The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1874-01-29
A Beautiful Work OF Art.

A correspondent of the Louisville Ky.)
Ledger mentions as follows a picture which is
being executed by Capt. w: P: Hix, OF Colum-
bia. the figures in which will be life size:
'.The sudden death of Mr.. Wearn will not de-
ter Capt. Hix, the surviving partner, and one
of the finest and most famous portrait and land
scape painters in the South, from carrying out
his announced determination to undertake the
execution of great national work, based on
heroic incident which took place at the fierce
battle of Fredericksburg. The incident is this !:
After the gallant charge of the National Irish
Brigade upon the stone fence behind which a
portion of Gen. Kershaw's division OF South
Carolnians were posted, the ground was COW
cred with the dead and dying Unionists, who,
on the repulse and reDeat were left to suffer
the untold agOnies of battle field. 1t IS de-
clared that the 1rishmen made as heroic q
charge as it had been hopeless and fatal; and
when they had retreated, both armies Kept up
a murderous sharp-shootiug upon each other.
So fatal was this cruel sport that the Federal
reports declare that $50 Unionists fell in their
rifle pits from the fire behind the stone wall.
On the Confederate side, the moment hand or
head was raised above the wall, it was sure to
be perforated with Unionist's bullet. Ser
geant kirkland, one of the sharp-shooters, sta
toned behind the stone r-all is the hero of the
incident He was afterwards, we mourn to
say, killed in the battle. He belonged to the
Second South Carolina Infantry. The groans
of the wounded Federalists lying just over the
wall pierced his humane heart, and his kindly,
humane nature rebelled against the cruelty OF
their sufferings. They cried for water, and
there was no friendly hand to bring it. Kirk
land resolved to make the attempt to relieve
the wants of the dying, and with that moral
and physical herosm which SurmountS all OBJ
stacles, and dares death for the good of others,
he repaired to Gen. Kershaw's headquarters
and asked the privilege of jumping over the
wall and carrying water to the lips OF the
wounded enemy At first the General would
not think of such folly. He told Kirkland that
sure death awaited the man who mounted the
wall, for the fire was incessant and fatal. kirk
land declared that he could not bear to hear the
croans of anguish which greeted his ears, and
he would make the attempt to relieve them II
the general would give his consent. The ap-
peal was too strong to be resisted by the mag
Unanimous Kershaw, and he reluctantly gave
his permission; whereupon the gallant ser
gearit departed on his more than perilous mis-
Sion, assuring his friends that he did not be-
lieye he would be killed. A bound, and he
was over the wall. But he had not touched
the opposite turf before vOlley OF bullets,
fired from a hundred concealed points, well
coined him on his mission of mercy. But mi-
raculOusly, he was unharmed. He knelt down,
the object of murderous fire, put his can
teen like blessed Samaritan, to the lips of
dying soldier and arranged his knapsack for
pillow. The Federals were mistaken. They
thought, reasonable enough his purpose to be
the ritling of the dead, but they discovered his
noble mission, and the firing upon him slack
ened and ceased, and his work went on as it
had oblivious of the cruel shafts hurled at his
charmed life. From one to another he passed
i'm his loving work, and two great and hostile
armies forget their animosities in wondering
observation and admiration Of the hero who
braved almost certain death to do kind act to
suffering men. This painting will do much to-
ward the total destruction of the still smoking
emberS of sectional animOsity.