The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1895-09-11
Auasrsoa SAteIIigsafss.
WAS THE FIRST SENTINEL.
J.B. Lanneau Relates Eis Early Ex-
perienCes.

nuQQrcuS VI LCOullcll poi ii iiCu VIII
have made their homes in New York
and it's vicinity, but it seems barely
credible that one of the New Jersey
suburbs of the metropolis can claim
as resident the man who did the first
actual duty on the Confederate side in
the "late unplcasantncss." In fact.
this man took part in an overt act
against the peace and dignity of the
United States before South Carolina
had passed her ordinance of secession
and the dead Confcderacy was with
out form and void
This interesting character is Mr.. j.
Bennett Lanneau, native OF Charles
ton, S. c., whoresides at No. 1913 ave-
nue. c., Bayonne, N. j., who has been
connected with New York business
houses in the capacity Of travelling
salesman for the past twcnty-ninc
years, having come to this city and en-
gagged in business in 1865.
A few days since a Telegraph corrc-
spondent obtained the following out
line of Mr.. Lanneau's story from him
at his home in Bayonne.
eyes" he said, in reply to the cor
respondents leading question, II
think I can truthfully say that [ did
the first soldiers duty during the
civil war. There are other men who
may lay claim to having been the
soriginal Confederate but when they
hear my story 1 think they will be
convinced of the truth of what my
friends saw Of me.
"You will remember" continued
Mr.. Lanncau, "that in 1860 there
were some very warm controversies
between the war department and the
governors of some of the Southern
States with regard to certain arms and
ammunitions of war belonging to the
United States and stored in certain
arsenals in the South. While many
of these discussions we're warm indeed,
probably there was none which was
hotter than that between the Secre-
tary of war and Governor William H..
Gist, of South Carolina. The govern
ment property which excited this in
terestipg correspondence was stored
in the United States arsenal at
Charleston.
Governor Gist suspected that Maj.
Robert Anderson, the hero of Fort
Sumter, then in command of Fort
Moultric, on Sullivan's Island in
Charleston harbor, would take posses
sion of these arms and use them in
the reprovisoning of the fort with
which his is so indissolubly con-
nected and which he was then prepar-
ing to occupy. The Governor was de-
termined that the government should
not have the property and laid his
plans so that it should come into the
possession of the State.
CAT that time" continued Mr..
Lanneau, III was a member Of the
Washington Light Infantry Of
Charleston, one ofthe oldest organi.
cations of the militia of South Carolina.
On the afternoon Of the 7th Of No:
vembcr, 1860, a non-commissioncd
officer Of the company came to my
place of business and gave me orders
to report that night at 8 clock in
front of the Church Of the Holy Com
munion, nearthe arsenal building, fully
prepared for active duty. Twenty
nine men besides myself reported at
the appointed place and the squad was
under the command of Scrgt. William
4. Courtney, who was afterwards
mayor of the city of Charleston. Not
one of the men except Sergt. Courtney
knew or suspected the nature of
the duty he had been called upon to
perform and most of them agreed in
the opinion that the authorities had
gotten secret information Of an upris-
Ing among the negro slaves and we
were to be used in quelling such a
trouble if it should arise. Though
ignorant of the character Of the duty,
the men we're wrought up to the high
est pitch of excitement, which feeling
was doubtless increased by the ominous
silence of the officer in command when
the men piled him with questions as
to the nature of the work before them.
"When we had fallen in line the
Sergeant gave the commands: Left
face. Forward march : We marched
to the front Of the arsenal grounds and
when we reached the gate the line filed
through. After entering the building
the Sergeant took command of it and
the property stored there in the name
of the State of South Carolina. Then
those of us who had kept up with the
drift of affairs knew the nature Of our
duty and each one fully appreciated
the gravity of the situation.
"The men we're ordered to prepare
for sleeping in the building and a
guard was detailed for duty about the
grounds. 1t SO happened I was the
first sentinel to be posted and my
post was in the most lonely and remote
part of the grounds-the Ashley river
front. If you can imagine the sensa-
tions of boy of II, whose only mil
itary experience had been as parade
day soldier who is told to do something
that requires nerve as we'll as brass
buttons, and you know what my feel
ings were when I began my solitary
tramp along that post.
"My comrades stayed with with me
till after the chimes of old St. Mich
ael's Church had told the passing of
the hour of II and solemn stiffness
had settled over the lonely spot.
While walking to and fro my attention
was called to some objects apparently
approaching me. When they seemed
to be within only few rods looked
more closely and described the enemy