Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1885-09-03

mother, standing among the natiors
of the earth, a free, sovereign and In
dependent commonwealth.
You witnessed the fail OF Fort
Sumter, and supported the guns
which impelled the surrender Of the
heroic Anderson, there receiving the
baptism of fire.
You were among the foremost OF
the regiments to rally to the call for
aid from the old State OF Virginia,
mother of States and Of Statesmen.
You ehared the dangers and the
glories Of every great battle fought
upon the soil Of Virginia, Maryland
and Pennsylvania. You planted your
bloody flag far in the front on the
plains Of Chickamauga, and dyed it's
turbid waters with the blood of your
best and bravest. You shared the
disasters, and endured the suferings
of Longstreet's winter campaign amid
the mountains of Tennessee, and
crowned your splendid career as SOL
diers at Averysborough and Bentons-
vile, amid the dying throes of the
Confederacy. Let me say, as one who
has the right to speak, that your no.
BILE record has never been stained
by single failure to perform the duty
of the hour, at any and all hazards.
Surely deeds like yours should find
its chronicler.
As I write, memories multiply and
crowd the mind. Incidents and ad-
ventures more than would fill volumes
press for utterance. There would be
no want for material for the historian
who witnessed your achievements and
your sufferings. But this is not the
time or the occasion, nor mine the
pen for such work as that. It must
be left to some less busy brain-to
some more accomplished pen to per.
form this grateful task. Let me men
tion a few facts, to which your his
torian may refer.
Your regiment numbered when it
entered service in Virginia, pre-
sumo, about one thousand men, OF
theRe the statistics show that you lost
in battle six hundred and sixty men
at the following places:
Malvern Hill, 2 officers and 38 men.
Savage Station, 2 officers and 80
| men.
Maryland Heights, 6 officers and
l07 men.
Sharpsburg, l6 officers and 124 men,
Fredericksburg, 6 officers and SIS
men.
Charlottesville, l3 men.
Gettysburg, Is officers and 90 men.
Chickamauga, IL officers and 72
men.
Knoxville, 1 men.
Bean Station, 4 men.
In skirmishing, l officer and 2 men,
Total geo.
In the battle of Chickamauga, the
entire strength of the regiment pres
ent for duty, was 80 officers and 245
men. Of these, you lost, as I have
SAID, eleven officers and seventy tive
men.
This record includes all the engage.
ments up to the Wilderness campaign
In that campaign, from the 9th May
to the 25th June, 1864, including the
battle of the Wilderness, Spottysl
vania, South Anna and Cold Harbor
with the intervening akirmishes, and
the defence Of Petersburg to thai
date, your losses were lG officers and
$50 men. From the 28th Of July il
the Valley, 10 the 18th Of August
1864, when We encamped at Bruce
town, you lost II men. In the Skin.
mish in front of Strasburg, October
18th, you lost II men. On the Bro
and 18th of September, 1864, your
losses were 6 men. At the memora'
Bile engagement Of October 10Th, thai
day Of glorious victory and disastrous
defeat, your losses were 2 officers .anS
At men. I regret to have to add that
I have no further reports of your
losses in battle. The total Of your
losses which I have given above ie
904 officers and men, out Of regi.
ment Of a thousand, with other bat
ties OF which the casualties are mol
known. Many Of you, my comrades
bear upon your bodies marks of thil
noble struggle; some of you, maimec
and broken, are doubtless in penury
and want, and men are found who
forget your sufferings and sacrifices il
behalf Of your native State, yet your
names are written on the rolls of i'm
perishable fame, and the generations
to come will bless your memories anc
emulate your noble deeds. Lives likt
yours are not lived in vain, for some
where in the future, Eternal Justic,
must provide meet compensation fol
all You have done and suffered to-
your native land.
Wishing you many happy reunions
in the coming years, with the best O.
the blessings which the future may
have in store for our people, I an
with great affection and respect, youl
friend and comrade.
Jos. B. KERsHAw.
After the reading of this letter
which was received with applause
Capt. John Lyon offered the follow
ing resolution, which was unanimous
ly adopted
Rcsolvcd, That we, the survivors o
the Seventh Regiment, State Volun
teer Troops, have reunion once {
year.
That committee composed of ont
from each company be appointed
whose duty it shall be, to appoint tht
time and place Of meeting, make ar
rangements to have refreshments fur
nished, and if possible procure some
one of the survivors to deliver an ad
dress on The occasion.
The following was the committee
appointed under the resolution: L. N
Bland. Go. A S. ]. Davis. B. Cant