The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1896-03-24
THE INDEPENDENT VOLUNTEER.
A Brilliant Sketch of a Curious Incident in the
Confederate Army.

1.-The following sketch has been con
trlbuted to the Newberry Herald and
News, and the author is Capt. d. A.
Dickert, a gallant soldier OF tho Third
South Carolina Volunteers. No truer
or Drawer man Ore the gray than Gus
Dickert, and he Yields the pen with
rare facility, as our readers will admit
when they finish this sketch.l
Capt. Whit. Walker, of Newberry,
had obtained a commission and gath
cred around him a band of restless
spirits like himself, eager and anxious
for any adventure that promised g fan,
frolic or fight" They were now play
ing soldier in earnest on the rainparts
around Charleston, with the guns of
grim old Sumter bristling defiance in
their faces. The company rolls were
all full, and applications for enrolment
rejected, while the unceasing clamor
for war was waited over the land on
every breeze and gale.
h guns against Sumter had not
yet been fired, the report of which was
to re~verberate around the world but
troops were being enrolled all over the
State, and individuals, prompted by
motives only known to themselves,
were tiocking to Charleston to offer
their services to the cause of secession
unu otdteS rlBntS.
While Capt. Walker, with a part of
the regiment, was encamped on Morris
Island, 1t was strictly forbidden to pass
any one over without u passport. and
none OF the troops were allowed to
visit the mainland, so Jealous we're the
authorities in guarding against the in
trusion OF Yankee spies. But one day,
as the steamer Champion was unload
ing supplies and munitions of war, a
stranger passed the guards on the
gapgway and was picked up by the
sentinels as he was roaming over the
island viewing the Notifications then
under construction. He was arrested.
and sent to Capt. Walker, the officer OF
the day and virtually commandunt of
the island for the time being. The
stranger was a fine specimen of physi-
cal manhood-tall and straight black.
piercing eyes; dressed in uniform. the
buttons OF which bore othe stamp of
Virginia State troops. No information
could be obtained from him as to his
antecedents or his present
other than that he had leone South
to enlist in the cause of South Caro-
lima" Without much ado, Capt. Wal
ker had him enrolled In his company
and put on duty. While serving as
private In the company, Neal, for as
such he gave his name, had but few
intimate or personal friends, was silent
and moody, keeping as much apart as
possible from the other members of
the command. BY some he was con-
sidered q crank, ~ others a lunatic,
while the most generally accepted
theory was that he was a Northern
spy.
After the fall OF Sumter a part OF the
troop around Charleston re-enlisted In
the Confederate service and were
to Virginia, Richmond
then becoming the seat OF war. The
portion were either disbanded
and returned to their homes or else re-
enli. ted in the other regiments then
forming throughout the St4te. In the
apges and confdsion incident to the
iisbanding OF the troops Neal dis
appeared as mysEerious.y as he had
,ome.
The war worel on. Battles were
ought-some woe, soma lost. Lee
lad made his disaetrons campaign In
E.|-t pIN INrtIErII 80