The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1901-07-10

OhS y 'dIS Ol age, "DltN was abgul Il
average of the men then in he Co
fcdcratc ranks, and hc was going 10 en-
his fortunes with them. without au
kith or kin in tho far of sunny SoutI
IL was natural and inevitable that III
lower OF our o%n land should make tn
J sacrifice, for MC had been taught 10 &,
! pcCt the contest now being wagCI. an
Tor generation the blood had bee
heating on both sides which WAS ouly
peascd by the rude shock of war. But /
this youth, who had said gaol-hycto hi
people at home, and wuO had culistu
10 90 GattlC under as yet an unICc0gmi2
| ca nag, there was none Of the st'mul,
| ticn that comes with the conviction O
| LiShC anu the ardOr OF patriotism Whicl
7 ulIed the boSOmS Of the men VINO wur,
| already wearing the gray and bvnrin,
| burdens that were unparalleled. Tn,
| voyage across the ocean was not wiihou
lts dangers and exciting incidents, ;,u,
/ Whcn The NashvillCiran the blockade in ',
the harborat Beaufort, n. G on The 2Stt
or February, 1862, the loneliness nnt
isolation of the youth who was bcsc,
With doubt and uncertainty, need moi
DC described. Others were vOiur tr
meet with friends and relatives, but he
WAS oVcrpo"crcd with the NEGATIVE
S'uc OF his existence at that moment,
winch only time, faith, energy aud ac.
t!Flty would reverse Ia the stirring DAYS
50 soon atCad Ol him
Ill.
1t would be Interesting TO follow the
fortunes Of the young Engishman after
ne reached The shores OF his adODtcd
land, where the god Of war was ram
pant, ana whcI" every man, woman and
Guild whom he was dcst tined to meet was
intensely and exclusively abs 5rbrd i'm
lhc progress and result Of the S,rugg'e
Oh the voyage he had risen from thc
place OF common sailor TO the conf
ochtlal relation of masters mate. and
afterwards was promoted to miGship
man, IN which capacity he was given an
assignment TO the receiving shin Con
tedcrstc States then in The oiliur nt
Norfolk, Va This rapid promotion was
mainly due to the influence OF Capt
feRram, based upon his recognition and
worth OF MIR. Dawson. and which stood
Ihc lattcr III good st.ad after he left the
navy. Capt. Pcgram was ordered in
April, 1869, to take command of the
iron clad " Louisiana" which was build
ing at New Orleans, and Dawson was
ordered to accompany him, which en-
aolcd the midshipman to travel by rail
from Petersburg, Va, TO jackson, Miss |
wherc the Information was received THAI
inc United States fleet had attacked the !
loIts De!ow New Orleans, causing the F.!
CITY 10 be evacuated On the return trim |
The news was given them that Norfolk |!
nad been abandoned by the Confederate |
lorccs. and that the Virginia" had |
been destroyed to prevent her from |
falling into the hands Of the enemy. /. |
was apparent that the Confederate |
states navy would become permanently |
N:mgntlcd, 50 far as local defence was
Concerned, as there was not an open |
>ort at this time and the blockade was
lcing made more pcrtcc. every Gay. /
oung Dawson had been sent to an ii
cgcd ilOating battery, which was lying
IL Tic James lhVcr, and which he took TO
10 urcuSe when he went TO report for
iuty. She was without cncilcs or sails,
With only one port hole manned D:n
lcavy gun, and not much prospect of
'Ver leaving the wharf at the ROckClps
The enthusiastic midshipman did not
aucy the idle outlook, when there was
;"mmotiOn and intense anxiety as to
oming battles on the land. McClclMn's
magnificent army was in few miles OF
richmond, and troops were hastcning
o the defence Of the capitol of the Con,
The battle Of Seven Pines
vas being fought and obtaining leave
# absence, armed with rAvy sword,
he midshipmaD FASTENED 10 the field,
nd joined himself TO the Eighth Georgia
cgimcnt, where he was given a musk ct
nd the privilege Of entering the fight
Which was expected to be renewed, but
which did not take place the next nom
ng. He trudgcd back TO Richmond ana
cnt his resignation to the Secretary of
he Navy, giving rs a reason that he
WISHED To enter the army ~ private
older. He Joined the Purcell Battery
nd reported for duty few days before
he Seven Days Battle around Rich
nond. The commander Of this famous
'attcry was Willie Pcgram, a nephew of
he distinguished naval officer already
and the camp was on the
turnpike leading to McchanicsVilc
where in day or TWO was TO be initiated
hat series OF engagements which have
'cen the study OF military critics ever
incc. The daring movement Of Nc
)lcllan TO flank the Confcdcratcs and
orcc his way into Richmond, only few
nj cs distant, was more than cuuallcd
~ tho matchIcss defence of Robert f.
Icc, who had just taken command of
he Confederate forces, and who pressed
he foe backward every day until he
ook refuge under the gunbOats on the
James, far south Of Richmond.
Dawson, just prior to the fight at
hcchanicsvillc, saw the distribution to
he Army Of Northern Virginia for
he first time Of Confederate battle |
iags, "a square Of coarse cloth with q |
blue field and a red cross dotted with |
stars which was thenccforth the en- |
blcm OF the Confodcracy, the inspira |
ton of it's soldiers, the hope of its eutrc |
people, and the only symbol now re
Of a cause which was defeated |
in the cnd, yet was ever kept withoutH
stain Pegram's battery was ATTACHED
to Fields brigade of a T. HIPS division,
and it was II!lls division trat led the
way across the Chickahominy aud
initiated the fight at Mochancsvillo 1t
was Dawson's first glimpse of the Con.
fcderatcs marching To meet the enemy,
which became p familiar sight to him
afterwards. The cleaning bayoncts,
the steady tramp Of the men, the waving
flags and the rumbling Of the artillery
on the turnpike were to him cxhilarat.
ing and imposing, az he testified in after
years. His battery was in the advance,
and it was not long until "a puff Of
smoke and the sharp crack Of rifle"
told the men that they had reached the
cnemy's line, and That tho engagement
had begun. The battery was unlimb cred
in an open field, in full view Of the
and in 81 ahn-t Iipnn hn n 4 In.