The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1901-07-11

was Dawson's first glimpse of the Con
lcueratGs marching to meet the cncmy
which became u familiar sight to hin
afterwards The cleaning bayoncts
the steady tramp of The men, the wayius
flags and the rumbling Of the artillcr,,
on Tho turnpike were to him exhilarat
! ing and imposing, as he testified in aftc
years LIS battery WAS in the advance
ana 1t was not long until "a puff o.
smoke and the sharp crack Of 4 rifle
told the men that they had reached tho
ehGmyS llnc, and that the engagement,
had begun. The battery was unlinlbercd
in an open field, in full view of the
enemy, and in short time he felt the
llercG excitement OF battle, receiving his
baptism OF fire with men and horses
ocing shot down ali around him. Late
III inc afternoon he vas struck with u
piece OF shell, which scoopcd out five or
six inches of the flesh below the knee,
inlllctlnS an ugly wound. which was
Dand%Gcd with his handkerchief and
then he vent back 20 his post, where he
remained until the battery retired from
VIC hcld after sunset. He was taken to
his Cd quarters in Richmond, where he
received the attention Of the noble and
srHcious women who were assiduous in
cooking after the wounded Coufcdcratrs
III
the Richmond newspapers. lie went To
Petersburg when able to travel, and
theme" 10 hospitablc home in the
country, where he rccupcratcd for
several weeks.
Nr. Dawson remained in Sussex until
un hHu completely recovered from his
severe "0uud, Wnd his friend, Can't.
Robert y. Pcgram, was only two miles
"iStaut. lie Was on the way to pay
Capt Pegram visit when they met in
,nc Fon:, aDi PcGram gave him note
'tnm Mrs G. w. Randolph the wife Of
the Secretary Of War, announcing that
her hNSo%ud had ordered II commission
|" issue rs FIRST Lirutt nnnt OF ARTILLERY
Tor Ills friend, Mr. Dawson. This news
came unexpectedly and unsolicited, and
nc learned afterwards that Willie
fcgram Recommended the appointment
on account OF his behavior at Mechanics
VIE It was made under al act Of the
Conlcdcrato Congress, providing for the
appointment Of forty First Lieutenants
OF hrtillery Tor assignment to duty as
ordnance officers lie asked TO be AS
signed 10 Gcuer"l Longs!rcct's CORDS,
with which he was connected for the
next two years, and he Joined the CORDS
on the maIch 10 Maryiand On the re
turn !rom ltaEcr&town he was ordered
ny tCHcraI LrHEstrcGt 10 take charge of
the ordnance Grains of his CORPS and
move 10 WlliiamSp0rt, and in the eXGCu.
tlOn OF this order he fell into the hands
OF the enemy and was taken to Fort
delaware. Hc was exchanged in a
short time and thCncciorNard shared
Li.o fortunes Of Lopgstrcct's corps, in
Guiding the campaign in East Tennessee
lie was present at the Wilderness and
vas with LODgstrcGt as hc rode down
Inc p.Ank-ru@d al the head of his corrs,
when victory was turned into disaster
by that fatal mistake Of the Sixth Vir-
ginin, which fired the V0llcy that NOR
tally wounded the gallant Micah Jenkins
ana gave LOngstrcct a disabling wound.
5pNttsyivania, Cold Harbor, the siege Of
Petersburg, quickly followed, and an
expedition to the Valley in the summer
Was succeeded by q return to Richmond,
when m order came in November, 1864
Tor Dawson to report rs ordnance officer
TO General FltI Ice, upon whose staff
he served until the close OF the war
March ii, 1860, at the battle Of Five
Forks. Lieut.. Dawson WAS again
wounded aud he was sent to Richmond.
where friends cared for him, and when
he awokc the next morning the city had
been evacuated by the Confclcratcs and
the enemy was in possession. a week
later came the surrender OF Ice, and the
hopes Of Il people were buried forever.
The military history Of Capt Dawson
was full Of interest and adventure, and
his experience no q stall officer served
him admirab y in many respects, rs it
gave Kim an acquaintance with men
from every State, and he had the happy
faculty of making friends wherever he
went But he was vcritably ashore
when the collapse came in April, 1865,
and those who would have been glad to
render him aid were themselves without
means. lie had no occupation or pro.
ic8ai1n, and there was little opportunity
in impoverished Virginia for a stranger
so situated to earn even the most mcagrc
living. His energy and determination
did not &ucCumb to the surrounding
gloom and dependency, and he sought
the means for gaining subsistence, not
waiting for it to turn up. He was with
friends in Sussex for q time after re.
covering from his last wound, and then
went TO Petersburg in search Of employ.
mcnt He WAS on the point Of securing
a lucrative position as the driver of n
dray, but the owner thereof concluded
to employ y stalwart negro, and Capt
now to look back at this incident, when
the gallant, courageous officer was will
ing to engage in ncuial service, but was
denied the place and preference given to
a common darkcy. 1t is strange that he
turned away from this disappointment
and began making arrangements for
publishing small weekly newspaper in
Richmond, in connection with Mr..
Evan", who had influential relatives.
The Richmond Wing loaned them type
and tho press work was TO be done in
that oilicc, but the Wing had offended
the military authorities, who closed up
the cstab ishmcnt and stranglcd the
embryo newspaper in its very birth,
which ended for the time being tho
journalistic ambitions Of one who was
destined TO make his mark in this idcnti.
Cal field of labor.
V.
The next effort Of Capt. Dawson was
in harvesting wheat, by which he earned
$40, and then he tried bookkeeping in
Petersburg, for which he received $40
NOR month and maid For bnorl H.,