Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1880-08-26

of Charlottesville, May 3, where the Brigade
lost two Colonels-O. E. Edwards OF the Thir
teenth, and James NJ. Perrin of Ow's Rifles
Col. Edwards was popular with his regiment
and devoted to their comfort. He was com
manding the Brigade when he received his
mortal wound. He was distinguished at
home, having represented Spartanburg several
times in the Legislature, and in the army he
fell at the post of duty. How shall speak OF
his associate in death From long personal
friendship, commencing in boyhood and ex-
tending through college, a partnership in the
practice of the law and intimate association
through the Mexican war, l cannot trust my
self to speak in fitting terms of my lifelong
friend the devoted patriot, gallant soldier
and Christian gentleman, James NJ. Perrin.
l can only repeat what Mr.. Caldwell, i'll
his truthful and excellent history of the Bri-
gade says Of him: 1.-THE public trusted him,
his friends loved him, his loss was deeply re-
gretted throughout the Brigade, and his mem-
ory never ceased to be cherished"
Far in advance Oh the picket line, close
under the thunders of Gettysburg, July 2,
1868, fell Capt. w. T. Haskell, commanding
the battalion of sharpshoOterS. A modest, gen
tie, rlnassuming youth, highly educated, both
in head and heart, kind to others, unsparing of
himself, with u body that never tired and
spirit that never quailed, no Drawer man or
more lovable character, yielded up his life that
bloody day.
AS the war approached it's close, the death
Shots shots fell thick and fast. The Winter Camp
on the Rapida;i was abandoned May 4, 1864,
and the last great campaign WAS opened by
the battle in the Wilderness, May 5, where the
gallant Col. John L. Miller of the Twelfth fell;
and the sound of the cannon i'll the Wilderness
had scarcely ceased to reverberate, when COL
B. T. Brockmal, of the Thirteenth, and Lieut.
Colonel w. p. Shooter of the First, yield
ed up their lives at Spottsylvania on the morn
ing of May 12; Major r. p. Aston, COM
manding the First, fell at Jericho Ford, May
21st; Mai. w. NJ. Haddon commanding Orr's
Rifles at Deep Bottom, July % Colonel E. F.
Bookter, of the Twelfth, at Jones' Farm, Sep
tember 80; and on the extreme right, of the
lines at Petersburg, in the marshes OF GRAY
ely Run, at the very close of the war, March
20, 1865, fell C. w. McCreery, Colonel of the
First. In this last long death struggle, none
were present but the ever faithful and all these
were soldiers, whose devotion to duty was as
true as the tried tempers of their own bright
blades.
There was another who deserves mention
here-Abner Perrin. Ambitious OF military
fame, like young Norval, he chad heard OF
battles and longed to follow to the field some
war-like Lord,'' He came into the service
as Captain in the Fourteenth, rose to be its
Colonel, commanded the Brigade at Gettys-
burg, was made Brgadier and assigned to
command Brigade Of Alabamians. When
the salient in our lines at Spottsylvania was
taken, his Brigade was one OF those flung into
the bloody angle to recover the works. lie
knew the peril, but was resolved. Going in he
met a wounded friend to whom he said,
"When you next hear Of me l will be dead,
or Major General" So saying he rode into
the boiling, seething vortex of blood and fame,
and in a few moments fell covered with blood
and radiant with glory.
A State which could produce such men as
these-and they were only representative men
of the whole Brigade-owes it to herself, to
her character and to her citizens yet unborn,
to enroll their names and keep their memories
ever fresh and green.
@ What hews hs T0una where n ssep
In dews that heavens far distant weep
Their turf may bloom;
Or Genii twine beneath the deep
Their coral tomb.
But strew his ashes to the wind
Whose sword or voice has served mankind
And is he dead, whose glorious mind
Lifts thine on high?
To live in hearts we leave behind
Is not to die.
At the conclusion of the address, which
was heard with marked attention by the
vast crowd in attendance, and after music
by the Yorkville Cornet Band, the President
extended an invitation to the ladies, the visit
ing military, the members of the Association
and all others present, to repair to dinner,
which was spread in the rear of the Institute
building. Provisions had been bounteously
contributed by citizens of Rock Hill, the
people of the county, and in sddition to the
abundant supplies from this source, the com.
mittee of arrangements, consisting Of Col. w.
H. McCorkle, Capt. R. II. Glenn and Mr..
Jos. R. Witherspoon, had not been unmind.
ful of their duties in providing literally for
the wants of the inner man. Five tables, one
of which formed circle of the spacious yard,
groaned with an abundance of delicacies and
substantials, feature of which was an abun-
dance of barbecued meats, skillfully prepared
in the most tempting manner. This depart
ment of the arrangements was under the i'm.
mediate supervision of Messrs. S. Anderson
McElwee and G. B. Byers, and Fred Jones,
colored, the latter of whom had charge of the
meats contributed by Rock Hill, and we'll and
satisfactorily did they accomplish their duty;
as in fact were all the duties of the commit.
tee of arrangements performed in such
manner that the utmost order and decorum
prevailed at the tables, where not less than
fifteen hundred persons fessted.
With the dinner, which was one of the sue.
cessful features of the day, the ceremonies at
the Tnstitnte pronnds terminated