The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1891-10-01
Company 'I,o Palmetto Sharp Snoot-
CrS.


Company II" was made up of the hard
lest yeomanry from the eastern portion of
old Pickens district, now Pickens county.
The original cOmpany was commanded
| by Capt w. w. IIolIngsworth, aud volun-
| tccrcd after a regular ''red hot fsrc-catinp"
speech delivered at Hunters old store Dy
Hon. John D. Asllmorc, the last member
TO the United States congress from this
congressional district before the war; who
also was the first colonel of the 4th rcgi-
mcnt South Carolina volunteers, to which
our company was attached and with which
We served for Que year.
Company "I' was mustered into the ser
vice Of the State ut Bolton, S. G., by Col.
j. Is. r.. Sloan, the second colonel of the
regiment, Colonel Ashmore having resign
cd. Company 81" was received as q part
of the army Of the republic of the state of
South Carolina, on the I4th day of April
| 1861. We were carried to the capital of the
State and quartcred on Main street until
the 9th day of June following. We then
enlisted Tor one year in the Confederate
States service; the state of South Carolina
having ceased to be separate republic.
Those who did enlist were given a few
days leave of absence to visit their noun
tain homes before their departure to the
historic soil of the "Old Dominion"
we were organized again by Colon rcl
Sloan into the 4th regiment, S. G.. V.
There was ten companies in the regiment
! with them.
We fought the first battle of Manassas
plains on the banks of the memorable
stream of Bul! Run west of the stone
bridge on said stream; around the Robin
son house, tho Henry house and the old
stone house. We were side by side
with the Louisiana tigers, commanded hy
Major Wheat, who fell MORALLY wounded;
William Young, 4th corps Of company
''p was killed.
We were commanded by Gen. N. G..
Evans, whose brigade was composed of
the 18th regiment, S. G. "; Major Whcats
tigers; Major AleXandcr's Virginia calvary
and two pieces of light artillery; one Of
which pieces was struck about the second
fire on the muZzic by shot fred from
Long Toms mate big Betsy" and turned
a sumnlcrsault to the rear, carriage i,ld all
We witnessed the fall of the la,nrnted Col
oncl Bee, Of Charleston, aid the brave
Colonel Barlow from Georgia and Colonel
Johnston of this State.
we were anxious to go into battle on
that day for it was feared by the most
eager OF us that France would recopniZc
our independence and we would not get q
chance to prove our metal on old GCucru
SCOTS regulars; but by tho time that ole
"Sol' sunk hchind the hills on the western
horizon the firc-cating qualities were much
cooled OIL, yet we never had an castor vic
tory iii all our fighting, from the fact that
we were too ignorant Of fighting to know
when we were whipped; ant
we have never acknowledged that w,
were whipped yet; we wcic at last over
powered after the South had robbed bo,l
the "Cradlc and the Grave"
General SrDti'S army hnripr hnnn al
demolished at Manassas 10y Evans, johnson
and Stoncwall Jackson Rcaurrgard bear
ing the blunt I'LL o'clock in the afternoon
We lived in clover the remainder of tho
year '6l and passed the winter of 'Gl ant
62 ut Ccntrcvillc, the heights beyond Cul
run, playing cards ut night by beef lights
burning fat beef we could not cat; our ra
tions up to this time having been issued il
an abundance and money was worth ono
hundred cents on the dollar.
In February 1862 we rc-enlistcd for two
years or the war. Those who rc.enlslcd
was given a fullough and fifty dollars
bounty. The GurOngh was for thirty days
. and each officer was authorized to cnlis
recruits frr his respective company for tn,
r war, giving them papers for free transpor
, latiOn TO the army.
On reaching our homes, our wives, an,
Il our SwccthcartS we enjoyed ourselves il
: style, being wincd and dincd rs the victor
j. Of the first conflict between the puritan,
! and the southern cavaliers.
We were rcOrganiZcd by the election OF
, Il new set of officers and yet retained oul
letter in the new command, company IL.
+. L. Garvin, a graduate Of the citadel at
Charleston, was elected captain Of The com.
pany, Jasper n. Hawthorn was elected
, first lieutenant. NJ. Il. Smith second lieu
tenant, IT, Herbert Williams third licutcn-
ant. The leutCnants of the old company
were j. II. Bowen first lieutenant, j. A.
Hamilton second lieutenant, w. u. Hunt
third lieutenant. The new officers were
chosen from the rank and file Of the Old
company Il.
We were now organized into new rcci-
mcnt called the Palmetto Sharp Shooters,
with the gallant Mike Jenkins as colonel,
whose regiment was composed Of twelve
lcompanics Of South Carolina troops, the
majority of whom were from the mountain
districts, viz: Pickcns, Grcenville, Spartan
burg, Union, York, Abbcvillc and Andcr-
son. A more gallant band never went forth
to battle.
Company II" fought in the battles at
Williamsburg, Seven Pines and Gaines
Mill; in the battle at Gaines Mill our reg
imcnt almost anrihilatcd the 10th
Michigan regiment, who made an attempt
late in the evening under cover of partial
|
swamps of the Chicknhominy river. They
had their colors folded up on the staff, and
Colonel Jenkens ordered them to unfold
their colors, which they did and it proved
them to be an enemy. They were ordered
to surrender. which they refused by keep
ing silent. We were then ordered to fire
OH them which we did, killing fifty out
right at the first fire and twenty five at the
second fire. They made a struggling fire
after our first vocy, wounding one man of
company 81" in the heel; private B. Frank
Madden. Ambrose Smith was fatally
wounded and soon died.
After the battle was over we were visited
by youth from the Florida troops, a ma
tive Of our county, man who Pickens has
delighted to honor, that youth was ID. F..
Bradley. The next fight in which we par
ticipatcd was at FraZicrs farm. where we
lost the flower of our youth Jesse SIillcr
and Jeptha Emerson was killed IN the fight
and our gallant 1t. Hawthorn was I,iGlcd by
an explosion Of II shell from the Dixie ar
tillcry, a pet company of the president,
who were too much confused to get any
q