The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1882-09-07

ordoreI ;,,.n 10 " IRE. Company "t'" is
olGereu ,a.;e INTO the Fort. Between the h,t' -
,Ira ,I,ies ana the burning houses they come
n,ni"ugh naon - iylng PARTICLES of shell, at Their
nIiu lio., mat man of pigmy form, but with
nnni oI ne neart and nerve of steel, CAM
nu,Hh bennett. If there was n spot nm
i Iai,h worthy TO be called the mouth nt
nt'', IL was tie sally port OF Fort MouI.
.ile under heavy fire, being lust onnn.
sue I 10 The flagstaff. But COMPANY rfH ~,
did not falter. e"'!
I ,ri heir not TO reason why.
/ iheirs not to make reply
| Theirs but to DO or ,lie.''
Forward they marched at III. douh,o
IIaiek through the sally. port, across the
Fort, INTO the battery. Tbcv wade
through blood, cntrails and niccos "Aat l'i
men they grasp the hand snikas ma..ni
win blood, brains and human hair TLa
guns are Shiny and slippery, but soon the
ora'c gunners open fire, and Fort Monl.
trie Is herself again. The fleet wcre
aTivei' back, and never again did the
lronsldes" come within range of mr.
guns. Much of the credit due % our
regiment WAS diverted by the fact ~ Lat
shortly after this the "ironsiIes' @ was
s,iuck ,, ny a torpedo boat, and much of
ere I!e9'C was given to the gallant crew
ol lhis boat; but for week at least be.
loIe Inc torpedo boat struck her she was
oelng repaired for the damages done by
our guns. | have heard indirectly from
one who was paroled prisoner on the
heet ut that time that, after the fight he
heard one of the officers say that the
'ironsides' Vas badly hurt and thar her
stern had nearly been shot to pieces
FROM this forward we had several
small engagements, aud constant duels
were Kept up between our batteries and
the Morris Island batteries, and both
parties being skilled artillersts and bay.
ing the range, we were taught the uncer.
tanty of human life. A proof of our
accuracy was exhibited on the dark night
in which in less than ten minutes. at n
distance of about a mile and n quarter
we sank the wooden transport having
keitts Regiment on board An unfor.
tunate affair, but one in which no blame
was attached to US. So uncertain was il
when shot would be fired that even our
old cat, accustomed to bask in the sun on
the lofty magazine, learned the cry of
look out" and OIL hearing it hastencd
at his greatest speed to some secure re-
treat. The police duty and excessive
vigilance were even more arduous than
the fighting. For months our men, when
not on guard, were compelled to sleep on
the cold flag-stoncs of the Fort, under
the open sky and exposed to the bleak
winds of the sea coast.
Our Regiment also took part in the
defence of Fort Sumter; but the lst
Regular Infantry were not entirely con.
fined to garrison duty, aud it was not
only under the ire of the dread artillery.
but on the skirmish and picket line and
in tho desperate charge that they distin-
gu!shcd themselves. At Avresboro and
AZ Benionville, n. c., the brunt of the
fight was borne by the Regular Brigade,
whose loss was very heavy, and who be-
haved with Il GOODNESS and bravery, which
elected high compliment from the his
torian (Nichols, think was the name)
who accompanied Gen. Sherman. In my
opinion, had the troops been conccn-
trated at or near Branchville, S. c., while
the army around Charleston was we'll
disciplined, thoroughly organized and
eager for battle, feeling that their breasts
were the only barriers to repel the in
vading foe, and that they stood between
the enemy and their homes and their
loved ones, Gen. Sherman would never
have reached Columbia. But dispirited
and discouraged by constant retreating,
feeling that their homes and their fami-
lies were being left to the mercy of the
enemy, many q man, who would have
fought to the death between the enemy
and his home, abandoned the army to
look after his wife and children.
My friends, Regiment after Regiment,
Brigade after Brigade are having their
deeds recorded. Only recently gentle
men from Anderson visited Virginia TO
locate the position of certain troops in
battle fought there and to see that his
Brigade was truly represented in history.
Comrades do you not desire your chill
dren and grand children to know where
you were and what you did during the
war? Only remnant of US arc left, and
from year to year death is claiming many
of these, and soon there will be no one
to TEL the tale. Last year Leut.-Col.
Warren Adams died suddenly of heart
diseasc-an officer thoroughly identified
with the 1st Regular Infantry, and who
left his impress ON it; brave, accom-.
plished officer, who not only fought gal
l9nIIV, Hul ntu lliC ilolAi Souib6O ~ VIC
cip,ii,o the men and. moro difficult task,
the officers under him. So conscientious
was he in the discharge of his duty that
he was considered n martinez, and lew
knew what warm, generous heart beat
under that apparently stern exterior.
Let us, then, be "up and dong" while
there is yet time-whie there are enough
of US left who know the truth. Many
are igrcr rant of what We did, and have
fallen into the habit Of speaking of the
troops around Charleston as pound cake
and kid glove Regiments, forgetting that
kid gloves soon split when handling
hapd-spikes and heavy shot, and that the
question is not where men served, but
how. For my own part, l appreciate as
fully the honor Of defending the dear old
City by the Sea as if l had had the
pleasure of defending any city IN the
grand old State of Virginia. When we
entered Fort Moultrie it was as nicely
built up as the Square of the city of An
derson. When we left it, it was mass
of rubbish, and the men had been living
in rat holes. Did these brick walls and
houses crumble of the own accord
and was there no danger while the enemy
we're battering them down and while the
debris was tumbling around our cars? :.
have made a hasty sketch of some OF
tho acis OF the Is: Regular Infantry: not
not in a spirit of boasting, but in order
to carry your minds back to old scenes
nreliminary to taking some steps to COM
memorate them. The object OF our meet
ing is to urge OIL the officers and men the
necessity Of having complete roll OF
our Regiment filed with the AaJu'ahh. AM
and INSPECTOR General OF this State the