Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1868-03-08
THE CmATIIAM ARTILLERY.
a Historical Sketch by Charles &.
Jones. Jr.. late Lieutenant Colonel
of Artillery, C.S.A

- AAs4tOEACtA DIV As
Jones. Jr.. late Lieutenant Colonel
of Artillery. C.S.A.
Many of our readers will recur with
pleasure to the visit of this ancient anj
honorable corps to our city in June, 1859.
We have MT forgotten the universal well
come--a welcome flowing alike from the
open hearts of manly forms, and the tender
bosoms Of beautiful women and children,
in gala attire, scattering flowers which
mingled their sweet perfumes with the hap
by greeting, as with banners flying, and
amid the discharge of guns presented BY
George Washington, the Chatham artillery
made its triumphant entrance into our city.
And We are assured that the members of
this corps, during their long and arduous
service in behalf of the Southern Confed-
eracy, always required with pride and
gratitude 10 the numberless after lions Law
ished upon them during their sojourn of
three days among these beautiful hills, and
within the shadow of our noble capitol.
The Chatham artillery has found an &C
complished and elegant historian in Col.
Charles c. Jones, only brother of Professor
Jones, NJ. D., late Health officer of this city.
who served with his company during the
earlier periods Of the war, and when pro-
NOTED to one of the highest and most
responsible positions in the artillery SER
vice, still retained his old corps in his COM
mand.
Every page Of the work before us, bears
evidence of the scholar, accurate historian
aud generous soldier; and the volume fills
a chapter in the history of the Confeder-
ate struggle for independence, which was
before unwritten. As the Chatham Ar
tillery took a prominent part in most Of
the important military operations in South
Carolina, Georgia and Florida, the work is
of general interest, containing as it does,
documents of the greatest historical yaIne.
This volume contains complete history of
the seizure of the United States forts in
Georgia, together with the official orders of
Gov. Brown; and, also, of the isolation,
bombardment and reduction Of Fort Pu
laski; the battle Of Secessionville; Con-
operations on James Island and
Morris Island, South Carolina naval at
tacks upon Fort McAllister, and its final
ca ture by assault; operations on Morris
Island, resulting in the reduction OF Bat
teries Wagner and Gregg and silencing of
the IRE Of Fort Sumter; the Florida cam
paign, battle of Ocean Pond or OIustee
Station, etc.
The work closes with an eloquent tribute
to the Confederate dead, from which We
extract the following:
From its most Northern limits TO its
southern verge, from the western hills to
its sea-gashed eastern shore, the conse-
Grated soil of the Confederacy has been
baptized by the reddest blood of the 10.
blest OF the land. Along the hillsides, by |
the swiftly rolling rivers, in the silent val |
leys, aud within the dark shadows of our
woods, they lie-the brave, the honored |
dead. HalioWed by the crimson tide, pre-
cious for all time, must be the memories of |
these eDsanguined fields.
"On the entablature of an ancient gate
way leading toward a resting place for the
dead, is an inscription ia which the soul is |
sublimely celebrated as superstes corpori ca
iucO surviving the frail body. The in
scription is old, its letters are fast fading |
from the stone, but it transfers itself to the |
mind of every beholder with all the fresh |
ness and Vigor which characterized it when |
irst traced by the graver's chisel years ago.
CHOSE occasional head -boards-with their |
brief inscriptions fast yielding to the OBJ |
influences of time-placed by |
he kind hands Of surviving comrades 10 |
mark the spot where fell the brave in arms,
will soon perish under the disintegrating |
action of the winds and storms of the |
seasons. Even the general mound |
which covers the accumulated dead of the |
will lose its outlines but the |
noble spirit which animates that sleeping !
lust, the soul of patriotism which led them |
o give to their country their loves and |
heir lives will ever remain SllperStes cor |
J0ri cdducO. In those voiceless songs, which |
n quiet hours We sing in our own thoughts, |
his mental refrain will remind ever of |
present and future honor for this immortal |
lust, Of hope for the oppressed nation |
whose sons eVince such devotion to her |
'ause.
The waves of the ocean az they break |
Ilong our shore, will sing an anthem of |
praise in honor of the illustrions dead |
The everlasting hills will remain the liy-
ng witnesses Of their triumph. The silent
valleys will become vocal with their his
oric memories, and every river, and food, |
md mountain, and plain, will proclaim
heir deeds of yalor. Long will the YER
liant grass perpetuate, and the over-arch-
ng trees cover with their protecting shad-
,Ws those ramparts which their labor con-
tructed, and their courage defended. Fair
hands will each year, with yernal flowers
resh and spotless, and redolent of sweetest |
perfumes, garland the graves of the Con-
ederate dead Young and old will vene-
ate the heroic independence, and chill
lren's children learn with their earliest |
breath to lisp the names of the great chief
aims of the South, and with their young |
at emotions TO admire and emulate their |
llustrious examples Respectively will |
zach heart beat to the passing wind as in |
ow murmuTs it breathes ever a requiem for |
heir departed heroes while the listening |
Ear will obedient catch the wailing voice of |
he Muse of history, keeping her yestal |
7igils near each grass-grOwn mound, as
'he repeats to the pilgrim at these national |
'hrines of liberty, of honor; Of patriotism,
and of pure devotion, Ssste riatoT, herorem
,dlcas.
THE moral wealth of high resolves,
fearless purposes noble exertions and
generous sacrifices in the cause of truth,
Justice, liberty, property and honOr-the
appreciation of duty performed and man
hood vindicated-the consultations which
low from a consciousness of reCtitude in
he high endeayor, the record of brave
leeds, the memories of heroic past, aud
he rich legacy OF the yalor and the devo-
ion OF fathers, brothers and SONS, are all
hat remain to cheer the hearts of those
who knew best, and loved and upheld the
once puissant Cenfederscy in the days of
her grand armies and eventual struggles"
The entire work is executed in the high
sst style of art, and the maps illustrating
he battles aud sieges are most valuable adj
iitions.
TALKING LAw.-It was intimated yester-
lay that Capt. Alfred Brown, of the Gin