The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-02-27
VALOROF BLUE ANDGRAY
pARALLEL OF a UNION AND A
CONFEDERATE REGIMENT.

of,en Fought, and Were Once
D,rectly Opposed On the Same Field.
Tneir killed and Wounded Nearly
Equal
E-r,-, the NetC York Sunday Advertiser.
Suppose that dueling had been adopted as
method for settling our civil war; 1t was
DOT but there were duels nevertheless, &C
cording to the records. Pennsylvania
obampioned the north in the contest for
first place on the roll of honor. and a trihs
over 7 per cent. of her quota of soldiers met
death on the battlefield. South Carolina
lad the southern states and sscri-
iced over % per cent. of her military
ronulatiou, as it stood in 1861. Had the
Combat been left to these two common
JEealths the Keystone would have annihil-
sted the Palmetto, and have come out OF
he contest with an army large enough to
,ntimidate the mpire. il so disposed.
south Carolina furnished the regiment
that lost the highest number killed in battle
duriug the war, Orr's First South Carolina
plies. which piled up a death roll of 1874.
She also furnished one for second place on
The southern side. the First South Carolina
Volunteers, which scored 2Sl.
The first place on the union side
taB6u ny blo Illbn IoN nhulUSulre,
with a score Of 295, and the second place
fell TO q Pennsylvania regiment, the Eighty
third. which had a list of 282. Here begins
another duel between keystone and Pal
rnetto. The Eighty-third rolled up a score
If 9u killed and wounded; the deaths. as
before stated, reaching 2S2. The First
South Carolina had $50 killed and wounded,
the deaths scoring PSI.
The Eighty-third Pennsylvania came into
aizofa na ~
composed of volunteer and militia COM
panies that responded to President Lincoln's
first call, and served three months. The
colonel at the head OF both regiments, John
W. McLane, had served as a volunteer
officer in the Mexican war and distin-
eushed himself as a master in organization
and drill The First South Carolina had a
similar history, for 1t was formed out Of tie
disbanded First South Carlina or the Pro-
vlsonal army, called into being by the con-
vention when the state seeded in Decem-
Der, 1860. That regiment was made up Of
old militia companies and volunteers en-
listed to serve the state six months.
This provisional regiment and the one
formed out of it were created and led by
the same colonel. Maxey Gregg, who had
been volunteer officer in the Mexican
war, and had acquitted himself as an able
dscipliDarian and master Of drill. And it
happened that at the very time to a month,
and almost to day, when Col. Gregg was
getting his Palmetto men out OF old harness
into new and touching them up with his
Mexican war "reminiscences, Col McLane
was doing the very same thing with his
Keystone boys. The Eighty-third was
ready for orders in the fall Of 1861,
and the First South Carolina also. Each
went to its respective stations for as
sgnment to place in line, and both began
their fighting careers on the same day and
on the same field, within long range rifle
shot Of each other. The Pennsylvanians
numbered about $50 men. the Carolinans
but trife less. They were not directly
opposed upon that field, Gaines Mill, June
q, 1862, nor upon any other, except at
North Anna, Va, May u, 1864. out were
engaged for the whole three years in
the opposing armies OF Northern
Virginia and the Potomac. often on
the same battle ground. No fanci
ful comparison could highten the
parallel. The regiments started fairly
equal. and both were in the thickest of the
fight, with varying numbers engaged and
varying losses in different battles against
metal tempered by the same heat. They
emerged with a net result almost equal.
Oh, no, twas not duel; but twas very
like' it.
The South Carolinians struck hard lines
in that first fight at Gaines mill. They were
brgaded with four other regiments from the
same state, and Col. Gregg became leader of
the whole column. Business opened by an
order to charge upon Capt. Edwards
regular battery. supported by Gen.
Warren's regular infantry. As often
compelled to stand idly and look death in
the face long time before the word came
to go" The First was in the front line,
and made its way slowly under fire from
the battery through a tangled thicket. As
soon as it was clear of the thicket, and
about SO spring across an open field, War
Tens brigade charged upon it, and with one
deadly volley, like a blast from inferno,
swept the front ranks from the earth. The
color guard went down to a man, and the
colonel, H. D. Hamilton, took the flag and
called upon his men to stand. Gregg, see-
ING the slaughter and the uselessness of try
Ing to advance, ordered the regiment to
retire by filing through the intervals of
the second line. The lieutenant colonel,
one captain and three lieutenanss we're
killed, and five lieutenants were wounded,
and twenty men were killed and 1875 wound
ed-153 in all
The First was not severely engaged again
until Second Bull Run, Aug. 20, faring bet
Ter than its union double, which was terri
bly, punished at Malvern Hill, four days
alter Gaines Mill. At Second Bull Run
the arolina bridade was ordered to defend
the famous railroad cut which was Stone
wall Jackson's key in that desperate con-
Test The First was sent across the cut as
SKlrmlshers to meet an attacking column.
hetlrlng step by step under fire, it rejoined
us line behind the cut and helped repulse
the union charge, at times fighting the en-
envy at ten PAGES. Excited men often rush
ahead of their ranks and grappled in
deadly combat; officers used their pis-
ols and fought man for man. In the last
hours, or moments, perhaps, OF the hand-to-
I"ho struggle the First lostits quota for the
Jay and came out minus twenty-four killed
and liz wounded, total Of 143 ont of 283
,aKen into the fight. Its commanding officer.
MMaJ. McCrady, was among the wounded.
ILe next afternoon the Eighty-third Penn
gIVenla charged upon the railroad cut,
Aen defended by other troops, and lost two
commanding officers, wounded in quick
succession. and ninety men out Of 224.
O III the Maryland campaign, following
second Bull Run, the South Carolinians
SlaFed In the bloodless victory at HarDer's
5erfy, and late on the bloody Sept II
uouble quicked to Antietam just in time to
mingle their dead with the fallen around
.ne bunker church. The First lost thirty
our men out of $50. At Fredericksburg.
q u december following. it again found a
warm corner by one of those accidents of
battle that do not lessen the sting of bullets,
I1eh II they win no victories. GTegg's
position charged by union troops
B ;"ing to displacement there was gap
Il ~ - Tue front line, and a union charging
,. Eireff u