The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-09-07
The Youngest Confederate.
To the Editor of the State !:

in the Charleston Sunday Neaos for
the name Of the youngest Confederate
soldier. I think Columbia can claim
him, and that his name was James
Kelly, aged 9 or 10 years, in 1864, as
enrolled in Co. G, (Capt. Mankin)
Seventh South Carolina battalion,
Hagood's brigade.
His father was an Irishman, plas-
terer and widower, who had enlisted
in Co. G, and, having no relative with
whom to leave his boy, he brought
him with him into camp. They shar-
ed the single ration and the bivouac
throughout our Virginia campaign
until the battle of the Weldon Rail
road on the 21st of August, 1864. I
reported the father as among the
missing for some weeks, and we con-
cluded that he was killed, and had
him so marked on the roll. After
that the little boy had nowhere else to
go, and so he followed us from camp
to camp, getting his food and clothing
from his fathers old comrades.
When the fact was brought to the
attention of Col. J. Fl. Rion, he had
the boy enrolled in Co. C. He reor-
ganized the drummer corps. Brough-
ton, the Oldest Of the drummer boys,
was large enough to go into ranks, so
he was relegated to his company.
Young Kelly was invested with
Broughton's drum and logged out in
Confederate uniform. He made
queer looking soldier. His cap was
too big for him, and his pants were
rolled up to his knees, and the sleeves
of his jacket were cuffed nearly to his
elbows. Putting him on the roll gave
him his rations. He drummed with
Launey Hill, the other drummer boy
for the battalion, until the surrender.
What has become of him? I never
have heard of him since.
He did nothing to distinguish him
self, but his father was splendid
soldier. / had forgotten his name,
and wrote for the names Of the boy
and his father to the custodian Of the
Confederate rolls Of the South Caro-
lima volunteers, and he sent me, as
copied by him from the original rolls:
"James Kelly.
'sPleasonton Kelly. supposed killed
on Weldon Railroad in battle; miss
ing
About year ago I wrote for you an
account of the Weldon Railroad bat
tie. 1t was during the lives Of the
principal heroes of my sketch, Gen.
johnson Hagood and Capt. Dove Sc
gars Of Co. F, Seventh South Carolina
battalion. Both have now crossed the
river.
Capt. Segars wrote me under date Of
the 18th October, 1897, from Ker-
shaw, S. c., and in his letter he men
tions the elder Kelly. You will ex-
cuse me, therefore, for publishing a
portion Of his letter:
Adj. VIM. Nj. Thomas, 80 Broad
street, Charleston, S. C.
My Dear Old Friend: : I
received the Columbia State, dated Sd
October, inst. I certainly feel greatly
complimented by your pen, to receive
such recollections from one I know so
we'll, and to know they are true. 1t
affords me unspeakable pleasure, and
I can say to you that appreciate it
the more as you know what you write,
and as I know you to be pure gen.
tleman, and as brave son as South
Carolina ever sent to battle for her
rights. I recollect when we were cut
all to pieces at the Weldon Railroad
and what few scattering men were on
the field, I called to them ''to rally"
You were the first man to come for
ward. You came up cool and laugh
ing and said: captain, 1 am here,
and am ready to go with you any
where And an old man from Co.
lumbia, named Kelly, came up, and
repeated the same words that you had
said. consider that men who can
act in that way under such circum-
stances are true men as tramped the
soil of South Carolina. Long may the
Lord bless and spare youis my sincere
prayer. Respectfully,
Dove SEGARs.
Until Capt. Segars recalled the
Kelly incident to me it had passed
from my mind. Now that am claim
ing for Kelly's boy the record of the
most youthful C Confederate, if that boy
is alive, he can at least be- proud OF
his father. Capt. Segars and dress
ed the last line and P. Kelly, being in
it. must have been killed by the