The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1904-05-27
WARS BLOODIEsT RECORDS.
Made by South Carolina and Penn
sylvania Troops.
BY ]. Cotton Lynes. Company IL.
1st S. c. Vol. MaXcy Greggs

war show some interesting parallels
between the records OF regiments on
the opposing sides.
Pennsylvania championed the north
in the contest for first place on the
roll OF honor, and trihe over ! per
cent. OF her quota of soldiers me-,
death OF the battle-heldS. South Car
lima led the southern states and sac
rihced over IS per cent. OF her MILL
tary population as it stood in 1861.
South Carolina furnished the reg
iment that lost the highest number
killed in battle during the war-"Orr's
S. C. Rifle" which piled up death
roll OF 534 Maxcy Gregg's ist S. T..
Vol. scores 2S1, thus taking the sec
ond place. Orr's Rifles was, however,
much larger organization at the
start.
The first place on the Unio'; side
was taken by the 5th New Eiamp-
shire with a score OF 2o5 and the sec
ond place fell to the SGD Pennsylvania
regiment, which has a score OF
282. The 83d Pennsylvania score OF
killed and wounded was o71. while
the first S. C. Vol. had rolled up
score OF $50 killed and wounded.
The S3d Pennsylvania came into
being as a reorganization of a regi-
ment composed OF volunteers and mil
itia companies that responded to
President Lincoln's first call and
served three months.
The colonel, John ". McLane, had
served as a volunteer officer in the
Mexican war and distinguished him
self as master in organization and
drill
The 1st South Carolina Volunteers
had a similar history, for it was form
ed out OF the disbanded 1st South
Carolina, OF the provisional army
called into being by the Convention
when the state seeded. That reg
iment was made up OF the old militia
companies and volunteers enlisted to
serve the state six months.
This provisional regiment and the
one formed out OF it were both Gre
ated and led by the same colonel,
Maxcy Gregg. who had been volul.-
teer officer in the war with Mexico.
and had acquitted himself as an able
disciplinarian and master OF mill
tary tactics. And it happened that
at the very time, to the month, ard al
most to day. when Col, Gregg was
getting his Palmetto men ont OF the
old harness into the new and touching
them up with his Mexican war re-
miniscences, Col. McLane was doing
the same thing with his Keystone
boys. The SGD was ready for orders
in the fall OF 1861 and the ist South
Carolina also. =.
At Gaines Mill
Each went to its respective stations
for assignment to place in line and
both began their fighting careers on
the same day and on the same field,
within long range rife shot of each
other. The Pennsylvanians number
ed about $50 men, the Carolinians a
trife less. They were not directly op-
posed on that field, Gaines Mill, June
q, 1862, but were engaged for the
whole three years in the opposing
armies of Northern Virginia and the
Potomac, often on the same battle
ground.
No fanciful comparison could
heighten the parallel. The regiments
started fairly equal, and both were in
the thickest OF the fight, with varying
numbers engaged and varying losses
in different battles against metal tenn
pered by the same heat. They
emerged with net result almost
equal.
The South Carolinians struck
hard lines" in that first fight at
Gaines Mill. They were brigaded
with four other regiments from the
Same state and Col GREGG. as brig