The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1889-03-21


Nashville sailed, assumed the garb of 4
sailor and was enlisted by the first
| lieutenant of the vessel. During the
homeward voyage Of the Nashville
Dawson's admirable conduct secured
the applause of all the officers and men
aboard the vessel; and, Immediately
after running the blockade at Beaufort,
n. c., he was appointed masters mate
in the Confederate States Navy upon
the recommendation of Captain Pc
gram.
After reaching the Confederacy,
Dawson was ordered to duty at Nor
folk, Virginia, where he served for
short time. He was then ordered to
New Orleans, but on approaching the
city discovered that his ship had gone
down and that the city had been cap
tured by the enemy.
He was ordered to duty on the James
River, but everything was so dull and
monotonous, and he became so anxious
to engage in battle, that he resigned his
commission in the navy and took SER
vice as private with the Purcell bat
terry, Fieps brigade, Hilps division,
ARMY of Northern Virginia, in June,
1862. This was at the time of McClel-
lan's memorable march on Richmond,
and Dawson was very soon gratified
with fight. In the bloody engage
ment of Mechanicsyille, on June, Is,
1862, he was badly wounded, but re-
manned fighting his gun until COM
pletely exhausted by loss of blood, and
was carried from the field. In this en-
gagement his conspicuous bravery At
tracted the attention of his devoted
| comrades, and called forth the admira-
ton of his Captain who recommended
his promotion to Lieutenancy, which
recommendation was Immediately car
ried out by the Secretary of War. Daw-
son could not be idle; and, although suf-
fering severely from his wound, he ap-
piled for a position in the ordnance
corps, passed a thorough and brilliant
examination, and in August, 1862, was
commissioned First Lieutenant of ar
tillery and ordered to duty with Long
streets Corps; as assistant ordinance
officer of which corps he served until
the fail of 1864. .... ....
After the battle of South Mountain
in 1862, just before Spartanburg, Lieu
tenant Dawson was captured by the
Federal cavalry which escaped from
Harper's Ferry, was taken to Fort
Delaware and there confined for some
time, Lieutenant Dawson was exchang-
ed just in time to take part in the battle
of Fredericksburg, in December, 1852.
He was With Longstreet through the
Gettysburg and East Tennessee cam
paigns, and was by his side when be
was wounded and Jenkins was killed,
at the Wilderness. In the winter of
1868 -64 he passed an examination for
promotion, and received his commits
sion as captain of artillery in May,
1864. After his promotion he was re-
lieved of his command at his own re-
quest, and appointed ordnance officer of
Fitzhugh Lees division. In this ca
| pacity Captain Dawson served through
the Valley campaign ofFive Forks on
March 81, 1865, where he was wounded
in the shoulder.
In all his service to the Confederacy
Captain Dawson distinguished himself
by his bravery and his devotion to
duty, however arduous and severe. In
the camp and on the tented field he was
genial and conpanionable, and in line
he was always at his post
Captain Dawson is one of the men
who event into the war and stayed
there" He took part in the following
battles: MechanicsvilIe, Second Ma
nassas, Fredericksburg, Chattanooga,
Knoxville, Wilderness, Spottsylvania
c. H., North side james River, 1864;
Valley Of Virginia, 1864; Five Forks.
He was wounded at Mechanicsville,
June 26, 1862; at Harrisonburg, Va,
1864; at Five Forks, March 81, 1865.
He was taken prisoner of war near
Williamsport, Va, on September IA,
1862, and released on parole in October,
1852. He surrendered at the close Of
the war and was paroled in May, 1865.
In order to show what estimate was
placed upon Captain Dawson by the
Confederate General, it may not be out
of place to refer to certain letters of
recommendation given to him when he
made application for admission into
the Charleston Survivors Associa-
tion," in 1869. These letters are signed
by Commodore Pegram, Generals
Longstreet, r. H. Anderson and Fitz-
hugh Lee, and all agree in saying that
'he was brave soldier and an efficient
officer"
When the war ended i'll April, 1865,
Captain Dawson went to Petersburg,
Virginia, but failing to find congenial
employment there he returned to
Richmond in July, where he began ar
rangements with u friend for publish
ing small weekly newspaper. The
Federal officer who was in command at
Richmond seized and closed the office
before the first paper could be issued,
ard so clouded temporarily the career
in journalism which was destined to
become so brilliant few years later. A
little later Captain Dawson was offered
a position oI the Richmond Examiner,
which he accepted and held until that