The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1894-05-01
AS SOLDIER AND MAN.

WIZ VIZ
AS SOLDIER AND MAN.
Tribute by a Private to the Late
Judge j.. IL. Kcrshaw.
To the Editor Of The News and Cou-
rier: Intelligence has just reached us
Of the death of the eminent Christian
soldier and ~jurist, Judge j. B. Kershaw,
better known, perhaps, to his old
friends and admirers u Major Gen. J..
B.. Kershaw.
Many public expressions Of sorrow
and regret, in prose and verse, clothed
in elegant and recherche diction, will
no doubt communicate the demise of
this great and good man, and it is be-
coming that such should be done, but
these few thoughts, couched in hum
BILE language, emanate from the mind
and heart of n who knew him we'll
in his brilliant military l. and
possessed many and excellent oppor-
tunities for forming a proper estimate
of his character.
The history Of our State and of the
Southern States has not and will not
record the career of u truer and purer
man than Judge Kershaw. In his a
lier public life he, like his fellow NOR
tails, had his faults but. as is we'll
known, he struggled m~anfully to over
come them and his success has been
clearly evinced by his public life since
the war between the States. The Judi
cial ermine has honored nor
been. honored by a better man, a man
who in dispensing Justice was merciful,
yet uncompromising in the perform
ance of his public duties.
Judge kershaw led to the front the
old historic I'd regiment of South Caro-
lima Volunteers, which, together with
the Sd, 7th and Sth regiments and
Kemper's battery of artillery, formed
what was originally Bonham's brigade,
and, If L mistake not. was termed "the
lst brigade, LIST corps, army OF tho Po-
tomac." This brigade at the first ba :
tie OF Manassas was placed in reserve
and was SO to remain throughout the
battle unless we should be heavily re-
pulsed or become suddenly victorious.
In making this disposition of our bri-
gade Gen. Beauregard fully expected
the timely arrival of Kirby Smiths
brigade, then on its way to Manassas
from Richmond. 1t is generally known
that Smith vas behind hand. caused
by u traitorous railroad officer, but it
Is not generally known that a portion
of our brigade was called into action,
In consequence Of the failure of Smith,
in time to carry out the plans of our
commanding general.
at about B o'clock p. m. orders sud-
denly camo ordering two of our rcgi-
ments and the battery to the front.
Bonham was required to rcmuin
at his post. This was CALLING to the
gallant cd man, who was anxious to
share in the danger and glory. He
forwarded, under the command of Col.
kershaw. tho I'd and Sth, the former
hershaw's own regiment, the latter
com m n nIn1 1u (N,l ~ ID r M
result OF this movement was a turn in
the tide of battle. Our two regiments
went into battle under Il might say %
young troops) horrible circumstances.
When approaching the battlefield we
would meet being borne out soldiers
m in every conceivable way
some with n or both legs hanging:
some with a part of their faces shot
OIL some terribly wounded in the
body. The sight and groans Of those
wounded men and the declarations of
tilnid ones who had volunteered TO as
sist off the field wounded comrades.
that 1--WE were cut all to pieces" were
not calculated to increase the ardor Of
raw troops, and two on three in our
command showed the white feather at
This point, and never could be induced
to face the Minnie ball in s%ubseouent
battles.
Col. Kershaw's conduct in this trying
ordeal was something remarkable.
Had he been conducting q body of his
FRIENDS 10 a picnic he could not have
exhibited personally more nonchalancc.
Whenever he uttered q command it
was without a culver of the voice. No
excitement did he exhibit in anything
that he said or did. He spoke a few
words OF encouragement and sympa-
tiny 10 some OF the wounded men that
he met. The conduct of Col. Kcrshaw
on this trying march into battle did.
more 80 keep us in heart than all the,
rearing and snorting and cavorting so
frequently INDUCED in by officers un-
der such circumstances. | was very
young, perhaps the youngest boy in
the 9Th, and | remember that | kept
my eyes on Col. Kershaw all the time
his very calmness had a good effect on
mo, n all the others too. We be-
came separated from him q little while,
as he had directed our colonel to charge
through II small piece of woods. Our
two regiments for q little while did
some hard fighting and lost many good
men, but we won a glorious victory.
Although we have not received the
credit that Is due us, it is undoubtedly
true hat we turned the tide of battle.
When we drove the New York Zouuves
from their position there was a giving
way all along the line, which O ter,
minated in an utter rout.
Gen. Bonham, having been elected
OF South Carolina, resigned
a short time after this battle, and Col.
was promoted to the com
mand OF the brigade for meritorious
services on the battlefield. Under his
II brigade entered on q
career hat gained for it throughout
the army an enviable reputation for
bravery and endurance. AT the cap
turc of Harper's Ferry our brigade
was placed temporarily under the COM
mand OF Gen. "~Stouewal" Juckson.
Ono OF the Maryland Heights. called
Pinnacle Height. was in the bands OF
the enemy and 1T was necessary that
this should DO captured, as it was con-
sidered tho key to Harper's Ferry,
Only one brigade could engage in tho
infantry attack on account OF the pccus
liar location Of the enemy,
Early on tho morning of September
10, 1867, our brigade was putin motion |