The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1882-10-19
ssTHE EIGHTH REGIMENT.
4 Record that Tells the Story of the War
fromsMsnassas.to sIcntonrilIc.. -

Ell TO attend the recent reunion Of the
Survivors of the Pee Dee. and particular.
~ Of the Eighth $. c. ", c. s. A., at
Florence, and to address his old comrades,
but, being unable to do SO: wrote letter
from which, AT the request of the Ncrs
and Courier, he permits the following ex.
tracts to be published:
1t WAS my good fortune to share in the
glories of the old Eighth in every impor.
tant battle Of tho war in Virginia, ithc
second Manassas alone excepted) - well
as i'll those of Maryland Heights, Snarps.
burg Gettysburg and Chickamauga.
1t was the Eighth, with the Second
South Carolina, that first stayed the vic.
torioussprogrcss..of Mcdowell, at Manas.
sas, aud they were'lasl in tho pursuit Of
the flying foe that memorable night, re.
turning into camp. laden with the spoils
of the enemy. The Eighth was with 1.-The
old Brigade on tho Peninsula at
Williamsburg, battles around Richmond,
Savage Station and Malvern HILL The
Eighth turned the left flank of the en-.
emy entrenchcd Oh Maryland Heights,
while the Second, Third and Seventh held
them in front, aud Barksiale with his
splendid Mississippians circumvented
their right. and all. together
SQUEEZED THEM OUT
If what was supposed to be an imprcgna
ble pOsition-an achievement without
which Harner's Ferry would not have
fallen, and Sharpsburg would have been
impossihle-yet MI achievement scarcely
known but to the survivors.
The Eighth with their gallant com.
rades first lifted the overwhelming press.
;iTo Upon StonewalI .Iacsas1ii's icft nj
Sharpsburg. They assisted in holding
the S!onewall at fredericksburg, against
which 10000 men were heroically but
vainly hurled. With the left wing of
the brigade at Get,hsburg I'll o Eighty,
Second and James Bnttalion) they drove
the cnnnonecrs from their guns ut the
Peach Orchard, and but for the mistaken
extension of an order would have had
their hands upon them in less than two
minutes. Leaving many of their best
and bravcst there, they swept on with
woFFoRD's MAGNIFICENT CHARGE
clear across the wheat field and into the
shadows Of Little Round Top.
The Eighth with tho old brigade,
swinging from east TO west, marched ut
midnight from Ringgold to Chickamau-
ga, and bore. the heat and burden of the
day on the left in that memorable battle
the "River of Blood"
The Eighth participated in the glorics
of ltongstreet's arduous and unapprc-
cia,ed campaign in East Tennessee
siege of Knoxville and the battle of
Beans Station; and, like our fathers ut
Valley Forge, left the traces Of their
painful progress written in characters of
beside blood from their
BARE, BLEEDING FEET
upon the rugged aud frozen roads during
that trying winter Of 1868 and 1864. :
Swinging back from west to east the
Eighth was in time and in place with
Longstreet's veterans, to save (perhaps)
the army of Northern Virginia, OH the
memorable 9th of May, Mt the Wilder
ness. The Eighth, being in advance,
gave the first check to the, till then, tri-
| umphant foe.
1t was the Eighth and their com rades,
two days later, with their brave brothers
in arms, the Mississippi Brigade, who
met the advance Of Grants army at
Srottsylyauia Courthouse and held them
there until Lee came up, under the nd.
miring eye Of the noble Stuart, who wit.
messed then that most rare and phenome.
nal thing lin the days Of long range guns
and rapid firing,) the crossing Of bayo.
nets and
THE IMPINGING OF COLD STEEL,
aud shouted "Hurrah for Kershaw's Bri.
gade"
The Eighth and their comrades held
the broken line Mt Cold Harbor, where
the gallant Wallace led the Second in
the charge ut double.quick, and hurled
the advancing columns of the enemy
over the trenches at the point of the
bayonet, and again averted the "On to
Richmond !"
The Eighth was among the firut of
Lees Army TO join Beauregard at Peters
burg, and again cross the path of Grants
legions.
The Eighth was in the grand charge
| over the e1tIenched calnps of Sheridan
| in the Valley, and under the command
i vi ihai peerless Origadier, James Conner,
fought heroically at Hupp's Hill two days
| before, where that brave and accomplish
ed officer lost his leg but won imperisha
bic fame.
cannot speak Of Bentonville and
Averysborough, being then far away
amid the dying throes of the Army OF
Northern Virginia, but know tho Eighth
was there, for like our own brave Dickin.
son, they ever sought "a place in the
picture near the flashing of the guns"
This brief efmemorandum of the achieve.
ments of the Eighth South Carolina
| Volunteers, G. S. A., is but All index tc
what would occupy volumes if the histo.
ry were faithfully written. Would il
| were written for their children and their
children's children that they might learn
and love like them the principles of lib
erty and patriotism which inspired the
breasts of their noble ancestors tha,
they might see there was something more
precious than gold and silver.
Let me note q few incidents that ought
to be recorded. At Fredericksburg The
Eighth WAS frat placed in position a. the
foot of Lees Hill, along q hedge row
facing wide, open fields, the left toward,
ravine skirted with iTees, through siii ~h:c!
a stream flowed and emptied into tn,
river below the town. The brigadier ex
planned to
CAPT. Z. T. srAcKmoUsE,
then in command, what " o exI ,ted O
him, somewhat in this wise "You are K
hold this position as long as you can. l
forced to retire, which you may be b,
the enemy coming up that ravine on YOU
left, you will change front to rear on you
right and fall back to that ditch, wher,
you see that line of trees. You will holt
that to the last extremity" Raisin,
himself to his full height, the Captain
turned to his commander, his teeth sc
and his large steel blue eyes flashing will
the light of battle, and said aye
General, I'll do it." Then turning slow