The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1899-10-18
AN HISTORIC REGIMENT.
The First Tennessee Has n Record
Extending From the Revolutionary
War to the War in the Philippines,

Extending From the Revolutionary
Var to the War in the Philippines,
One Tennessee regiment-the First
has been making history this hun
dred years and moro. 1t vas organ.
lied and commanded by John Sewer.
when the State was merely Ten
nessee County" Of North Carolina.
Sewer led it over the mountains when
Revolutionary fortunes were at the
lowest ebb, to fall upon carleton at
Kings mountain, and turn a wavering
fight into a brilliant victory. Twenty
years later Andrew Jackson was its
colonel through the bloody Indian wars
that broke the power OF Choctaws,
Greeks and Cherokees. A little later
Gen. Andrew jackson posted his old
regiment in the very fore front at the
battle Of New Orleans, where, side by
side with the Hunters o; kentucky, its
unerring rifles moved down tho rcd
coats like grass.
Afterward the First Tennessee slept
upon its laurels until there were
~grumblings Of war in the Southwest.
Many OF It's original members had gone
to Texas, but they had LETT kinsmen g.
plenty TO I'LL the ranks afresh. The
renewed First Tennessee went to the
help OF "Old Rough and Ready" as
Gen. Zachary Taylor was atfectionately
called, and sOon showed that it meant
to live up to its reputation. AT Mon
terey, u walled and fortified town
which Taylor was forced to carry by
assault, it was the First Tennessee
which set the first American flag tri-
umphantly in the b~reach-and what is
very much more to the military pur-
pose-kept it there until it was car
ried further forward.
All through Mexico 1t went, winning
golden opinions from even the starch
and stately regular army men. When
it came home after the old fashion, it
kept up a sort OF skeleton organization.
A skeleton the civil war found it, but
q skeleton that quickly took on life
and strength. A state of wlr super
vened late in April in May Tennessee
seeded in Jun, the First Tennessee
oddly brigaded with the Seventh and
Fourteenth regiments, left for Virginia,
where the Tennessee brigade was as.
signed to Lees corps, then operating
in West Virginia.
The next winter Lee took command
In front of Richmond, and the Tennes-
see brigade became Lart of Jackson's
foot cavalry" 1t stayed with him
till his death, bearing itself soldierly
through all his fighting and more than
once winning special mention for des
perate and distinguished daring. At
Gettysburg it made part of Pickett's
charging column, losing more than half
Its numbers in killed, wounded and
prisoners.
line cankers OF a calm world and q
long peace" even, could not destroy
the lighting spirit In the famous old
First regiment. When the Spanish
war came on, sons and grandsons and
great'grandsOns Of First regiment men
went joyously into it's ranks. They al
most p~raYed-tG be seht- 70 Cuba. The I
powers h a be thought fit to SEND them
to the Philippines instead. But it was
October, 1893, before they embarked,
and they grumbled nightly that the
hghting was all over.
Since vents have proved their mis-
the regiment has lived up to it's
traditions. The regimental historian
has an autograph letter from Admiral
Dewey, saying
~ am too happy to have an opportu-
nifty OF expressing my admiration of
this Tennessee regiment, its splendid
work In the Philippines in actual war
tare, and Of lbs late colonel"
Gen. Otis adds
Nothing can be said of it (The First
tennessee regiment) which Ii not com
OF it as q military orpanizA.
" IaDIS liz uUlnP |
qualities, what have impressed me most
|orcibly is the universal good feeling
ma close ~comradeship which exists
among 1ts members, and the regard
which the enlisted men have for their
)mcers, h look carefully after their
wants. AS an admirable fighting ma
chine, 1t has shown its excellence, both
here and at Iloilo."
Col. w. @. Smith, commanding when
he regiment went into action, died of
heart disease upon the firing line. His
'uccessor, Col. Gracey Childress, Ken
lucky born, but by adoption a loyal
.rennessean, will, therefore, have the
Of being the last of q IA
line Of colonies, for he is bringing .
regiment home-it Ia expected
'arly In October--for final mustering {
nut. Under the new order Of things {
he old regiment will lose It's identity. {
t Ia not strange, therefore, that O his /
DRY. of 1t is o In preparations !
louis Globe-D Democrat. :