The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-05-21
McGOWAN'S OLD BRIGADE.
Presentation of a Confederate Congress
RnSolufinn NJ Thanks

4 pleasing Incident occurred In the rarlor
of tie Wheeler Il0u>c this morning. In tho
presentation by Judge IT,. Macicy to Gen.
MctiOwan. and the survivors Of his old
brigade. nf the original Joint resolution pass
cd by the Confederate Congress thanking that
command for unanimously rc-cnliSting for
the war, in February. 1881. This valuable
record was rescued from the wreck Of the
Confederate archives, and its existence has
hitherto been unknown to the command
In whose honor II was passed.
u MACKEY'S SPEECH. ,
In presenting the resolution Judge Mackcy
said
Gen. MCGOWAN and Comrades, Members OF
Orr's i~;iiic's. the First. Twelfth, Thirteenth
and Fourteenth Regiments OF South Carolina
Infantry, composing Mc(iOwan's 1rlgndc-l
have requested the attendance OF such OF the
survivors of Nctiowal's Brigadc rs could be
conveniently assembled that | might perform
81 duty to them which Is as pleasing To me w.
1t is unique and unprecedented In It's cllarac-
ter. BY Il singular chance, within the pnSt
three days there have come into my posses
sion several valuable records Of the late war,
saved from the wreck Of the archives of the
confederate States. Among them | noticed
an unpublished Joint resolution of the Con-
Tolerate Congress, which nowhere appears In
tie published acts and resolutions of that
body, and which relates to MctiOwan's Brig
alr. ! will read the resolution, which is as
follows:
"l:mrollcd joint resolution OF thanks. to the
officers and men OF McCiOWun'S brigade,
consisting Of Urr's Rifles, the LIST. l2tli, 18th
and lith Regiments South Carolina Eoluu-
tccrS.
"Itcs0ivcd, BY the Congress OF the Confcte-
rate States. that the thanks Of Congress are
Que and are hereby rendered to Orr'S Rifles.
the LIST, Eth: 18th and 18th Regiments = :.
", comprising Mc(iOwan'S Brigade, for their
patriotic devotion To the cause OF Southern
independence as manifested by their recent
action unanimously reitciattng their dcterlni.
nation to serve during the war. In thus re-
trih tl,fir MI l,rp 81 ft,p !, nnr - 4 IN ran yam g
or urduOuS and gallant service they have met
the expectation Of the country, and arc enti-
tied to its upprobation:
Speaker of the House of II cps.
K. W. HUNTER,
President pro ten. Senate.
Approved February i: 1851;
This resolution, l am informed, which
should have been communicated in general
orders TO the command Indicated, WAS never
SO communicated, and 1t Is to-day prcsen ted
thirteen years nftcr the government whose
Judgment 1t clnbodicS has passed way from
among the nations Of the earth. 1t is pre-
scented, hOweVu., on nm occasion when the
people Of South Carolina have assembled TO
Illustrate that feature OF Southern character
which has never before been presented to the
historic cyc-thnt quality which leads these
people to erect costly monuments to celebrate"
defeat. 1t was tho custom OF the ancient
Greek and Roman TO mark no spot on which
Roman or Grccinn arms had met with disas-
ter.
The monument to be unveiled in our pres
cncc to-day illustrates the fact that the dead
soldiers whom 1t commentaries, although
falling In disastrous war. yet saved the honor
OF our people. This particular command, in
rc-cnlisting on the LIST OF February, 1861, III
the darkest hOur OF the Contederacy, illus
truted II rare devotion TO the cause for which
they had taken up arms, and caused the
pulse OF the Confederate soldier everywhere
to beat quicker and stronger with renewed
hope. | havedccncd IL not improper, there
fore, to present TO Gen. Samuel MctiOwan,
tho worthy commander OF McGowan'S Bril-
gadc, and my cOmrauc in two wars, this Oiii-
cial record, relating to the splendid SOldicry
that formed his command, that he may hold
1t aS trustee for them, and as it's fitting custo-
dian.
Gen. McGowan in accepting the valuable
momcnto Of his command, responded as fol-
lows;
GENERAL McGowAN's rErLY.
JMtigc Muckcy-I came to Columbia to hear
and not to be heard. IT was my purpose
simply to aid as III humble individual to
swell the grand pageant of the day. | con-
fcss, sir, that am surprised by this happy in
cidcnt, ind | have no words at my command
to express my thanks on behalf Of my late
command for his most valuable gift. We
thank you heartily for securing this valuable
record and delivering II to those vino nre most
deeply Interested In Its preservation. Up to
this hour every member of tho Brigade has
Dppn Drt)It1l1lulS lpuOTtlIb llltG the 2On-
fcdcratc Congress had noticed our action in
this regard. remember well the day when
in bivouac on the banks OF the Iapidan tho
members Of my command, officers, nOn-cOm-
misSioned officers and private soldiers, assem-
blcd to determine whether they should re-
enlist, for the war, and although their three
years term OF enlistment was about to en-
pirc. they unanimously resolved to re-enlist
for the entire war, and to stand by our cause
while q single Confederate flag remained un-
furled. wasthen proud, and am still proud,
In the reflection that there was not one man
out Of all the five regiments that composed
my brigade that uttered a dissenting voice. |
We were then acting history and not writing |
1t. We were not building mo numents then, !
but earnestly cndcavoring to do deeds that
should deserve monuments. We did not
know that our resolution 10 rc-enlist had ever
gone beyond Gen. Lees headquarters. This
encOmiunI by Congress never reached us. but
we were content in the consciousness s of hav-
fidelity to historic truth. that no brigade or
any army was ever engaged in more battles,
or performed more arduonS service in the
same period of time than that which | had
the honor TO command.
At the final breaking up at Petersburg it
wnS nsccrtained officially by the m:jutant Of
the brigade. who is here present, Col. j. :.
Cothran. of Abbey lille that there were more
or the bodies Of officers and men
than there were swords ana hiy0nets In line.
No more splendid record titan this has ever
been achieved by soldiers, not excepting the
immoria! Tenth Legion Of Caesar or the re-
Old Guard Of the FIRST Napoleon.
In tho name Of that command, / thank you.
shall keep it for them Gicredly as the OIL
recognition of their past achievements
by that high body which represented in their
capacity the people Of the confed-
crate states. and us IL pledge OF our devotion
duty In the future.
The presentation was made In the presence
If a large number of ladies' and of the assem-