Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1857-06-27
Anecdotes of the Palmettoeg.

duecuOCes Oh tHe Salmett0eS.
s Last week the city council Of Columbia,
Is. O. entertained the remnant Of the Pal.
.metto regiment of the Mexican war with a.
handsome supper. Several eminent gentle.
men were present, and narrated some very
interesting Incidents Of the war Hon. Mr..
Keitt, NJ. C., delivered aspee>h from re.
port of Which we extract the following:
MIR. Keitt said il was out of his line to
make q set speech, but, with the permission
of the company, ewould rambIe nlorg, and
give an incident or two which he had de.
rived from Gen. Quitmnn and others in re,
ntoh to the Palmetto regiment--a few Of
which we report.
Gen. Quitman told him that when n por.
tion Of his brigade was ordered into battle,
Col: Butler was refused TO be,allowpd to lso
becauSe the Palmettoes were actually bro.
ken down by fatigue and ptiSation, and he
was too feeble for duty. He detailed the
New ork. Regiment and another, and or
.dered them forward. Col, Pierce Boiler
demandcd"a place in thc picture" "Nn,
sir. your is in the hoSpiai.7 "Smw
said lie. elevaling his noble figure, with the
fire flashing from his eagle eye, ''never, sir
while Che enemy is in sight, and our flag
moving onwafdr r'E He could not rcsis, him;
His demand was acctded 10, and the regi.
nlent took lis place in the picture" a, bill.
liant light on the canvass. Gen. Quitmhn
told him, too, tbatth flag Of The Palmetto
regiment was rhe FIRST that waved over the
city of Mex.co. ."Sir, ! was with that reg.
iment at the, gates of the city, and when |.
called for a flag, to plant upon that gate,
the Palmetto flag was the only one there,
and that was The Nag thai FRS. spread its
folds in triumph over the Capitol OF Mexico.
MIR. Keitt mentioned This glorious tcsti,
mony to The brave Palmetto boys, because
an effort Ind been made to supplant them
and fulsify this truthful history.
Another incident he could not omit, in
Ibis desultory ramble. While others, had
spoken Of gallant commanders, who had.
fallen in tho post Of honor, there were 9TH
ers'and many subordipates and privates, to
wbomhe could award n passing tribute did
limo allow, but lie would only allude 10 one
who had been there, but had fallen in
another field battling for The Palmetto State.
he alluded,to the noble Brooks-his poor
friend Brooks--his' colleague--his cham.
pion--hi room mate. He spoke Of his no.
bicness, his genlieness. his maguanimty,
and related many beautiful incidents in il.
lustration ofbis charactcr. "%
When another regiment had fled, and all
The horrors and scourges Of war were pour
ing down OH the gallant Palmettoes, ba,hed
in the blood Of their comrades-shen
Shields said ''who will follow me 2" and
Butler snid 2"we wilr Brooks, yes, the
STRIPPING Brooks, cried out, eyes, all will
follow you to the denth"--and he did
The same ball which pierced bis body shiy,
cred MS inusket--and shiyered musket
Eiwas to edorn the signet, with the motto Sa4
tis 1aefaiSse, When this brother left home,
/ Brooks s,toh Sim, his father said to his old
body servant, ''go With him aud take care
of bim--I con6deimy son to you" How
did the good old negro act When the bap-
tism OF blood was going on---Wben perils
were lingering Aropnd--wliec hot igniion
of stratagemWase ev.,Yy .e!!..eesee. @::..i aoce c
I:waiol,th wounded boy but this old SER
want, he was at'his labor Of love, taking care
of his charge Crushed bones worked out
lffom The, ~ound+-he gathered them up and
preserved lhem..r The noble spirit passed
ont, and the corpse alone was left. What
did the old ,end faithful slave? NTbe regi
t,ment gave hima mule and cort--the sol
diers helped 10 make a-rude coffin. With
his ownhands he placedthe earthly remains
llof bis beloved young maslerin this lIeafse-
he oonyeysdsitto Me&ieo-he carried it TO
] Vera CruS--he bore, it on shipboard ahdby
lrailroad, 70 llis old mestar's home, and de-
l4ioerpd fthe hod % and 5honps nf hetp child In