Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1860-12-21
Letter fnoEaa sovsts, eareEsna.
COLUMBIA, S. G., Dec. Sd, 1860.


DEAR SIg:-As yet. have seen but lit
tie Of the city, for such i claims to be-
The present census, imperiectly taken all
admit, makes the population near ten thou
sand From the State House, the eorpo-
rate limits extend a mile, towards each point
of the compass The ground sloping grace
fully in every direction. affords very desira,
bic building sites, any where. The streets
are one hundred feet vide and planted with
the willow and live oak aud China trees
The residences have spacious grounds most
tastefully ornamented with all the ever
green's and shrubs common to this cline -
The most interesting part Of the town, con
tanning the residence Of the late Wade
/ Hampton, now occupied iiy his son in law,
Col. John Preston, / have not yet seen. -
This spot it was where the distinguished or
a.or Of tie South, VIM G Preston lately
breathed bis last. llia nav State House.
lin pr,agsess q hsi'sA = gsias ! beau
I tlfal view, the site reminding NE much q
ours. The granite OF which it is construct
ed is nearly equal to that at Richmond
perhaps not quite SO fair in color or fne III
texture. The style is Corinthian and judg-
lug from beautiful drawing in the archl-
teets Office, will be more striking than the
| National Capitol. The busts Of McDphie
aud Hayne, in basso-relevo, adorn the
front, on either side Of the door opening
from the second story. on to the portico. =
In rear OF the new, aud III front Of the Old
State House, stands the monument erected
to the memory Of those brave men Of the
Palmetto Regiment who fell in Mexico -
The base is OF iron some eight feet III height,
with sides iuelining towards each other at
top, and with an open space a. bottom, IN
which is copper block, Inscribed with the
names of the officers and men and the whole
surmounted with a Palmetto tree OF copper,
but so true to life that you are ouly CON
vinced By handling it that it has not Just
been removed from that beautiful grove you
vii! remember, on the south Ct Charleston
harbor Il the original design The nlonu.
pent was to have been made much higher,
which will be done when the new Iap!toi
is flushed, by placing It on . more elevated
base. In these days you can scarcely open
Il paper from the North, that you 10 bot
ind taunts aud inuendos induigea IN By
those miserable Black Republican journals.
against the bravery and courage OF this
people. IV->as been my pleasure since
came here to become we'll acquainted with
two of the brave Captains Of that no
| bic regiment. one Of whom holds the posi-
| ton 81 Adjuant and Inspector General Of
the State, and the other represents most
worthiIy the Districtuf Newberry IN the
present House OF Representatives, and
wears the title OF General Before the bat
| tic OF Chesubusco, think it was, that Gen
Butler, in writing to Gen. Worth said
Got. Dickinson deserves place IN the pie
ture, near the flashing Of the guns Gen
Worth. on the day Of battle, said to Gen.
Shields, there is not South Catoluia',
here. who viii not follow you to death =
Aye, to the DEATH responded private
" hi,iield Brooks Stand the fire at all
hazards, remembering you are from South
Carolina were the last inspiriting words OF
Lieut. D. r Clarke. But | cannot give
you better description of their noble bear
lug on that bloody field than in the des~
cription taken from the Life and Corres
peudence of Gen John A. Qutman, which
enclose. The following is an extract OF
the description Of the battle Of Cherubusco
''Col Butler, Of the So'1th CaroIinians,
had left his sick bed against tie reinon-
stvancos Of his friends, to legd the Palmeto
tos to the conbat Early in the engage
ment his hose was shot under him. Soon
after he recetaed paiafa'l #oGnd III the
knee, yielded the command to Lieutenant
Colonel Dickinson. Taking the Palmetto
flag from the hands Of Sergeant Beggs,
Dickinson placed h.nselfin front, land Beggs
was immediately shot down. Col. Butler
now came up to resume the command, and
was killed by the side Of Dickinson while
standing under the flag Dickinson him
self soon fell mortaily wounded, Che died
some weeks afterwards, J and Major Gad~
den received it from his hands, and com
mltted 1t to Lieut.. Baker. who being una
Bile, from debility and exhaustion, to carry
it, Major GLADDEN. placed it in the hands OF
Patrick Leonard, and led his regiment to
the charge. His men fell rapidly, but not
one wavered. from first to last. uuder the
concentrated fire Of the enemy. In the
whole history Of war there has never been
a more striking example Of Indifference to
death, the result Of stern resolve Each
man fought for the honor Of Carolina. Sew
eral companies were almost annihilated :
Some had not men enough lett to bury their
dead, Or bear their wounded to the ambu
lances. The uniforms Of some Of the off
GERS were literally torn from their persons;
the color bearers were shot down; but the
flag, ba,hed IN their bsocal, was always seiz-
ed as they fell and borne to the front. Proud
ly it floated through the tempest Of death
until the victory had been won. and then,
all torn and blood stained. it dropped over
its own glorious dead. The regiment en-
tered the battle with 273 rank and file. and
when it was over il mustered 100 It had
no missing: its dead and wounded made up
the deficiency. Cadets Of a noble State,
sons OF a sunny cline, Branded by their
couutrv as traitors, fer detenelne tie Con
stitution and their rights from usurpar;off
aud outrage, yet dying cheerfulIy for that
country in foreign land the world may
learn that such race. in defence of their
own homestead and institutions, can never
be subdued ?
Now. my friend, deem it privilege to
have looked upon thnJgtg." or the shreds
and remains Of it; and pardon the excess !
of State pride Of people who can boast Of