The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1904-06-29
PALMETTO REGIMENT IN MEXICO.
By Captain J. A. Thomas.

/ PALMETTO REGIMENT IN MEXICO
By Captain J. A. Thomas.
In the spring of 1S46 the United
States Government called on South
Carolina to furnish one Regiment ol
volunteers to serve for twelve months
in the war then going on with Mexico.
The Regiment was raised and kept
in readiness during the summer OF
1916. In the fall of the same year the
order countermanded for IL months
volunteers and an order was for one
Regiment of volunteers from South
Carolina to serve during the war, go
there had to be q new organization OF
the former Regiment. The organiza-
ton was soon completed with compa.
MES from the following then district
One company from Chester, Capt.
! Dunovant;
One from Fairneld, Capt. Kennedy;
One from Lancaster, Capt. Secrest;
One from Columbia, Capt. De-
Sesaure;
One from Charleston, Capt. Bland
ing;
One from Barnwell, Capt. Walker;
One from Camden, Capt. Maffett;
One from Edgefield, Capt. Brooks;
One from Sumter, Capt. Sumter:
One from Abbeville, Capt. Marshall;
One from Newberry, Capt. Williams,
making in all eleuen companies, with
one thousand men or more.
The companies all rendezvoused at
Charleston some time in the first of the
month December l846 and then COM
pleted the organization of the Regi-
ment by electing Pierce M. Butler
colonel, Dickinson Lieut.. Colonel and
GLADDEN. Major.
The Chester company left Chester
sometime in the first part Of Decem-
Der 1916, the date not remembered,
marched to Columbia then by rail to
Charleston,
The Regiment stayed in Charleston
until about the first of January lS47;
thence to Camp Joenston near Ham.
burg.
The next move was to Mobile. A
portion of the way the Regiment had
to march about one hundred miles
through Georgia from Atlanta towards
Montgomery, stayed sometime in Mo-
bile, had good quarters and the citizens
were very kind to US in furnishing US
with the necessaries of life and shelter.
From there we went on q sail vessel,
were out at sea some time and suffered
a great deal from seasickness, 1t taking
several sailors to transport the Regi-
ment. The health of the Regiment
was good while on water.
We then landed on Loboss Island q
small island off the cost of Mex,
stayed there some time and had preJ-
ty hard time, great deal of sickness
and some deaths. Then mumps broke
out and most of the Regiment took the
disease. Water was scarce, none ex-
cept by digging in the sand, then the
water was Very brackish, we could not
drink it without using vinegar very
freely.
From here we set sail for Vera Cruz,
pretty much the whole army together,
then about ten thousand strong, arriv-
ing at Vera Cruz and landing the 9th
and 10th of March, 1847.
The city of Vera Cruz was soon sur
rounded and batteries placed in posi-
ton to lombard the city, though while
placing batteries and getting ready to
shell the city our army was very much
exposed to the shells thrown from the
city. Whenever they could locate any
part of our troops, they would throw
shells among them, some men killed
and others wounded. After every
thing was in readiness for bombarding
the city all of the American batteries
were turned loose; and all of the Mex
ican batteries in the city were opened
our army. 1t was agreat sight to see
the shells going and coming from the
city after night, a light after every
shell that kept the elements in blaze
all the time. During the night of the
bonn harding the shells fell thick and
fast in the city, the houses being flat
and not bomb proof, the slaughter was
considerable among women and chill
dren. I would suppose more so than
soldiers. Finally the city and forts
surrendered to Gen. Scott, the COM
mander-in-chief of the U. S. Army.
After the surrender, the South Caro-
lima Regiment, with the Georgia Regi-
ment and others were sent to Alvordo,
town so or 80 miles distant from Vera
Cruz on river a few miles from the
Gulf, the river being navigable. There
was also a gunboat sent which arrived
before the infantry and the town sur
rendered to the gunboat. 1t was a
forced march there and back for the
infantry with but little water on the
route, and it not fit to drink, the water
we had to use one night was pond +,
that the cattle of the county had to get
water, by wading knee deep in mud,
then the water was so thick with mud
that it had to be dipped up and settled
before it could be drank.
The trip to Alvordo was very much
against the South Carolina Regiment.
A great many took sick and were left
at the city of Vera Cruz where they
died. After getting back from Alvor.
ado aud recruiting some, our com mand
was ordered forward toward the city OF
Mexico.
The command was put forward on a
forced march to reach Saragordo before
the battle would be fought with COM
mands that were ahead ofour regiment
but the battle was fought the day our
command left Vera Cruz; consequent
ly our command was rested one day in
order to get the command together, as
at least one half was broken down in
the first days march.
On the 3rd day we went forward and
on reaching Saragorda it was the first
place we had seen the horrors of war,
when the battlefield had been cleared
of the dead and wounded, we who were
curious to see a battlefield could see
many q dead mar and no end to limbs
and for ten miles the road was strewed