The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1895-11-20
GEN. JOHN DUNOVANT.
How a Gallant Confederate Soldier Died.

now ddlldnt UOnltutTdlt ouiuIoT uleu'
At the reunion of Confederate SOL
diers in Columbia during the State
Fair Gen. NJ. G. Butler spoke as fol-
lows concerning a gallant hero Of two
wars-Brig. Gen. John Dunovant, Of
Chester, S. C.-and the manner Of his
death:
Comrades of the United Confederate
Veterans I have been requested by
your worthy and distinguished COM
mander to deliver an address at this
reunion, and it has occurred to me it
would be appropriate to occupy the
time allotted to me by relating the
incidents attending the death Of one
of the most gallant and accomplished
soldiers with whom I was associated
during our civil war-Brig. Gen. John
Dunoyant of Chester-with brief and
imperfect sketch of his life. You
may remember he succeeded me in the
command Of the brigade composed Of
the Fourth, Fifth and Sixth South
Carolina cavalry, which joined the
army of Northern Virginia in April,
1864, at the opening of that desperate
and trying campaign which Grant
inaugurated against Richmond. Gen
eral Dunovant was in command of the
Fifth South Carolina when the regi-
ment reached Virginia, and, as 1 have
remarked, was made Brigadier General
when I was promoted to the COM
mander of Hampton's division in Sep
tember, 1864. He was the beau ideal
Of soldier, knightly chivalric gen.
tleman, thorough in the details of
discipline and order, exacting, but
always just, guarding with care and
solicitude the interest of his soldiers,
demanding of all alike the full meas
ure of their duty. The result was his
command was always ready to respond
promptly to his orders. He was in
himself q model of promptness and
precision, both in obeying and execut-
ing orders.
To say that General Dunovant was
able in the organization, discipline
and command Of troops in battle
would be no higher commendation
than could be bestowed on hundreds
Of others. He was exceptional in
these respects, and deserved higher
rank than he reached. Two things
conspired to prevent his advancement:
First, the hostility, and am inclined
to think jealously Of a superior officer
in the early years of the war had
blocked his way to promotion, and
second, his post of duty did not afford
that opportunity for active field SER
vice for the full exercise Of his mill
tary talents.
His experience in the regular army
of the United States, which he left to
cast his fortune with the Confederacy,
prepared and qualified him for organi-
zation and putting volunteer troops in
the field. His first service in the
Confederate army was as field officer
in the first regiment Of South Carolina
regulars, performing garrison duty in
front of Charleston. This duty was,
of course, arduous and important, and
I don't think has been properly ap-
preciated. have always insisted
that the defence of that historic city,
so full of unexampled deeds Of hero
ism, fortitude and gallantry, is with
out parallel in military annals. The
defenders of Forts Moultrie and Sum-
ter and the Morris Island batteries
against the combined attacks of the
land and naval forces of the United
States, when considered in all of its
bearings and details, is the most re-
markable in history. But [ am stray
ing from my subject. Dunovant was
for time one of the actors in that
great drama, but it was when he was
transferred to the broader fields OF
Virginia that his talents became more
conspicuous, and he received the pro-
motion to which they entitled him.
He was killed on Oct. 1, 1864, near
McDowell's farm, below Petersburg,
leading his brigade, fighting an infan-
try, against the breastworks OF the
enemy. He was mounted on his
favorite little chestnut horse, and it
was my fortune to be at his side when
he received his mortal wound. Gen
eral Hampton had directed me to hold
certain position on the Squirrel
Level road until I heard the guns of
Gen. w. F. Fl. Lee on my left and
then to move forward and attack all
along our front. 1t was cold, disa-
greeable, dainy day. We we're dis
mounted and had thrown up temporary
breastworks of rails, logs, etc., and
had been engaging the enemy almost
the entire day, resisting repeated and
determined assaults he would make on
our lines until about 3 p. NJ, when l
was appraised of Lee s advance by an
incident which was almost ludicrous,
and as is often the case, came near
being tragic. I will pause to describe
it: Dunovant's brigade occupied the
left of our line with Young's brigade
on the right had withdrawn Tallia-
ferro regiment, the Seventh Georgia,
of Young's brigade, and stationed it
in reserve near the point where l had
fixed my headquarters. We had eau
toned the officers on the line not to
fire too quickly on any mounted column
that might approach them, as l was
apprehensive lest some Of Lee S troops,
not knowing our exact position, might
mistake US for the enem. He, like
ourselves, had been fighting on foot in
their attacks during the morning. 1t
was most unfortunate admonition, as
the sequel will show. Whenever the
Federals would advance to attack,
they would come with yell and hur-
rah, which though sometimes formida,
BILE and loud enough, never reached
the volume and audacity of the "rebel
YELL" with which both sides became
so familiar sooner or later. This per-
formance had been going on so long
and our men had got so accustomed to
driving back their assailants, that
Dunovant left his lines and joined me