The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-12-26

/ nerS OF CQelr once prOuu DdIgdlIOuS dHu
regiments.
Orr's Rifles. of South Carolina, was a
| "fraZZle" on that historic Sunday of April,
/ 1865, and it acquired its distinguishing tat
( tiers by hard fighting. 1t lost more officers
and men killed and died Of battlefield
wounds than did any Union infantry regi-
ment in the war. 1t lost more men on the
field than any other Confederate regiment
so far as the official records show, and
doubtless had the CHASTITY honor of OUT
stripping all the regiments in the war in
battlefield mortalties. 1t served in the
famous South Carolina brigade led by
Gems Gregg and MCGOWAN, a command
that surpassed all others in the Confeder-
ate service in the number of its killed and
wounded, and Orr's Rifles stands at the
head of the five regiments in the brigade
in point of casualties.
Orr's Rifles owed its name as well as
its organization to the Hon. j. L. Orr, a
man who during long public career be-
fore the war opposed secession with all the
vigor he could command. When at last
South Carolina seeded he fell into line
and raised the Rifles and led them to
the field. He was elected to the Confeder-
ate senate, however, and resigned his
colonelcy to other hands. After the war
he became Republican and was a dele
gate TO the national convention that nomi-
mated Grant in 1868. The regiment bore
the name of Orrs Rifles to the end.
AT the opening of the campaign on the
Virginia peninsula in 1862 the Rifles were
brigqded with four other South Carolina
regiments under Gen. Maxcy Gregg. The
first important fight of the brigade was at
Gaines Mill, June 81, 1862, where in the
dense woods of New Cold Harbor it was
pitted against Gen. 6. K. Warren's plucky
little brigade, com posed of the Fifth and
Tenth New York Zouayes. 1t was a de-
fensive fight on our side, and the Confed-
crates had to advance to the attack against
infantry and artillery we'll posted. At the
point assaulted by Gregg there was an open
field swept by Union cannon supported by
the New York Zouaves, and finding the fire
too bitter for his men he ordered the Rifles
to charge the guns alone. The Zouaves re-
ceived the Rides CALAMITY and the Fifth
{Duryee's) made a countercharge, sending
the Carolinans back TO the shelter
of the woods with the fearful loss of 81
killed outright and 234 wounded. This
was over half the regiment, for it went in
with only 537 all told The fight between
the Zouaves and the Rifles was part Of the
time hand to hand.
The next severe battle of the Rifles was
at Second Bull Run, Aug. %, 1862, where
with Hills division, of Stonewall Jack
sons command, they Icy behind the famous
railroad cut. Here the fighting was also
hand TO hand, our men charging up to the
muzzIes of the muskets of the enemy to
be received on their bayonets. The Rifles
lost 10 killed, including the colonel and
lieutenant colonel, and 81 wounded. They
went in with about 80 men.
In the Maryland campaign the Rifles
took hard knocks with the rest of the fiery
Hills division, but came off lucky in
losses. They participated in the bloodless
victory ut Harper's Ferry, Sept. II, and
were in the heat Of battle in the corntield at
Antjetsm on tae fTrn