The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1857-08-27
THE rALMETru RE,IMENr.

Wo have given il an attentive ,,.iu>al. Il is an
able an'l thrilling narrative of the mivn,iuns and
glory Of tho Palmetto Regiment in the Mexican
war Its gallant deeds, lis Chair h,cml, cscacs
by flood and field" are beautifully told.
Our space will not permit II moro extended
extract than the following:
" From tile commencement OF thc campaign
Col. Butler was in bad health. Ills frame was
shattered by IL complication of diseases, which
were aggravated by the exposure of camp lie :;
but he WAS ever mt his post. lie slrunk from no
service, and actually courtel danger with the
enthusiasm Of lover. When he was unable TO
march, he had himself carried OIL un ambulance.
which might always be seen moving near the
head Of tho palmcttocs. On the nineteenth of
August he was quite intisposed, but when
Shields Brigade was ordered io Join the forces on
Ealcncia's left, he mounted his horse, and lee,
the Regiment through the pcdrigal on that ter :.
rIhlc night. The rain fell i'll col torrents, yet
he tollcd Oh through Egyptian darkness, over
volcanic rocks and rugged cl,;,sns, tho greater
part of the II ght, and before dawn of the rlo-
riolis twentieth was at his post to assist IN the
bloody rout OF Cont,rfas. IIc had managed To
get his horse-old Roan-ovcr the lc,lrsal, anI
OH nm, he Kept with his Regiment in tho hot
pursuit towards Mexico. II was now half past
two O'Clock i'll the afternoon the day WAS very
sultry after the storm Of the night bclnrc-no
one had eaten anything for nearly twenty y-fuur
hours, except II few apples which had been
pluckcd by the way-sidc; Col. Butler was rest
ing for few moments, and perhaps ci.lravorinr
to get something 10 eat in the hamlet of San
Angel, when the firing commenced in advance at
Churnb,Sco tluickcncd by the sound of can-
non, Shields brigade was soon up. and was re-
tancd Tor Il few moments in reserve at Cavacan
where the Gcncral-in.ClIcf had taken his stand.
Gen. Scott with some of his stail assembled the
stccpc of a church in tho village and surveyed
the field. From his position he could SEQ clear
away to the southern gates of the CITY, and over
the whole intermediate ground. Ii was Il new
field to him, and he found himself going into Il
general battle, without even rcconnnss;lilcc-
lie observed the thirty thousand Mexicans,
who were engaged in that battle, drawn up in
two long colunnS,-onc directly across his path
and already engaged, was linin.. with Il blaze Of
m,lskery, the dykes of the river Churul,,sco far
up and down. In this line, about the centre
where the road crossed the river, was the hi. du
1'"t, and little I" the sh and front, stood the
convent Of San Pablo, both Of which were tl,un-
dclng upon his centre The other column was
drawn up along the san Antonio causcwav, at
right angles with the river front now cnra.rtl-
supporting it at the trfc Il" j,ont and extending
lar back toward the gates of the capital. This
second column was the reserve, fresh from the
city. In it stood Santa Anna with brilliant
stall In IL fought the polkas,-thc national
guard of Mexico; and from 1t, during the whole
hat!lc. poured strains Of martial music mingled
with cheering shouts and buge blasts. AS soon
as these dispositions were observed bv tho Cen
cral, lie ordered the Brigadcs Of Pierce and
Shields to turn the cncmys right, cross the river
above and attack the column Of reserve. This
was Il pcrllous service. 1t could only DO prr-
formed by going far TO the front, beyond the
reach Of speedy support. The distance was con.
siderable, and the ground, low and marshv, was
intcrsectel by numerous bitches and irr-ating
canals. But, pcrilous as il WAS, the service was
aI-nnhl1 a nd, flnti ,c.
though at bloody cost to South Carolina. The
two BrIgadcs, now under the command of Shields
approached the reserves near the hacienda Of
!'":';I"s. Somewhat disarrangcd hy the march,
they suddenly deh"uchcd before an enemy in
front, at least five times their number, who occu-
pied higher and firmcr ground on the ca,iscwny.
and was sheltered by the growth Of trees and
maguey that lined the ditch along the road
They were almost surrounded. The Mexican
rivcr line which they had nnw turned, was on
their right, the lanccrs OH their left and tho re-
serve column. the Object Of their attack in front
In imagination the whole scene rises To the view
The Palmetto Regiment halts n moment To all
just its line Of battle, and thcn-n,adc the basis
oi the whole movement, t,-conlncnccs the terri.
ble charge. Col Dutcrlc his Rcyncnt-his
horse Is shot, and hc ii .hts OIL foot. lie is shot
in the leg, but still hobbies on. The storm grow.
ing ferccr and fcrccr, his response TO the call
of the fearless Shields is heard over the din of
|oc 20" 10 tie de"th." lie still presses onward,
and. in the crisis ofhc battle. is Slot through the
head, and falls to rise no more. At the very
moment, when the struggle was decided, when
victory had pcrchcd upon his country 5 standards,
and all columns of the, enemy, shattered, shiv.r-
ct" ana broken, were rolling i'll confusion back
upon the city, his immortal spirit took its flight
from the bloody meadows of Churubusco Ihe
last object which his eyes brheld was his own
Palmetto banner, still proudly floating, although
tattered and torn by the storm. The last sound
that fell upon his car, was the terrible roar Of
battle; aud in death, animated by the same spr.
it which had fired him i'm life he crossed his arms
upon his breast, and died as he had lived,-like
u soldier. Well might his friend Worth cxclaim,
ms in the hot pursuit he dashed by his body, vel
warm with life; "Gallant Butler! his body rests
in foreign land, his memory in the hearts of his
countrymen, and his spirit, pure and bright US his
blade, with his God"
"Therc was also the second in command,
Lieutenant Colonel Dickinson, who, thoroughly
imbued wth'a love of military glory, and reck-
less OF all personal danger, was the very soul of
chivalry Always seeking q place "near the
tiashingof the guns" lie was, we believe, The
first American officer who was wounded at Vera
Crnz and he fell gallantly with his Colonel, OIL
the fatal field of Churnbusco His wound was
not considered mortal, and when operation re-
commenced, after the armislicc, he chafcd like
| wounded lion. His rcstlcssness and carer anx.
ii.ty to join in the struggle, doubtless hastcned
his end; and his brave spirit left lis during the
bombardmcnt of Chapultapcc. lie survived the
battle in which he fell, only to die within hear
ing OF the thundcrs of another, in which he,was
not allowed 10 participate.
s'Therc were also Lieutcnants Durham, Stew.
art. Adams. Williams Clark, Moragne, Cantey,
and Stecn, besides long list of non co commissions
ed officers and prvates, who laid down their lives
for their country, and in doing so died the death
which gallant soldiers love to die Shades of
departed heroes! you are not forgotten, but will
ever be remembered with mingled pride and sor-
row, by your surviving comrades, as we'll as by
grateful country!
"The Palmetto Regiment, ns an organized
body no longer exists Itporformed its mission
well, and is now thing of the past The sur.
vivors have quit the lines and tented fields, and
the dead have left us only their frame. There is,
however, remaining Of that Regiment, one cher
ished exponent,-thc soiled and tattered banner
which it re:-that 6elored and honored reliek.
which, in solitude and silence, reposes in the
Gapitol-which no longer marks the head of the
Regiment, when the drums beat 10 arms-wbich