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

At SpottsyI7ania McGowan's brigade of
South Carolinians outstripped all previous
records in Lees army. 1t was ordered into
the breach in the Bloody Angle, where
Johnsons Confederate division was cap
tured by Hancock in desperate charge at
daylight on the morning of May IL. The
South Caroliuians marched to the extreme
front about the middle of the forenoon
after Hancock's troops and their supports
had become well settled in the possession
of the original Confederate outer line.
The struggle that followed battles descrip-
ton and imagination as well The an
tagonists at certain points were only sep
arated by the breastworks of logs and
earth.
1t was pouring rain. The trenches were
filed with water that soon took on the hue
of blood. The dead were trampled upon;
the dying and wounded uncared for. OPP
ponents fred at one another at arms
length across the parapet. This went on
for hours, all day the 18th, through the
night and into the next day. The situa-
ton was so awful that mems brains were
turned; they became battle crazed. During
the whole afternoon of the 18th one of the
Rifles was seen by his comrades to rise de-
hberately, so that the upper half of his
person was above the parapet-an easy tar
get for the enemy-and from this position
take deliberate aim, fire and crouch down
to reload. He repeated this scores and
scores of times. Bullets from the Union
muskets whizzed around him from all di-
rections, but he seemed to hold a charmed
life He often remained on his feet for
many minutes, occasionally drawing bead
and then recovering his musket TO wait
for better aim.
Finally, late in the day, he was seen to
draw upon an object some distance back
from the Union trench. The chance didn't
suit and he recovered and stood bolt up
right watching for better target When
at length one appeared. lie drew bead again,
and as ne was about to pull, a Union bull
let, point blaEk through his heart, stretch
ed him dead IN his tracks. His coolneSs
came from battle frenzy. There were
scores of incidents equally dramatic
throughout the brigade. The famous oak
tree, twenty-five inches in diameter, that
was cut down by bullets, fell among the
Carolinians. McGowan's men suffered a
loss of So killed and PAL wounded, with IA
missing, many Of them killed Or wounded.
The Rifles lost Is killed and So wounded,
with IL fate unknown.
TIE regiment went forward TO Cold Har-
Dor, 10 the defense Of Petersburg in June,
the battles on the banks Of the James
against Hancock at Deep Bottom in Al
gust. and the Weldon Road battles Of Au-
gust and October, sometimes not muster
ing above 100 ablebodied men. Finally. il
the wind up around Petersburg, it was
wiped out in a disastrous affair At Suther-
land Station on APRIL ,, ls5j, when the
brigade was ovegw helmed and is OF the
Rifles were captured. A 5egSarly remnant
or "frazzlen clGng tothe undaunted column
that par2ded atAppomattox ready 10 fight,
but obedieni 20 their leaders they accepted
the arbitrsment OF the sword and marched
of 70 their homes with wosful gaps n their
ranks. Their casualty list al told was 2
officers and 3o5 men killed and MORALLY
wounded, 9 officers and lqS men dead OF
disease and 7eI officers and men wounded
and recovered; grand total, 1.S96, OF which
l. 25 occurred in battle Il scars indiczte
soldierly daring. then Orr's South Carolina
Rifles bore OF the palm before al the rsgi-
neIys IL the clvli war
GE0ESE /. KTIaIEG