The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1861-04-02
MILITARY SPIRIT AND GENIUS OF
THE SOUTH,


Major ID. Ell. Hill, of the North Carolina Militia
ry Institute, in his eloquent ASSAY Military
Education delivered at Wilmington, n. c., be-
fore the State Educational Convention" thus IL
illustrates the military spirit and genius of the
Southern people:
'The armies of the Revolution were comm and
ed by Washington, Southern General. The Off
GERS, who distinguished themselves in especial
manner in the war OF 1872, were Souther born
and Observation-Disclosures Coffee, Harrison,
Scott and Gaines. The commanding Generals in
the Mexican war, Scott and Taylor, were both Of
Virginia. The Chief of Ordinance under Gen.
Scott, and the next most important officer was HUI
ger, of South Carolina. The Chief of Engineers
was Lee, of Virginia, the only man the army ac-
knowledges to be fit to be the successor of Gen.
Scott. The Chief leaders in skirmishing were
Lane, of North Carolina, and Hays, of Tennessee.
The light batteries of Artillery which did such
wonderful execution at Palo Alto, Resaca de la
Palma, Monterey, Bunea Vista, and in the Valley
of NJ exieo, were generally under the command of
Southern men; Ringold, Ridgeley, Bragg, Wash
iDgton, Steptoe and Magruder. The heavy ord
under the control of Huger of South
Carolina, and Laidely, of Virginia. The battery
of Mountain Howitzers was directed by Reno, of
Virginia The dashing charge of cavalry at Resa-
Ca de la Palma, which has world wide reputation,
was made by May, of Washington city. far
more brilliant affair was witnessed by ten thous-
and American soldiers drawn up in battle array
on the beach at Vera Cruz, and by English,
French and Spanish vessels of war in the harbor.
A little steamer, armed with two heavy pieces of
ordnance and manned by some 20 sailors, pushed
under the very walls of Vera Cruz, with its 400
pieces of artillery and within easy range of
the formidable Castle of San Juan DIIlloa and
from that position bombarded the city for half
hour. PrOectiles of enormous weight and size fell
thick as hail-stones around the little vessel, any
zone of which must have sunk her. The interest
of the spectators was painful in the extreme, but
the very insignifcance ofthe steamer proved
efficient protection; she was too small mark to
be hit, and as she came back bearing her gallant
crew, all dressed in their red jackets, the very
earth shook with the ten thousand exulting voices
on the beach. The officer in command was TAFT
nall, of Georgia, the who, at the risk of his
commission and his life, interposed last year and
rescued the defeated British at the Peiho Forts in
China. During the siege of Fort Brown the pull
ley got deranged, that the flag could be raised
An officer climbed the staff, and in the midst of
terrible tempest of shot and shell calmly and DELHI
erately arranged the halyards, righted the pulley
and hoisted the flag. The exploit of Jasper at
Fort Moultre nothing in comparison with
this daring deed. That officer was Hanson, of
Washington city, descendant of John Hanson, of
Maryland, President Of the first Congress, and of
Col. John Hanson Harrison, one of the most dis
tinguished of Washngton's aids. Years before
the siege of Fort Brown, Gen. Worth had pro-
nounced him the bravest man in the army. He
was gentle and modest girl, kind and courte-
Gus to ALL devoted and enthusiastic Christian,
gentleman in the highest acceptation of the word
just after the battle Of Contreras rude litter, with
a dead officer on it, was borne by. Sergeant,
what officer is that" Capt. Hanson of the 7th
Infantry sir?' The soldier had fallen on the field
of honor. Two gallant brothers, Capt. Weight
- al IL Al
prisng young officer of the Florida war; and pass
ed Midshipman Jno. Hanson, both also fell in the
service of their country. Santa Anna made the
fatal mistake at Cerro Gordo of leaving Telegraph
Hill unfortifed Gen. Scott discovered it, and
sent up young officer, with 20 men, to
seize it. An immense force of Mexicans came to
dislodge him. He threw his men behind rocks
and trees, and sent for succor. The Rife Regi- |
ment came up and found themselves holly press
ed, and would have been driven back but for the
timely arrival of the End Infantry. During all
this time the gallant Lieutenant held his position
and had he lost it, the battle of Cerro Gordo neve r
would have been won, that intrepid young man
was Gardner, of Washington City. The stormine
column against the main work on Cerro Gordo
Hill was led by that tried veteran Harvey, of Geor
gia"
Major Hill adds that the South has not merely
evinced military spirit the field but in author
ship. The books in infantry tactics were
prepared by Scott of Virginia, and Hardee, of
Georgia. The Manual of Artillery Tactics in use
is by Major Anderson, of Kentucky The only
works in this country on the Science of Artillery,
written in the English language, are by Kings
bury and Gibbon, of North Carolina, and the only
books on Military Engineering, by Mahan, of Fir-
ginia. The published experiments of Mordecai,
of South Carolina, convey all our information of
the strength of gunpowder and of cannon and the
proper tests for their trial.
A QUEER PEoPLE.-Chambers' Journal discus
sing recent book of missionary travels in Africa,
thus alludes to of the tribes which are found
IN that terra incognita:
But the strangest all the stories told are of
the Dokos, who live among the moist warm ban-