The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-08-19
ORR'S REGIMENT.
The Old Soldiers Meet Again ut sam
DIV Sprinss-In;crcstiuS Sprceci.es
Pleasant Time for Iill.
bn

! The State.
SANDY SPRISGT, Aug, l.. For some year
! past Orr'S kiiieS has held its reunion III I'M
tlLrr this n"i;i.c the scene OF its first eucaiu
meltl after l!s organization i'll lSGl. Just thll
! " ycal> ago il first drilled on the gfouna
surrouuuinl, the old church IN whicn INT
Guirterua>ter hid his headquarters. -" nat
change has taken place in those years . lllel
the men VIII" now see sitting about unue
aged oaks, laughing anu talking ui war
! times. aud whose ltccS show deep lines Una
time ana SORROW a:,ve left, and whose rapid
whitening locks tell of youth long since gone
then, ali then, these same men were Eouus
and Iusty aud ready To do ana Ole lortneil
country. Aud by the side OF these men, VINO
now meet III annual reunion were man.
others who have long since "crossed over inc
river" and are now aL "reSt under the Snaut
OF the trees" What Il gloriauS thing IL was u
be Confederate soldier! and what grea
privilege Is enjoyed by those who survived
ihe terrible conflict, in which they were en-
gagged, in the reunions that are year ny year
held by the survivors OF the various [eel'
mentS that south Carolina sent into the Con'
feueratc service. The reunion now began last
night is the 18th annual meeting or the sur
viyorS of Orr'S Rifles. AT the meeting last
year an invitation was extended To the surVl,
vorS of the Foureeth REGIMENT the Secoliu
South Carolina Rifles and the Fourth Reg.
mept: besides other commands were lnNltcu
to be present ut the reunion TINS year, anu u
number OF regiments then invited are now
represented. Last nights meeting consisted
of un informal gathering of all the survivors,
and it was Indeed pleasant slgnt 10 witness
the meeting Of men many oil wholn nau iioI
seen each other before III many years. Sih
cere were the expressions or irlendshlp anu
kindly interest exhibited on every hand. Slde
by side they again sat around tue CRACKING
camp fire and laughed and joked each other
just as they did in their first meetihS SO
many years since.
T'his morning at 9 o'clock the survivors OF
Orr's regiment held business meeting ana
elected The following officers for the ensuing
year:
First vicrpresident. Maj. J. \. Eandiver.
Second vice president, K. I. II. Lowery.
Third vice-preSident, John Esker.
Secretary, W. r. McGill.
Treasurer, J. NJ. Thompson.
Chaplain, Rev. H. T. Sloan.
A. about the same hour the Fourtheenth
South Carolina held meeting and organized
with the following officers:
President, Col. j. N. Brown.
First vice president, Col. Edward Croft:
Second vice.president, Capt. II. T. Grifith.
Third vice-president, Capt. u. Z. Tomkins.
Secretary, K. HarliDg.
Treasurer, r. l.. Mclaughlin.
Chaplain. Rev. A. B, Anaker.
The next on the programme was TO nave
been review OF the first years service OF
he was unuvoidably absent, so Capt. w. ..
Allen of tile Fourteenth South Carolina, was
substituted, and gave very interesting reclt-
al Of what he saw OF the hrst years service.
D. Il. Russell, of the Second Calvary, OF scout
seruice within the Federal lines.
These accounts being given by those VINO
were the actual participants in the scenes they
described, were very valuable as historical
data-and were exceedingly entertaining, noI
only 10 those who are entitled 10 the nonor
Of survivOrship, but were also OF great inter
est to those OF us who were too young 10
know anything Of the actualites OF the war
Among those present to-day, as she always IS.
noticed Mrs. james L. Orr, the widow OF the
first Colonel of the regiment. who is afectlon-
ately styled the mother OF the regiment.
The number present last night was tho larg-
est ever known at a reunion mere, tnat Is lor
the first night. Major w. S. Dunlap. former
ly commander OF The Sharpshooters OF Nc
Guwan's Brigade, now State Auditor OF AT
kansas, was expected TO be present, but much
to the regret Of his former comrades he tele'
graphcd that it would be impossible Tor him
TO get OIL.
and Miller, and a telegram from Ma. Dunlap
were read, expressing their regrets that they
could not by present.
After dinner speech on the battle Of
Gettysburg was made by Gen. Il. Il. Hemp-
hill, which was very interesting.
AT this Juncture Col. Crayton made an ap-
peal for IL destitute Confederate, former
member OF Orrs Rifles. A subscription OF SO
was :lt once raised for him.
Col. J. n. Brown, OF the Fourteenth south
Carolina. made very interesting speech, de-
ttiing the services performed by McGowans
DrlgaCe during tHe cloSluS sSeHcs vi VIC Mai'
The Colonel spoke in glowing terms OF the
heroism and devotion OF the Confederate sol.
diers who so nobly fought, even when there
was no prospect of success, simply for the
honor of q soldier.
Bowen, Of the Second South Carolina Rifles,
showing the gallantry OF the men OF the
Second.
Besides Mrs Orr, Mrs. Ledbetter, widow of
Lieut.. Col Ledbetter, who was killed In the
early part of the war, was present. THESE
two noble women never fall to attend this
reunion.
The association passed a resolution inviting
all survivors in Anderson, Abbevlle, Oconee
az d PickenS to meet with them next year.
The Fourteenth South Carolina will hold It's
first reunion at Greenwood, on the 10Th OF
this month.
The association adjourned this afternoon.
The members say the meeting was one OF the
best attended and most pleasant Of all the
reunions they have heretofore held.