to Hagerstown, Maryland, a flurry was discovered and we were told the Yankees were capturing our train.  At this time the servant came up and asked me what he should do.  I replied, “Put the Potomac River between you and the Yankees.”  He dashed off in a run.  When I reached the Potomac River I found William there with my horse.  The Yankees were about to attack us there.  I was to be found across the river.  I said to William, “What can you do?” He replied that he was going to swim the horse across the Potomac River, but said he himself could not swim.  I saw him plunge into the river and swim across.  The soldiers who were with me were sent from Winchester to Staunton, Virginia.  While in Staunton, I was assured that I would receive a furlough at Richmond, Virginia, so William was asked if he wished to accompany me to South Carolina.  This seemed to delight him.  Before leaving Staunton, the boy was arrested as a runaway slave, being owned by a widow lady in Abbeville County.  The servant admitted to me, when arrested, that he was a slave.  A message was sent to his mistress how he had behaved while in my employment—­especially how he had fled from the Yankees in Pennsylvania and Maryland.  This was the last time I ever saw him.  Surely a desire for freedom did not operate very seriously in this case, when the slave actually ran from it.

In parting I may add that, left to themselves negroes are very kind-hearted, and even now I recall with lively pleasure the many kindnesses while I was wounded, from this servant, who was a slave.

* * * * *

HE WOULD FIGHT.

Why is it that memory takes us away back into our past experiences without as much saying, “With your leave, sir”?  Thirty-six years ago I knew a fine fellow just about eighteen years old and to-day he comes back to us so distinctly!  He was a native of Newberry and when the war first broke out he left Newberry College to enlist as a private in Company E of the Third South Carolina Infantry.  With his fine qualities of head and heart, it was natural that he should become a general favorite—­witty, very ready, and always kind.  His was a brave heart, too.  Still he was rather girlish in appearance, for physically he was not strong.  This latter condition may explain why he was called to act as Orderly at Regimental Headquarters when J.E.  Brown gave up that position for that of courier with General Longstreet early in the year 1863.  Just before the Third Regiment went into action at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, and while preparing for that event, it became necessary, under general orders, that the field and staff of the regiment should dismount.  It was the habit during battles to commit the horses to the control of the Regimental Orderly.  On this occasion the Adjutant said to young Sligh:  “Now, Tom, get behind some hill and the moment we call you, bring up the horses; time is often of importance.”