The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1900-11-28
WAR "REMINISCENCES
Two Interesting Incidents Of the Civil War.
j. a. Uoyt, IN GrccnriNc Mounh,inccy.

"Ao|SnoC VI Iuc IoccODu manassas
which narrates an incident of the bat
tie with which some Of our readers arc
already familiar:
In the year 1853 fur gentlemen
entered their sonsat boarding school
at Cokesbury in South Carolina.
They had been for years intimate
friends, and were clcrgymcn in the
Methodist Church. These boys re-
mained at this school as room-m rates
and classmates for two years and en-
tered Woford College, standing rcla-
lively first, second, third and fourth
i'll large class. They remained in
this institution four years and were
room mates all the time, graduating
relatively first, second, third and
fourth.
They entered law Office in Spar
tanburg and studied law under the
same chancellor. The war broke out
and they entered jenkins Rifle Rcgi-
ment from South Carolina Capt. Jos.
Walkers company and were mess
mates in the same company. Being
near the same height they stood to-
gethcr as comrades in b.ttlc in this
regiment. At the second battle of Ma
nassas shell from the Federal bat
terry fell i'll the ranks Of this company,
killing these four boys and no others
IN the company.
They are buried on the battle field
aud sleep together in the same grave.
Their names arc Capcrs, McSwain,
Smith and Duncan and they arc the
sons of Bishop Capcrs, Rev. DR.. Me
Swain, Rev. DR.. WhitcGcld Smith and
Rev. DIR. Duncan, of Virginia. This
grave is marked by granite cross en-
closed with an iron fence"
The writer was in command of Co.
Z, Palmetto Sharp Shooters, which
was on the right of the regiment, and
20. N was next to the right, COM
mandcd by the late Capt. H. II.
Thompson, brave soldier who died
lew years ago in Spartanburg. Tho
position he occupied by the regiment
Was in piece Of woods not far from
the edge, where it was halted, ordered
to lie down, and remained under
most terrific fire Of shot and shell un
I'll Col. Walker gave the command to
change from front to rear on twelfth
company" which would place the
regiment at right angle from its first
position IN the woods. When Cos. c
and Is began the movement, it was
observed by the writer that several
men did not rise when the command
was given to change front, when he
went to the place where the men we're
lying, and-found that five young men
were killed by the explosion of the
shell in the manner described. -Four
of them were Capers, McSwain, Smith
and Duncan, who belonged to Go. X.
and the fifth man was w. NJ. Keown,
of Co. z, who was raised in Anderson
County. Young Keown had narrow
escape from death in the First Ma
nassas, where minnie ball went
through his hat aud grazed his hair,
and he went gallantly through all
other battles unhurt until he was
within two hundred yards of the SPOT
where he so narrowly run the gauntlet
in the First Manassas. He was an
excellent soldier, and remarkable for
his native wit and intelligence, al
though he did not have the educa-
tionrl advantages Of the other young
men who met death with him.
MIR. Lackic was a member of the
Sixteenth Michigan, and The Noun
taineer printed last year an account
written by him Of the famous encoun-
ter Of his regiment with the Palmetto
Sharp Shooters at Gaines Mill on the
9th Of June, 1862. This account of
the battle led to an extensive cores
pondence with Mr.. Lackc by mem.
bers of the Sharp Shooters and others.
Mr.. e. Il. Rankin, Of Arlington,
Texas, was among the number who
wrote to Mr.. Lackie, especially with
reference to the proposed reunion at
Louisville, which unfortunately did
not take place. Mr.. Rankin discov-
cred that two of the Sharp Shooters
lived in his town. and they were much
interested in the "reminiscences of
Gaines Mill. The names Of those
two soldiers are NJ. T. and A. w.
Walker, who belonged to Co. X, p. S.
S., and one Of them sent the clipping
from an old newspaper which gave the
facts recited about the remarkable CO.
incidents at tho Second Manassas