The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1898-03-01
GRtGG'S BRIGADE OF SOUTH CAROLINIANS
BLOODY RECORDS OF FfEDERALS
AND CONFEDERATES.

Orr's First Regiment OF RiRt
Headed the List on Our Side--Th
Eighty Third Pennsylvania Led tn
Federal Hosts
Charleston Sunday News.
The bloody records Of the civil wa
show some interesting parallels be
tween the records of regiments on the
opp' sing sides, as shown by George L.
Kumer, writing in tue New York Sun
day Advertiser.
Pennsy lvania championed the NORTH
in the contest for first place on the rol
of honor, and a trlhe over per cent o.
her quota OF soldiers met ueath on the
battl, field. South Carolina led the
Southern States, anu sacrificed over 2;
per cent of her military population a.
1T stood in 1861. Had the cOmb bat been
IT 10 these Two Commonwealths the
X yatone would have aunihilated the
Palmetto, and have come out Of the
contest with an army large enough to
lnum, date the umpire, If SO disposed.
SouIh Carolina furnished the regi-
ment that lost the highest number
khlrd IN battle during tie var Orr's
South Carolina R,nes-which piled up
death roll OF 334. She also furnished
one for second place on the Southern
siue-the lst South Carolina Volunteers
which scored Isl.
The first place on the Uuion side
was tax, by the STU New Hampshire,
with h score of 295, and the second
place ieli to Pennsylvania regiment,
the S3l, which had list of 2S2
Here begins another duel between
the Keystone and Palmetto. The SD
rolled up score of OIL killed and
wounded the deaths, as before stated,
reaching 2S2. The Ist South Carolina
had $50 kllled and wounded, the deaths
scoring 2S2.
The o3d Pennsylvania came into
being AS reorganization of regi-
ment composed OF volunteer and militia
compani,s that responded 70 President
Libc.ln's first call, and served three
months.
The colonel at the head of both regi.
ments, John w. McLane, uud serve d
as - volunteer officer in the Mexican
war, and distinguished himself as d
master In organization and Grlll. The
lst South Carolina had u similar his
tory Tor 1T was formed ouL of the dis
banded lst South Carolina Of the Pro
visionai srmy, called into being by the
ConVe ntion when the S.ate seeded in
ID Gem Der, 1860. That regiment was
made up uf the old militia companies
anu volunteers enlisted TO serve the
State six months.
Tnls Provisional reg i'm Mt and the
one formed out OF 1T were created and
led by the same colonel, MaXcy Gregg,
VINO mad been volunteer y Ulcer in the
Mexican war, and had acquitted him
self as au able dlsclplnarlan and
master OF drill. Ana 1T happened that
at the very time to a month, and almost
to day, when Col. Gregg was getting
his Palmetlo men out OF the Old har-
ness into new and touching them up
with his Mexican war "reminiscences,
Col. McLane was doing the same thing
with his Keystone boys. The SD was
ready Tor oruers In the fall Of 1861, and
the lst South Carolina.
Each went to It's res spective stations for
assignment to place In line, and both
began their lighting careers on the
same day and on the same field, within
long range rifle shot of each other.
The Pennsyiyanians numbr red about
$50 men, the Carollnians but a trlne
less. They were not directly opposed
upon that field, Gaines's Mill, June 27,
1867, nor upon any other, except at
North Anna, Va, May II, 1862, but
were engaged for the whole three years
in the opposing armies Of Northern
Virginia and the Potomac, often on
the came battle ground.
No fancitul comparison could heigh-
ten the parallel. The regiments
started fairly equal, and botn were in
the thlcKest of the fight, with varying
numbers engaged aid varying losses
In different battles against metal
tempered by the same heat. They
emerged with net result almost equal,
On, no, twas not duel but twas
very like" 1T.
The South Carolinas struck hard
lines in that first fight at Gaines's
Mill. They were brlgaded with four
Tl nnfO = h,
U2th, 18th, 18th and Orr's X fes, men
TONED above.) and Col, nov Gen.
Gregg became leader Of the whole
column.
The color guard went down to IL
man, and the colonel, d. Ii. Hamilton,
took the flag and called on his men to
stand. Gregg, seeing the slaughter
and the useiessness OF trying TO ad-
vance, ordered the regiment to retire
by fling through the intervals of the
second line. The lieutenant colonel,
(Augustus M. Smith, of Abbeville,) one
captain &C.. l.. Boag) and three lieu.
tenants lGrlmke Rnett, Robert w.
Rhett ano--Ashley) were killed, and
five lieutenants were wounded, and
twenty men were killed ana 125 wound
eo-155 In all.
The lst was not engaged again until
second Bull Run, August ~, (mls-
take,) larlng better than It's Union
double, which was terribly punished
at Malvern Hill four days after Galues's
Mill
Al second Bull Run the Carolina
brigade was ordered to defend the
famous railroad cut, which was Stone.
wall Jackson's key in that desperate
contest. The lst was sent across the
cut as skirmishers to meet an attack
ing co.umn. Retiring step by step
under fire it rejoned it's line behind
the cut and helped repuise the Union
charge, at times fighting the enemy at
ten PAGES. Excited men often rushed
ahead OF their ranks and graDpIed in
deadly combat; officers u.ed their
pistols, and fought man .Or mao. In
the last hours, or moments, perhaps,
OF the hand to head struggle the 1st
lost it's quota fJr the day and came out
mtnus t~onty-four Killed and 11s
wonndcl, Il total OF 143 out OF 2S3 taken
ioto the fight. Its commanding officer
Lieut. Col. Edward MCCrady) was
among the wounded. Capts. o. ID
Barksdale, John L. McLemore, Lieut.
John Munro were killed Capt. M. p
Parker, Lieut. Thomas McCrady, Geo
II. Congdon and Zach Smith, adjutant
were wounded. The next afternoon
the 83d Pennsylvania charged upor
Il.