The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1903-07-22
pleasure, and that you are not only vel.
come, yea! you are thrice welcome.
Col. M. D. Harman,

come yea! you are thrice welcome.
Col. M. D. Harman,
in reponse to the above address of welcome,
said IA substance as follows:
Mr.. Chsirman. Ladies. Gentlemen and
Comrades: It affords me much pleasure to
stand before you as the representative CT
the ex-Confederate soldier OF Lexington
county. Captain West, the worthy chair
man of this meeting, introduced me as
Colonel. hope that you will not mis- axe
me for Confederate Colonel. tor did not
gain that distinction upon he battlefield,
but was unanimously elected Colonel by the
members of the camps of Confederate vet
rams composing the Lexington regiment I
am no public speaker as you are all we'll
aware, so you will please excuse me for
reading from manuscript what I shall have
t, say on this pleasant occasion.
On the Goth day of December. 1860, the
State of South Carolina passed in Ordi-
nance of secession withdrawing from the
Union. separate and alone. Other States
son followed, however. and on the fourth
day of February, 1861. at Montgomery.
Ala. assembled iu convention and formed
provisional government which existed
until February 22nd. 1862. when the Con-
federate States Government was formed at
Richmond, Va. At tbs time Fort Snmter.
Charleston. S. G was occupied by United
States troops under the comm nd of Maj.
Anderson. State troops were hastily gath
cred and sent forward as rapid'y as posi-
bic to the city of Charleston. Rude bat
teries were huyriedly constructed and all
necessary Erecaution taken to prevent the
United States government from taking pos
session of the city Of Charleston.
On the 9th day Of January. 1861, the
Star of the West" light ocean steamer
loaded with supplies, attempted to land at
Fort Sumter. but vas prevented from so d.
ing BY the brave BOYS, Cadets from the
So. Ca Military Academy commanded
by 5Isi. P. F Stew ems. cccup7ing the sur
rounding batteries constructed tor defence
OF Charleston and the islands adjacent
thereto It was or this dav that the first
gun OF the war was fred, which was at the
Star OF the West" and not at Fort Sum-
ter. as son,a writers have it, Gen Beau
regard OF New Orleans, La, was in COM
mard of abou; six thousand Confederate
soldiers mostly from South Carolina. and
Oh tGS IltI uhI vi <Aplii, 1CO4' AAd1io Ao-i i'-A
demand upon Maj Anderson for the sur
render of Fort Slmter. This was promptly
refused ard early TIE next morning the
firing began The ire was returned by the
Fort a2d after beingl kept mp for thirty
two hours, Mai. Anderson sl:rrenderedaNo
one WAS k,lie3 on either side in this men,
0rable contest.
Alter the tall Of Fort Sumter the seat OF
var, as well as the Capital OF the Co7ieder-
acv was transferred to Virginia It vas
nov; evident that the war was on II earnest
a1d troops we're being called tor by bosh
-iGes. I: is not my intention to 60 into
details concerning the actions and engage
n:rts fought during tbs war, desire Only
% state that from beginning to the en- OF
the war TIE Ii nited States enrolled over two
million. seven hundred thousand soldiers
With wh ch to conquer only six hundred
thous and scantily ted and poorly clad Con-
federate soldier armed with only such Wea-
pons CT warfare as could be hastily gathered.
Lexington furnished her full Qnota OF men
fo- the war. in all about two thousand as
true as steel Six hundred OF these brave
bo1s leyer returned 20 their homes. having
either teen killed IN battle or died IN nos
risal from disease contracted III camp. Ihe
most OF Il ese soldiers now lie in un6n2Wn
graves Cead but not forgotten-as mon-
ument in memory of those noble braves
erected By the kind and generous hearted
hearted women of our county and situated
at our county seat will testify.
The first company to volunteer from Lex