Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1857-07-18
u Gl g Ike o wv e & gOU R 8IsGFR II !.
From the Msrion An.cricap.
Begun To-Day.

=
From the Marion Ancriean
Begun To-Day.
We begin to-day the serial of sketches
of the PrlinettoeS in Mexico, The chap-
ter published to-day was first published a
few weeks ago. 1t was then our intention
to have continued it immediately, but
thinking it perfectly legitimate 10 reward
oitrsclf for the labor by ,,sing it for the in
crease of our circulation, we advertised the
fact, and have delayed the publication afuw
weeks to await the coming in-of subseri-
bens. We did not mistake the public feel
ing on this subject. There is deep and
pcrvadipg sympathy, and, n lofty adnlirt-
tion for that regiment, which manifest them
selrcs'in an anxiety to read its history.
We have assumed II Singular and novel,
,t9,sk--to write the history of q particular
regiment. We arc not aware that such a,
work has ever been attempted in all the
range of history There are many histories
of the Mexican war, several of which we
lIave read. They give correctly1a few old
cial facts, derived from official reports, but
they are inca2re, dry, and unsatisfactory
They arc merely statistical Or Typographical,
not descriptive. An,l worst of ull, they
are unjust. In the effort to be lofty, they
only reach dulncss; in the effort to pre-
serve the dignity of thcArmy they f,il to
do. stern Justice in awarding hpnor and
shame. In the official reports and the his
tories, a regiment which, in craven fear
laid flat on its back tluring,t the battle, not
daring to face the enemy. is mentioned in
the Same term with the palmettocs, who
plunged a e
"Into the jaws Of Death
Into the gates of hell
bike the six hundred"
After reading the histories of tlis war, have
thrown them dowu with incifhblc disgust.
almost incrcduous of the truth of history.
The fame OF the I'alrnettnes is not writ
ten in the history of the Mexican war. 1t
has there no more distinguished mention
than the Pcpnsylvauians or Now Workers.,
or the bireling marines. 1t is only in tra-
ditiou or parol history, that it's services arc
known, 1t is in tho eloquent graves of its
500 fallen braves that its history is written.
1t is in the fact, that It's line of 1000 gal
liant young men, which stretched itself out
before Vera Cruz, ON the 10th of March,
1871, was in ninc months reduced to 300,
and those 300 i'll ten years, were reduced
to 200, that its ssilcntIy eloquent history is
written.
We must say that in these sketches we.
do not intend to write anything 80 bold
and lofty, and dignitied us the word histo-
~ imports. We intend only series of
familiar, easy, pleasant sketches, olnbudy-
ing our personal experience in the most
stirring and exciting and deadly scenes in
the war We shall not attempt to cmbcl-'
lish the narrative with such episodes aud
descriptive digrcssionsas as may tcinptus from
the high way Of narrative. We think that
we can safely promise that the reader will
rise from the pcrusd of these sketches, less
lwcaricd, and vastly bcttrr informed of tl.e
f! histoSY Of this war; than he can derive from
any 50 called history.
We have no notes or memoranda toguidc
us. But the events of that war were so
scored upon our memory that hundred
years would not cifacc them
| The fame of the Palmetto regiment, itS
,mparallcd losses in battle, its romantic
achievements, are matters of historical no
toricty. But yet few know the particular
history Of that regiment There arc now
only two hundred li.ing men who could
write its history, and authenticate the nnr-.
| rutiNe by the cRdorscment, ''all Of which 1
saw, and part Of which was, "a oi,c of
the few who can thus authenticate tho mar
ratiye, ! have accepted the tlsk. Thc
sketches shall be brief, and the stvlc of the
narrative plain and simple, the object being
inercly to acquaint the reader with the f:,-
lniIiar, mhistol.icul and perlslmblc minor
facts, which, being below the importance
Of history, arc ignored by It., 1 have no
personal objccr, and certainly no unworthy
one to advance by tho narrative. have no
particular mention to make of myself, ccr-
tiinly no sclGlaudation,; but yet, as shall
speak only of what l know and s,w myself,
the narrative and reflections rtponi it will be
to q certain extent, OF necessity, individu-
al. 1t will thus be relieved Of the dlyncss
of general history. Thus much by way of
introduction.
There are now, as far as | know. of the
the two hluldred survivors of that regiment,
six who are now citizens of Alabaua. They
are Gen, James III. Glanton, John Camp
bell and j. N. Anderson, of Montgomery;
DIR. j. ID. 0'Bannon, of PmtSille, Gen.
NJ. Travis, Of Conecuh county; John G..
Higgins, now Editor of the American
Statesman at Butler and Bon Ianc ,poScy,
Editor Of the Marion -1nerican, Gen.
Clanton and Gen, Travis were natiyc Ma
bamians, who joined TINT regiment. The