hampton’s command, with the exception of the guide for
the Jeff Davis Legion made a mistake by not making the circuit extensive enough
and striking the road between the reserve and the next picket post. The Legion, although failing at the reserve,
captured several smaller posts and proceeded down the road to meet Hampton’s
command, who was expecting the Yankees to be retreating in that direction,
having heard the firing for some time.
As the Legion approached near enough to be distinctly hears, Hampton’s two videttes, about 40 yards ahead of the advance guard, of
which the writer had charge, called out: “Here they come, boys!” Whereupon Gen. Hampton, who
was abreast of the first set of fours of the advance guard, gave the command to
charge, he himself leading, followed by the First South Carolina, which was the
leading regiment that night, the whole affair taking place after dark. When the head of Hampton’s column struck the
Jeff Davis Legion there was a terrific crash, each thinking the other the
enemy, saber and pistol being used as in a death struggle—a hand-to-hand
grapple, lasting, however, but a short time.
Hampton, with his innate coolness and presence
of mind in every emergency, having discovered the mistake, called out: “Stop
this, men, we are all Georgia!” “Georgia” was the watchword that
somewhat eventful night.
When order was restored
it was fortunately found that though several of the men were wounded, some of
them painfully, none of them were killed.
The horses were less fortunate than the men, several being killed. The writer received a severe but not serious
blow on the head and shoulder from a saber, delivered by the hand of his chief. We remember the night as exceedingly cold,
the sky thickly overcast, threatening snow, and although there was a young moon
it gave little or no light.
[Transcribed
by Sharon Strout]
