The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1903-12-02

ana other places, but none has caused
30 much interest as that Of dead
snake, preserved in alcohol in a bottle
in glass case in the window of tn g
J. Willie Levy store.
The bottle containing the reptile
was the cynosure Of all eyes and those
who tarried long enough to read found
On account of the how and why of
that dead snakc-which was RESPONSE
bic for the killing Of the first Georgia
soldier in the great struggle Of The
sixties.
The snake and the record of the
reptiles doings are the property Of
Mr.. w. Edward Plat, of this city,
who is at present in New York. He
obtained the snake from his father,
who secured it while serving in lh @
War between tho States.
The snake shows the marks Of time
and alcohol, but that has not kept the
public from being interested in this
war time reptile.
The following is the atory of the
first soldier killed in the Georgia Con-
federscy and Of the snake:
ALBANY, Ca, July FL, 1882.
s'Editor News and Advertiser:
The reasons given by you this morn
ing why Col. Fisher, gho was killed
at Bui. Run, could not have been the
first rebel killed was correct. The
first soldier who died while in the SER
vice cf the Confederate States was q
ta''or from Augusta, Ca, who died in
April, 1861, and the first soldier killed
In battle was beardless boy not 60
years old, from North Carolina, in
May, 1861. This was the first blood
shed in the Southern cause. There
were two First Georgia Regiments
which went to the war in April, 1861,
the First Regulars, who were sent to
Savannah, and the First Volunteers,
who were ordered to Pensacola under
Col. Ramsey, from Augusta.
hCiO "SlO C"O SOLu paulCS
Augusta, Ca, in this Regiment, one
of boys just from school, and one of
older citizens of Augusta. In the lat
ter company was tailor, who, in a
frolic, caught and put in his bosom a
garter, or as sometimes called, thun-
der and lightning snake There ia a
variety Of this species of serpent,
some whose bite is deadly and others
who are not at all poisonous. The
soldier made mistake, az there is but
very little difference In their looks.
While going around with the snak- in
his bosom o crowd Of his fellow SOL
diers gathered around, and in spirit
OF bravado he took it out and provoked
the reptile until it bit him on the back
OF his hand, from. whioL wound he
died very soon. The snake was kill.
cd, taken to Augusta and preserved
in alcohol. Being in that city few
months afterward / saw the reptile,
which was about two feet long and the
size Of child finger. All the mem
bcrs of the First Georgia Regiment
will recolleot this circumstance.
"The first soldier killed in battle
on the Southern side yes ct Big Beth
el Church, about fifty miles from Gut
Town, Virginia. Benjamin Butler
had landed the first Yankee troops in
Virginia in May, 1861, and was met
by g Virginia Regiments at the Church
named. General Wadsworth. Of Con.
neoticut, was in immediate command,
and upon seeing the Southern troops
advancing on him, jumped upon log,
waved his eword over his head and
ordered his men to FIRE. They did 80,
and the North Carolina boy, who was
volunteer in the Virginia Regiment,
Fell dead, the only one killed on our
side.
Immediately our msl returned the
Ere, shooting the general from the
log, and his soldiers left that battle
field. These two men, one on each
side, was the first blood shed in the
war, except the men in the Massachu.
setts Regiment who were killed. by
mob in Baltimore, Md. I was with
my Regiment in July, 1861, and visi-
ted the cemetery in Richmond, Va,
and stood over the grave at the head
of whioh was bos:d bearing this in
-scription (the name T have fcrgotten):
-<'From North Carolina, the frat sol.
: dier. killed in the War between the
North and the South" Any of the
old soldiers Of the 10th Georgia Regi.
ment will Secolleot the circumstance
Of this, the first battle Of the war.
s. b. WIGHT.