The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1892-08-31

Ewell's whole corps had failed to do.
The dead, the dying, the wounded, the
living were all huddled together. No
chance to send the wounded to the
rear to have theiI wounds attended to.
1t was here that tree eighteen inches
IN diameter was cut down by mimic
balls alone. The stump of this tree is
now on exhibition at Washington as a
monument of the terrific fighting at
this point. The men here were COM
pletely exhausted and worn out. Just
think Of eighteen hours Of incessant
fighting. No one but an old soldier
has any conceivable idea of what
eighteen hours of hard fighting is.
But we must now hasten to the SAD
closing scenes at Appomattox. The
last real battle was fought at Apo
rnattox G.. H, at Sutherland station.
| don't like to revert to that day at APP
pomattox. I don't like to think of it.
[ have lost parents, I have lost chill
aren, I have lost dear and tender
friends, all of whom T properly appre-
ciated; but when the Confederate cause
was lost, when Lee surrendered, was
smitten with unfathomable grief. We
moved silently to the rear with no vo-
litioD of our own. We stacked arms,
and wandered aboutsimlessly through
the open field, some falling heiplessly
on the ground, 50 staring about as if in
a dream, some wondering, some regret
ting, some complaining, some consol-
ing themselves with the thought that
they had discharged their duty, and
therefore bore no part Of the national
disgrace. But why tear the heart
strings further? Let US draw the cur
tain over these sad, lamentable scenes.
A recess of an hour was had, during
which time the old soldiers, ladies and
all others, repaired to the tables, upon
which was spread bountiful and we'll
prepared barbecue dinner by w. J.
Mills. Mr.. Mills always gets up a first
class barbecue, but on this occasion be
simply outdid himself.
After dinner the veterans and the
ladies, who are still sticking to and en-
couragiDg them, repaired 20 the speak
ers' stand, when Rev. J. G. Counts, the
boy member of Co. G., was introduced
by the president.
Mr.. Counts said: I was only a boy
when I came to you, and was with you
only short while. l only joined you
at the fight at the Wilderness. l can
say, what in all probability no other
soldier anywhere can say, and that is,
that never hs ndled or loaded gun
before went into the army. It was
on the 5th of May, 1864, that I first
met tie enemy with you at the Will
derness. Lieut.. John Bowers was in
command of the company. Then, I
did not know Capt. Banks and Lieut..
Fellers. They were Wounded and
prisoners. Col. Brockman was conf
nanding the regiment in this fight.
At the first volley from the enemy I
thought that every man in the regi-
ment was killed but myself, and knew
no better until I heard COL Brockman's
command, "forward," when saw men
getting up all along the line, and l
then learned that soldiers could protect
themselves from bullets by falling to
the ground. From that time until the
close of the war, although only boy,
l was continually with the command
and was only once straggler. I was
always ready TO stand up for the Con-
federacy. was only private, but I
was high private. l never looked up
to my officers; they looked up to me.
( Mr. Counts is more than six feet tally
During the awful tines at Spottsylva-
nia, Fredericksburg, Petersburg and
other places we suffered untold hard
ships and privations, yet there was an
ine1plicabie something that bound US
towards each other, and begat fellow
feeling which nothing else in this
world can do, and now I have a love
for soldier that can have for no one
else In my work in the up country
I met a great many Of the old soldiers
of the 18th Regiment, ard at once
recognize them and love them. I have
felt, during the war, and since, that
Co. G was one among the best that
saw, hard service, and I am glad that
it has been put into your hearts to
meet AM ually on the 26th of August.
[ am glad that I am here to-day.
I remember at Spottsylvania how
few men we had, and the multitude in
front of us as we. went, as it looked,
into the very jaws of death, but some
how We carried the works at Horse