Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1879-08-21
THE SEVENTEENTH REGIMENT.

York county, the following persons were pres
ent
Company C-Leuts. John w. Hartness and J.
M. Morrow. Privates Jack Wsher, Elias Ram
say, Thomas Hartness and -Sprouse.
Company E-Capt. E. R. Mills. Lieut.. Elias
Nicely. Privates L. R. Williams, Joseph Cath
John JONES' Isaac Jones, John Jackson, R. w.
Garrison, s. A. McElwee, W. w. McElwee Mil
Company F-Capt. w. 8. Moore. Privates D. |
c. Williams Perry Martin, Joseph kirkpatrick,
VIM. Sherer, John Sherer, E. Moore. F. Moore,
P. Caldwell, Hays Mitchell, Henry Mitchell. j.
L. Moore, Joseph Plexico. John Pollard, Robert
Company K-Capt E. A. Crawford. Lieuts.
Moffatt Wylie and James Summerford. Privates
John Davidson, I. M. Wallace, - Love, John
Knox, = Williams, - Feemster, W: G. Dow
die, G. E. Carroll, - Hardin, VIM. Aiken, -
Groom, r, L. Hope.
The Survivors assembled at the Baptist
Church, and from thence marched to the
Court House. Nv. McMaster, of Columbia,
who was the Colonel of the Regiment when it
surrendered at Appomattox, took the chair
and delivered an address to his old comrades.
He began with an eloquent allusion to the re.
union after fourteen years Of separation of
old comrades. They met, he said, not to dis.
cuss the causes which enforced the war, but
as friends and comrades in arms to take
rapid and cursory glance at the part they
took in the war of which their dead brothers
we're the justified heroes and they the survi-
vors. The correct history of that war is as yet
unwritten, and it was their duty to keep in
memory the deeds of their comrades and fur
nish and preserve materials for the historian.
South Carolina had furnished fifty regiments,
besides number of battalions and separate
companies, but their history was so interwo.
ven with that of larger bodies, that it was a
difficult matter to obtain correct histories Of
each individual regiment, particularly Of in
fantry, which was food for gunpowder.
He then reviewed rapidly the history of the
regiment from its formation in Columbia in
November, 1861. 1t was composed of four
companies from York, two from Chester, two
from Barnwell, one from Lancaster, and one
from Fairfield, and its staff officers were John
H. Means, colonel; F. w. McMaster, lieuten-
ant colonel; Julius Mills, major; w. Wylio,
surgeon Isaac A. Means quartermaster, and
w. B. Metts, commissary. He then spoke of
its reorganization, of its first active service in
Virginia, and vividly described its participa-
ton in the second battle of Manassas on the
30th of August, when it lost l35 men killed
and wounded, including its colonel killed,
three captains and lieutenant killed, and
two captains and lieutenant badly wounded.
At Sharpsburg, twenty volunteers Of the 18th
silenced a battery which was shelling the
causeway. At Boonesboro, it did good SER
vice. At Sharpsburg twelve men of its great
ly depleted ranks were ekilled, and others cap
tured and wounded. 1t engaged in the bat
ties of Kingston and Goldsboro, and for sew
eral months did picket duty about Whining
ton. Two hundred OF its men were for two
weeks in Fort Sumter during the heaviest
bombardment, and bore themselves well.
| The regiment was afterwards transferred to
Johnston army, with which thelped to fight
Grant, participating in the battle Of jackson,
and subsequently with Beauregard, on the
2Oth of May, 1854, at Bermuda Hundreds,
in company with the 9th North Carolina
Regiment charged and captured the enenny's
breastworks, and held them against repeated
and desperate attacks 1t was afterwards or
dered to Petersburg, taking part in the bat
ties about that city, and losing number Of
officers and men.
Col. McMaster described, particularly, the
part taken by the 18th in the battle Of the
Crater, when that regiment, with the assis-
tance of few men of the 26th, and the CO.
operation of Wright's Battery, prevented
Grant from entering Petersburg and captur-
ing ,Beauregard's army. The 26th and 18th
on that day, 3Oth of August, 1864. occupied
the left of ElIiott's brigade. The explosion
of the eight hundred pounds of powder over
| Ill. A. ko4k fhn uho1o of no
regiment on the right of the 18th, and part of
Company A, of the 18th itself. The Federals
had designed rushing in through the breach
thus created in the line, and advanced to
carry out the idea, being met, however, by
the fire of the 18th, a few of the 18th, who
had extricated themselves from the covering
of earth, some of the 26th, and four guns of
Wright's Battery, which had escaped, under
command of Maj. Coit The evidence Of
Federal officers proved that it was this resist
ance that defeated their plans. Some Of the
enemy who reached the line were driven back
with dubbed muskets and bayonets, and few
battles could show more bayonet wounds than
this one The 18th lost 1876 men. The regi-
ment was also in the battle of Fort Stead.
| man.
Col. McMaster closed by reviewing the
subsequent brief history of the regiment down
to the time when it surrendered its entire
force of 81 men, composing more than half
its brigade, at Appomattox, many having
been captured when purposely left in an ex-
posed situation, from which escape was i'm
possible, to mask the operations cf the re-
mainder of the army.
At the conclusion of COL McMaster's ad-
dress, he read letters from Gen. Bealreguard,
Capt. Colt, Col. Hudson, of the 2eth Regi-
ment Major j. w. Avery and other gentle
men who had been invited to attend the re-
union of the Survivors.
After the meeting adjourned, the veterans
repaired to a neighboring hall, where boun-
tiful rations had been provided, in the discus
sion of which, common with war reminis.
cences, a considerable time was delightfully."-
spent the occasion being evidently intensely
enjoyed by all who participated in it.
COL McMaster, furnished the correspon'
dent of the Nesos and Courier-from whose
report we have taken the above account of
the proceedings the following statistics
in relation to the Seventeenth Regiment:
Enlisted men 100 l'o''
Died from disease, 100
Killed in battle, e,"....".. ............ 207
Discharged, ..............IU
Survivors, ..".....4lo
Iotal,"..... .... 'o''
SOUTHERN CENTENN1ALs-The closing
victories of the war for American indepen-
dence were mostly won upon the soil of the
Southern States. The Southern people seem
to be mindful of that fact and they are ta'
king steps to give them due celebration. The