The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1883-02-22

, ;r,,,rB II. II. ftNyUc, W SpWWHv ID, IN
By The Charleston Weekly Ne~s.
,monp the heroic bands of gallant SOL
a" ubich left the Palmetto State to do
td.,io d.,ii an ,le historic soil Of Virginia for
ya,'It Iafence of Southern rights and inde-
'as I, Ienrc. no more illustrious nor renown-
r.ommand upheld the honor of the
:. s.,,s by its intrepidity, fortitude and glo.
~ .;'m. achievements than the Hampton
; i',r ,1ion, Organized as Legion, it took
~ name OF It's first commanding officer
~ WsJe Uampton-a name dear to the
,,,,, of every South Carolinian and one
~ :" ,bs annals of the State ever associa-
~ =. with nobleness, bravery, truth and
Wirh = battalion Of infantry, squad
.,n n cavalry and q battery of artillery
:. ~ an integral military force, it arrived Mt
:Ss :. .a,, ot war in time for the Infantry
. participate in
THE FIRST BATTLE OF MANASSAS.
New in the business Of war and un-
.,,jueJ, the Legion bravely fought the
Numbering enemy, and, though the
is,l,e wagcd in favor Of the Northern
~ the Unborn valor Of the Southern
.oliier .oii rendered him fearless of panic and
rnCouscious of defeat. He fought on
nn achievements turned the day from
Si.a.,er to glorious victory for the
SM,bern arms. Though the loss in
runlbers was not very large, yet in the
iss,h of the brave Lieutenant Colonel
Johnson, who fell early in the day, the
legion met with an irreparable loss.
Brsye and gifted he at the time held the
hearts of the men of the Legion as no
ober officer in it.
Just previous to the battle the Legion
epcsmped in Rockets, suburb of Rich
noud. This encampment was remember
el by its old soldiers as the jolliest one of
The war. Camp life with every comfort
snd With the full belief that one victory
would end the war and return them home
70 be lionized gave to the men the best of
spirits, and mirth and jollity reigned
,upreme. The fiery baptism of Manas-
as dispeled these pleasant anticipations
Of peace, and as they realized prac tical
warfare more serious cast came to the
countenances of the men.
As the more perfect organization Of
the army was effected, the Legion was
disin,egrated. The cavalry and artillery
Icing detached and put into other or
rsnilations. the battalion Of infantry, by
The addition of other companies, was
filled out to the full strength of IL regi-
uent Thus reorganized, its companies
ame from different sections Of the State,
from Grcenyille to Charleston. Retain
10, its distinctive name of
THE HAMPTON LEGION,
i. was remarkable as being one Of the
few, il not the only regiment in the SER
ceof the Confederacy which was known
sni designated by name instead of a
number. If the writer is not mistaken
Ill other Legions were but sectional parts
Of larger commands, or were never full
regiments. The cavalry portion helped
TO form the celebrated Second South
Ca.olina Cavalry Regiment, and was COM
handed by that noble soldier, now able
Seua,or, Gen. NC. Butler. The artille-
~, frat under Capt. Stephen D. Lee, fol-
lowed the rounds of different branches of
the Army of Northern Virginia, and
came out of the great struggle for liberty
covered with laurels and known as Hart's
Battery.
The Hampton Legion, proper, had per-
hsps more varied experience of war than
any other regiment from South Carolina.
First in the invincible Hoods Texas
brigade under that peerless leader, Stone
wall Jackson, it became familiar with the
loot cavalry business )" then in the
brigade of the brave and brilliant Gen.
Jenkins it learned "hard fighting" under
the once true and trusted Longstrect.
Lastly, being metamorphosed from infan-
Try into cavalry it served on the left of
Lees army during the last year of the
var in brigade commanded by the
dShing Gen. NJ. w. Gary. Itwas in the
sp'ing of the year 1864 that this last
change was made. About the same time
scall Of the Confederacy for the "seven-
seen.year-olds" included the writer of
ibis sketch-a willing youthful recruit,
who, as Charleston school boy, had had
study driven from his mind by the thun-
der aud rumble of the guns as he heard
hem open the first act of the wars tragic
asma-the scenes being those of the
dringon
THE STAR OF THE WEST"
!he battle of Fort Sumter and the bonn
Oatdment of Port Royal. The peda-
gosue, himself moved with patriotic zeal
substituted the discipline Of the school Of
,hesoldier for that of the scholar, and
iAJng aside his RATTAN" took the sword
10 command of the Pickens Rifles, in
Aelca boy company it was pleasin G
privilege for mo to become an amateur
2IaeI. The impending invasion of the
ta.y, however, drove majority of its
iiaallles to places of greater safety in the
,a!e, ,.f OF the State. Edgefeld was our
p.ee OF refuge. Here under parental
su.aority the amateur soldier burned 10
.aef the lists. The time came at last
ss .aa when the boys of the gallant ":Wat.
;o ;On uuard' were choosing and caparison.
.ushelr steeds and recruiting themselves
y cavalry, the heart of the youngsteI
i.s IVES won from Company A." his first
@Te, the company of our fathers" the
h".L; L." and his name was catered or
ns roll Of Company B." The personal
t,SS.0lleetlon ~ of the Legion by the writer
iIuslelore, began at this time, and though
.'sseft and tell the tale of the Legion
/, t;a,Iantry, I'll tell it as it was tole to me
o5ih veterans.
a'tef the Battle of Manassas the LIE
s,~1. suI eamped in the neighborhood of the
ossaleground oss for some time when it was
Rus'eq Rss into winter quarters on Ocquacor
~, fotomac River. In the spring
ss .sl dull and inactive existence O
VIA y'sie months, it moved under orders Il
.na.. .,n.own. Beyond few skirmishes NJ
ny n,se&e1s ,sea n's Of Importance with the enc
n, Iok p;N place during the short stay OF
- historic ground. But McClellan's
ION TO RICHMOND"
SUsements Sa,, drew the Confederate force