The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1900-11-27
l<IcItSItAW'S BItIG,DE
Mai. j. II. j. Caldwell Saya nickcrl's Ills
tory Ia Valuable Contribution to tho
Htstory OF tho War or Secession.
Greenwood Journul.)

Gowan's brigade, in which he was an
ollicer, from notes taken on the field
of action, and last September he
wrote for tho Grecnvillo News a brief
review Of tho "Ilistory of kcrshaw's
Brig"de," by Capt. Dickort. Mai.
C"ldwclPs eXporicnco in war and his
scholarly attainments givo interest
to any subject no may write upon,
and especially to that of tho war in
which he was engaged.
For the survivors of thoso two fa-
nous hrigados who may desire to
read this article, it is reproduced as
follows:
Tho "History of Kcrshaw's Brig
ade," by Capt. ID. A. Dckcrt, of
Newberry, of the Third Regimont
S. 9. ", is Il valuable contribution
to tho history Of tho War of Soces-
sion.
That command, compossed orig.
lnally of tho Second, Third, Seventh
and Eighth regiments Of infantry,
and incronsod by tho addition Of the
Fifteenth infantry and James Bat
TALON in 1862, and tho Twentieth
infantry in 1864, was probably the
largest brigade Of South Cnrolinians
in tho Confederate service; it's scr
vices extended over moro territory
than that Of any other Of our troops,
AZ it embraced campaigns in Vir
ginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, North
Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia
and Tennessee: it fought under John
ston and Beauregard at BullRun,and
surrendered with Johnston at Greens-
boro; it participated in almost all tho
general engagements Of tho Army of
Northern Virginia; it contributed
largely TO tho victory at Chicka-
mauga; it was with Longstroct at
Knoxville and Boan Station; it
was with General Early in the Val.
10y Of tho Shenandoah in 1864,
its members were Of tho bost
blood in the South and therefore of
tho best in the world; it ranked with
the very first in every army in which
1T operatod--h -henco it's history must
have the greatest Interest," and i'm
portance to all who caro- to know
about tho memorable struggle for
Southern Independence.
The undertaking to writo this
account thirty years or moro after
the close of the war was appaIlingly
dil,:cult, and mono but an exception
ally earnest and resoluto man would
have attempted it, or having begun
would have persovored to it's com.
pletion. confess that l awaited tho
result with serious misgiving. But
l am glad to say that, in my judge
ment, the author has performed his
self-imposed and onorous task most
creditably both to himself and to the
brigade.
The narrative is, apparently, as
full as needed or desirable. The
thread is practically complete, from
tho organization of tho command to
it's dissolution:-with the single ex .
ception of the operations Of the brig.
ado during tho last week Of July
1864. Being in McGowan's brigade,
along side Of which it there fought,
for tho first and last time, I knew
that Kershaw's brigade took part in
tho battle. near Fusscls Mill, on tho
north side Of James river, on tho
18th Of that month. That, however.
was an unimpo tant action in point
both of numbers engaged and results,
and its omission docs not materially
affect the history.
In addition to complete rolls of
men in tho command and details of
it's operations, tho work contains q
faithful recountl Of tho Confederate
soldiers life in tho field, his OK.
perionces on tho march, in battle and
in winter quarters; it doscibes we'll tho
soldier himself in tho various phases of
his career; it presents battle scenes as
only an active and experienced
participant can SEQ or portray them;
it abounds in anecdotes at onco enter.
tanning and illustrative of tho general
subject; it sketches fairly and truth
full many of tho distinguished nom
bers of the command; and it is as free
f..zDx A