The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1899-04-12
Captain Gus. Diekert, the His
tcrian.
/ Written for the Dispatch 7

Written for the Dispatch
Few perhaps now living in the
county, especially the younger gene
ration, know that Capt. Gus Dickert,
the author of the forth coming "His-
tory of Kershaw's Brigade" and of
whom, the press of the State are
speaking in such laudable terms, is a
Lexington boy. Yet, such is the fact.
He was born under the shadow of
Little Mountain, and reared on the
banks of Broad river. He enlisted
at Mike Rooms old muster ground
in Capt. Drury Nunamaker's CON-
pany, the first from Lexington, when
a lad, only fifteen years of age. His
two older brothers, enlisted at the
same time, an other joiniDg it three
years later, all from this county.
About the first of February, 1861,
while young Dickert was on his way
to school, at Winnsborc, he met with
q company of "six months volunteers
from Newberry in route for the
campaign against Sumter. So in.
stead of going On to school, he joined
the soldiers, served until disband-
ment of his company, and then le-
turned to his old company, then
encamped near Columbia.
At the reorganization, he was
elected to a Lieutenantcy and the
casualties of war soon made him
Captain. He, as senior Captain,
commanded the Srd s. G. regimen,
during the i'll starred campaign Of the
Valley under Early and led his men in
the disastrous battle of Fishers Hill,
in which so many brave men need
lessly lost their lives, all before he
was eighteen years of age. He was
the youngest officer Ct the same
rank, I believe, in either army, and
saw Of much service, being at
Charleston when the first gun at
Sumter was fred, and at Bentonville
when the last one closed the Wal
and the Confederacy went down.
There were about eight companies
from Lexington, in Kershaw's Brig
ade, and from first to last, more han
one thousand men, all of whose names,
the author says, will be recorded in
in his history. This should make
the work dear to all Lexingtonians,
and they should feel doubly proud OF
this gallant soldier, and accomplished
writer, who has spent yearsof his life
in recording the deeds of the brave
men with whom he served.
The writer asked an old veteran of
the Fork, did he know Captain Dick
ert during the war. He smiled and
said: know him, why I should say
I did; he commanded the Dutch"
our old company. The other soldiers
called us "The Dutch" not that We
had any Dutchmen in it, but because
We come from dutch Fork" and
were so clannish. The Captain was
a whole souled boy, generous AID
brave to recklessness. In camp, lie
was one of US, no difference then be
tween Captain and private, but the
moment he buckled on Lis sword for
duty he was a changed man entirely.
Cold and stern as a martinez, and
you would think he had never seer
one of his men before. In battle,
we'll, he was a perfect hornet, and I
have often thought he lived a
charmed life. He always said he
would never push his men in any
place he would not be willing to 60
himself, and true to his word, as We
would start in battle, he quilted his
post. in rear and placed himself in
front Of bis company, and call out
boys, follow me"
Follow him! why to day, if Gus
Dickert would call on the "Old
Dutch every old wooden leg or one
armed man of them would follow
him blindfolded." Then with a
merry chuckle, the soldier said, sand
I think, Gus Dickert turned as many
Yankees toes to the roots of the
daiseys as any man in the army"
All this speaks well of our Licking
ton boy, and every old soldier and
son of an old soldier should read the
History of Kershaw's Brigade, COM
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posed of the End, 5rd, 7th, 9Th, 18th,
Goth regiments and 3rd battalion Of
S. G. volunteers. F.