The Carolina Spartan. [volume] (Spartanburg, S.C.) 1852-1896, 1856-05-08
NO. IL

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God. that theJ may never draw the sword
save IN good and righteous cause. Bur
when good and righteous cause demands
the sacrifice, grant that they NAV he styorc
and OF good courage, and Give them Iayos
success. We ask these THING, & tfs
name OF the Prince of Peace--3he Son -
| thy lovely whose aid and au,bor;tv NC
would remember that we still have h.,,,.s
to fight, nightier than our fathers s,rc,,s
battles with ourselves-baitles against
s'n-and may we come off conquerors and
more than conquerors through him who
nath loved us and washed US in bis own
blood. And thine be the power, dornin.
'on' praise, and glory forever and ever
Amen.
Hon. w. D. Porter, an er-Captain Of
the Company, was then called for, and
spoke as follows:
Brother Soldiers Of the WasAirgsov
L'ghf Infantry: You have accomplished
your undertaking. congratulate you that
'his work OF patriotic duty is done, and is
well done. You have came from near tho
sea to the mountains, over some two bun.
dred and fifty miles, to erect memorial
upon the spot, where one of the uobIest
victories Of the Revolution was won. This
mon onument is, in every sense, your own. It.
was raised upon your motion, at your er.
pense, and literally with the labor Of vouf
own hands. 1t is certain that no other
military corps in the State has achieved
such an enterprise; and / doubt whether
any IN the United States ever has. Thev
nave ranked your names with the unfad.
ing renown OF this glorious battle fieldi
Long may the tablet with its inscription,
stand; long may this monument survive!
And II, In future years. the slumberinp
gratitude OF the State shall awake to life.
and raise here pile Of grander propof.
tons and loflier summit, still shall this be
hailed as the pioneer that marshalled her
IN the way Of patriotic duty.
Nor is this only duty Of patriotism-it
has become one Of necessity. The peop:e
of the South have been too Indifferent To-
their battle-ields. They have not sufficient
" drawn them into notice, or impressed
them upon the popular heart. The people
of the North have been much wiser. In
song and in story, in letters of brass and of
stone, in school books and in monumental
inscriptions, they have sought, and success
tuiiy sought, to perpetuate the memory Of
their places Of reuown. The consequences
is, tina, Bunker Hill and Lexington over,
shadow the glories Of the Southern battle:
fields l believe that the battle of Fort
Moul:rie was AS important as that Of Bun:
ker Hill, for, As the able historian, Bancroft.
says, it was 'the bright and beaminp star
that preceded the Declaration Of Indepen.
dence." And what battles could have been
more important than those Of Kings Noun.
tam and Cowpens, which rolled back tho
tide OF British successes, and, by deciding
the fate Of the two Carolinas, led directly
to the "crowning mercy" Of Yorktown;
Let us honor, then, our battle grounds; let
us gather the traditions that belong to theni
and teach their story to our children in fa.
miliar words, and mark them with endur-
ing memorials, and make them places of
pilgrimage. where our people may resort
TO refresh their patriotism and kindle anew,
on the original altars, the spirit of their
fathers. 1t is your merit to have taken .
new step, and successful one, in this di.
rection.
There is thought which suggests itself
to my mind in relation to this, as. to others
of the battle places of freedom. We know
the names and the fame Of Morgan and
Washington, and Howard and Pickens.
They were the great actors in the drama
the captains and leaders. They were doubt
less animated by the true fire of patriotism;
but they had another incentive to action.
They knew that, il successful, their names
would be identified with the Independence
OF the nation and become forever historical.
But how many gallant fellow, think you,
who never dreamed that his name would
be mentioned in song or story, or written
on the rolls Of fame, rushed into this con-
tilct and poured out the last drop Of his life
blood upon this field, animated solely by
the hatred OF tyranny and the love Of free
dom, and the unconquerable determination
that the land beloved so well should be
none other than a land Of liberty. How
would 1t delight US to see the muster.roll Of
those gallant spiritsl But they perished,
and even the names Of many of them are
forgotten aud unknown. Let as then, on
this occasion, give one thought, one passing
tribute OF remembrance 10 the privates im
the ranks-the men a. the guns--the un.
remembered braves, vino were tine main
instruments by which this grea. victory
was wrought
This visit from the sea.board TO the noun
tam region, and from one scene of battle
conflict TO another, suggests the further
thought that the revolutionary glory Of
South Carolina, is connected both wilis
mountain and with sea--two of the grand
est exhibitions Of creative power. Kings
Mountain looks down from her rugged
heights upon Fort Moulirie, and Fort Moul-
trie still looks out boldly aud proudly up
on the sea-the ocean sentinel 10 warn and
defend us against all hostile approaches.
And all between, from mountain ridge to
ocean line, are spots consecrated by sonse
heroic struggle, some direful disaster or
some glorious victory. There ara Black
stocks and Hanging Rock, and Camden
and Eutaw. Nearly every foot Of our soil
is hallowed by the blood Of martyrs, or the