The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1865-08-03
ADDRESS OF LIEUT.. JAS. A. HOYT,

ADDRESS .UF .LlECI. Jho. n. HUI u
si65ELIyERiEsD Mt A BARBECUE GIVEN TO
THE PALMETTO RIFLEAEN, ON SAT-
>uRDAY THE 29TH OF JULY, 1869.
TRENDS AND COMRADES:
We meet to-day under circumstances
of peculiar interest. After protractcd
and desperate struggle-perhaps thegrcat-
est of modern times-the remnant Of our
Company is met to revive old associations
and pcrpetuate friendly intercourse. And
it is no feigned modesty which bids me
say that feel incompetent to the task
imposed upon my humble ability. The
theme is Inspiring enough to engage the
most eloquent and gifted, and | world
thatanother had been chosen to renderjus-
tice to fallen comrades and to the living
paid'appropriate Eonors. But the duty is
assigned me BY. that generous friend who
has called us together. and / cannot for
bear to- commemorate the deeds and val
Or of 3company whose reputation was
ever dear and precious to me. In doing
SO, / shall seek to trace Its history from
its, inception to the close of the war.
s In the month of August, 1860, near five
years ago; meeting of the young men OF
Anderson was held to organize q volun-
tccr company. The name selected was
:stt.,at which it has been your pride to rem
der illustrious-tbe aPaimetto Eitlcmcn."
Few then thought it %siosld resort to the
tented field and brave the dangers of bat
,stlc. The political sky was overcast with
dark and portentious clouds, yet twas
generally believed that there would be no
Eresort to arms, The election of Il sec,
tfional President was deemed q sufficient
cause by the Southern Statcs'to Cake their
destiny in their own hands, and in Fcbrn-
ary, 1861, the disaffected States of the
Union formed a new compact. SILL war
was not considered imminent hy many,
and it was not until the 18th day of April,
when thceConfedorate allies mado tic at
tack upon. Fort. Sumter, that this delnssoa
passed away. This was the signal for
preparation in earnest. Troops were
called to arms, and among those ordered
to take the field in this State, was the
Fourth Regiment S. c. Vols, to which
the Palmetto Riaemen had become attach
ed. The bloodlcss victory Of Sumter at
tfordcd no occasion to employ tile large,
number of troops en- yoats for the scene of
action, and our Regiment was halted at
Columbia. 1t is unnecessary to particu-
larize our barracks-lifein that city, though
the officers were not idle in preparing by
drill and discipline the material which
was to prove upon bloody fields its cour-
age and devotion, On the 18th of juno.
after being transferred to Confederate
service, the Regiment left for Virginia,
which was destined to become.the theatre
of those grand conflicts which have made
the world look on with profound wonder
IV3n the 21st of July the first engagement
of any magnitude was fought upon the
Plains of Manassas, and this Company
shared the danger and suffered its quota
i'm the cause of Southern Independence
In addition to the wounded, VIC dad to
lament the loss ef- the chivalrous. high
toned Earle and the; gallant, fearless
Brown. Hero began the severance OF
those ties we had learned to cherish fond
Ely, and which alas were broken, one by
ono, until ono-halr our original number
are beneath the sod.
Following this battle, there is sad ex-
sperience which can never be erased from
memory. The ordinary camp diseases
had seized hold of many, and during the
months of July and August, several gal
liant spirits passed from time to eternity.
The Company was reduced to mere
fraction-nine-tenth of its members were
languishing on beds of sickness, and only
a few remained to anticipate their return.
During the fall and winter, however, the
ranks were recruited, and ere spring had
gently dawned upon the strife in which
No were then engaged, a full complement
of menappcared to answer to their names.
Upon the expiration of twelve months
service, the company was again organized
under its former Captain and attached to
the Palmetto Sharp Shooters, command
ed by. the. lamented Jenkins. The ia
nous retreat from Centreville was partly
.ooss,r,r rated while we were attached tc