Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1866-10-06
O r. T % I N a l.
SPECIE OF GEN. WADE HAMPTON.
DELIVERED AT
WaMaUa, s. c., Sept. ed, 1866.
BEFORE THE SOLDIERS ASSOCIATION +"

Teto'c- Ct'Eens ana BFOther ,Sol4tcrS or
Ifchens: In response to your kind invita-
ton to join you to-day, have come to partic-
pate in the grateful ceremonies of this occa-
sion. 1t affords nc great satisfaction, assure
you, to do so, because it is cminently fit and
proper that every surviving soldier of the
South should, at all times and everywhere,
pay all possible respect to the memory of his
dead comrades. Another reason which urged
me strongly to be present to-day, was that
might have the pleasure of seeing again so
many of the men who fought so long and SO
we'll under my command. I remember with
pride that the brave KILpATRIcK, who now
sleeps in soldiers grave, brought his gallant
Company of Monntainccrs to fight under the
banner of my old Legion, on the glorious field
of Manassas, and take pleasure in saying
here today, before their kindred and their
fellow citizens, that they did honor to their
State. Pickcns gave to me, besides CALnouN's
brave men, and volunteers in that noble Ger
man Battery of BAcHMAN, one whole Company
IN the gallant lst sc. Cavalry, which formed
so important part of my old and beloved Brig
ade; that Brigade which, though it fought on
All hundred flelds, never knew defeat rec.
ollect that when that Regiment made its first
charge had the honor to be with it, | re-
call that bloody 9th June, when at Brandy
Station, its glorious banner was baptized in
blood. ALI the stirring incidcnts of that event
full day rise up wildly before nc, as | look
upon tile facea nf the vnt"rn"s ~,l.o ~.o-s ,lor-
ers in its glory see again that magnificent
panorama of fertile hill and smiling vale, light.
cd up by the lurid glare of war see our
Cavalry, separated, fighting in every quar-
ter against heavy odds. ] sec the enemy
gaining ground everywhere, save where your
brigade was fighting, while our gallant chief,
the heroic STUART, with characteristic cour-
age dashcs himself first against one column
and then against another; but in vain The
circle of fire slowly but surely closed around
that devoted band, until they were the only
ones within lis folds. There was but one road
over which you could withdraw, and across
that twcre tho serricd ranks of ccncmy, whose
guns were already laundering upon you. All
saw tho critical position in which you were
placed, but though all saw it, not one man
qu.ilcd. The day seemed lost, and so it would
ha1e been, but for the cold Brigade" as VIC
all loved to call it. With banners proudly
flying, with sabres gistcning brightly, with
ranks as regular as if On parade, it turned to
meet the new enemy, who vainly hoped to bar
its way. The noblo Cobb Legion than which
no better Regiment ever fought-was in front,
your Regiment next, followed by the brave
old lst North Carolina, and the dashing Jeff.
Davis Legion, when l ordered the charge
Artillery ploughed through your ranks-dis
mounted mon, in limo Of battle, covered the
hill, and Cavalry, by its counter charge, tried
to check your progress. Not shot was fred
by my mon, but with drawn sabrcs, they rode
steadily through that storm Of fire for moro.
than half mile, and sweeping over the hill,
they left upon it not one enemy, save tho dead
and tho wounded, whose ghastly wounds told
more eloqucntly than words could do, what
good work my keen sabrcs had done Artil-
!ery, standards, prisoners, were al captured
In that charge and the fight was over re-
member Upperville, where again the fortunes
Of the day seemed lost, until that Brigade, by
a series of desperate charges, which have
mover seen surpassed, snatched victory from
the very grasp of defeat And Gettysburg,
with all its CORY memories, brings to my rec
objection the brave deeds of these tried sold
icrs. have not forgottcn-I never shall for
got, brother soldiers--that when borne wound.
ed from that fatal field / sent word back to
my men to hold their ground to the last, how
nobly and at what cost, they carried out
what then believed to be tho Inst order 7