The Batesburg advocate. [volume] (Batesburg, S.C.) 1901-1911, 1902-04-23
WADE HAMPTON'S
Farewell to His Old Soldiers From
His Piazza Last Nay.

When the Confederate Reunion was
held in Columbia last May the old sol.
diers called on General Hampton at
his home in Il body. On tlSt occa-
sion he made the following speech:
My Comrades: have indeed as
Mai. Hart has said, heard that Rebek
yell often before and when heard it
! had the honor to command, knew
that we were safe. | think it is one
of the British poets who said:
The kites know well
The long leagues swell
That bids the Romans close.
might paraphrase this 10y saying:
The YankS knew well
The Rebel yell
That badc the JohnnieS close.
My old heroes, hope it never will
he forgotten. | hope ii will be trans
mitted TO your children and to your
childrcn'S children if not for them TO
Use TO tell how ii used to ring from the
forests of Virginia. how il rang from
Gettysburg TO the west, and how it al
ways told OF men who were willing to
die for their southland, to die for truth
for honor. for manhood, for chivalry
and for great truth. | want you to
try and teach To your children and to
your children 5 Chiairen that ours was
rot lost cause. want you TO tell
them that we were fighting for the
right. George Washington was rebel,
but Lee was not. When Great Britain
recognized the independence of this
country she did not recognize the in
dependence of the United States. bat
of each sovereign State as independent
and sovereign. There were Is indie
pendent and sovereign States. They
founded this union and they had the
right TO withdraw from it whenever
they chose so to do. We were not sue
ccSSiul il is not given TO mortalS to
command success. You have done
more YOU have deserved it.
And now in your declining years and
when mine have extended long be-
yond the period allotted to man. you.
my old comrades. whom loved, whom
| trusted and with whom felt as safe
as do now, ] want to say TO you all
that al! the love YOU have given me
has been more than rcciprocatcd: that
all that | have ever been able to do
Tor YOU. for any one of You, or for South
Carolina, has been more than repaid
10y the hOnOrS you have unsolicited
conferred upon ne and by this the
crowning honor of my life. may not
see You again. | remember a story of
an old bishop who. when ready to re-
tire from public life, went to the abbot
and said:
Father abbot. an old man whose
heart is broken by the storms of state
is come To lay his weary bones among
YOU.
That Is all shall ask of South Car
Olina few feet uf earth where my
kindred 10! s.N gr"nratiOnS are resting
And am praUj to say That one or
more of each generation. since they
were known i'm South Carolina. has
tillcda bloody grave for South Carolina
lApplauSc.l claim no credit tor
that. Every South CarOlinian who
was true was willing to give his blood
and his life for the Old State. am
sure that was willing TO do SO.
think | can say so TO YOU. my men.
that | never turned my back npOn any
Of YOU when vow faces were turned to-
ward the enemy. The greatest honor
that | felt during he war was once
when | came upon poor private who
WAS dying. | stopped beside him and
he said: II am happy to die lighting
and ann proud to die lighting under
YOU.
pray God will bless YOU and will
give YOU peace and prosperity, give it
to the old state, give il To each one of
You and that YOU Will 90 home and tell
your kindred that yOu have seen your
old comradc and that he thanks them
through YOU