The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1899-05-03

battle if necessary, and it was magnl-
ficent sight to look upon these men
marching 50 steadily, but their flags
were furied or at least the folds were
TOO indistinct to know whether they
were friends CT foes. The Sixteenth
Michigan was in front, and when it ap
preached our vicinity Col. jenkins de-
mandcd to know what troops they were,
to which 10 response was made. In
silence they came or, only the steady
tramp breaking the suspense, when
jenkins shouted that he would fire upon
them unless they told to which army
they belonged, and vet there was no re-
Sp9nse. Their column was not more
than 80 yards in our front, marching by
the flank, while our men were at the
ready. and as the head Of their column
came in front Of our color company, the
officer in command broke the silence
BY say, H1lt' 'front.'" to which Jen-
kins replied, Fire aud our volley
made deadly work III their ranks. They
quickly returned the fire, when jenkins
ordered the charge, and IN a few minutes
the incident was over The Fifth South
Carolina and the EightyThird Penn
sslvania had similar ex perience on the
hill. and rcsu ting il the same way.
The Sharpsheoters secured the tag OF
the Sixteenth Michigan, beautiful
banner that was never tralled IN the
dust. and as Alr. Lackie says. it was
>eau 10 the governor of our state, who
deposited it with other captured flags
in the old state house which was de-
stro, ed oa the Eth OF February, 1860,
by the careless manner in which Gen
Sherman men we're handling fire on
that day in Columbia.
The loss Of the Sixteenth Michigan
in that brief engagement was a killed,
III wounded aud 50 missing, making a
total of 2l4, in addition to the prison
ers taken. | was sent by Col. jenkins
with detail to look after the wounded
anl prisoners. and my recollection is
that the killed. wounded and captured
reached 3715, while those reported miss
ing fed 10 the swamp below. Col. L.
B. Stockton was mortally wounded, and
more gallant soldier was never on any
battlefield.
The E;ghty-Third Pennsylvania lost
46 killed, 81 wounded and SO missing,
making total of 1856 casualties, out OF
the 554 present, according to Federal
statistics. Col. McLane was killed. This
regiment was said by Gen. Mcclellan to
be one of the best in the Federal army,
while another has said that it encoun-
tered more fighting aud lost more
men in battle than any other Pennsyl'
vania regiment, its losses being the Sec
ond highest in that army.
Truly, these were 'foemen worthy OF
our st ,el, and the fight between them
and the South Carolina regiments is the
only incident Of the kind in the war be-
tween the states, so far as | know.
Then there was the meeting once
more at Appomattox! | was not there,
on account of disabling wound re-
ceived few months before, for which
am carrying crutch at this day. but
nv comrades told me with sadness and
vet satisfaction that they stacked arms
in front of the Sixteenth Michigan
SWhat regiment is that??" 1t was the
unanswered question at Gaines Mill,
bu, this time the response was, .Pal'
metto Sharpshooters!' and the Michi
gan boys broke ranks again, but 1t was
TO rush across the line that was no lon
GER to divide them, and press the hand;
of the South Caroliniaus, the remnant
of the command that bore of their Has
nearly three years before. The heroic
Jenkins was not there, for his gallan
soul had gone to better land, bu
there were % officers and 355 prlvates
the largest number of men at the hua
surrender ef any regiment IN the Army
Of Northern Virginia.
Haversacks aud canteens were openet
to the famished "rebs" by the Mlchl
gan soldiers, and there was rejoiclhs
amid the gloom Of Appomattox, by mel
who had faced each other squarely OF
the field Of battle and had made th'
truest test Of each others manhood. l.
is singular fact that the Sixteenth
Michigan and the Palmetto Sharpshoot
ers were organized for special service Il
the respective armies, and yet neithe
fulfilled this purpose; the heavy losse
in 1862 prevented. The Sixteenth wa
known as 'S;ockton's Independent regi
men," and it had Il companies; tn
Snarpshooters were organized under
special act Of the Confederate congres
Tor sharpshooting as an indepen1en
regiment and also with y companies
The Sixteenth has record Of $40 klile'
and wounded. The Sharpshooters ha
a loss Of $50 killed and wounded froc
MAY 5. 1862, to jane 30, 1862, less tha
81 days, including the battles Of va
!iam~5urs. Seven Pines, Gaines Nil
aud Frazi ars farm.
Somewhere there ought to be re
union Of the Sixteenth Michigan an
the Palmetto Sharpshooters. Louis
vile, Ky, may repeat It's invitation t
the Confederate veterans, and tha
would oc a glorious opportunity mex
year FOR the survivors OF these con
MAIDS to meet each other once mort
" hac a food Of "reminiscences would b
poured forth, aud uader the aag OF
reunited country we would pledge ane
our fidelity to each other, recognizing
as the emblem of freedom and OF unity
representing broad nationality thu
embraces the whole union Of indestrut
tiblc states. James A. Hoyt,
Co. e., P. S. S.
GreenviIle. S. c.
a ~, tha Daa Dao