The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1905-09-08

1l UllC USIIltOIy VI Uu6
and In over 2. 200 engagements, great
anu sfnaii, Won meny victories which
astonished the world
In e.. lence of the high morale of
the Confederate army, q letter from q
gallant Union colonel. who aeyyed to
the end of the war, Is here quoted as
it vas published in the Southern His.
torical Society Papers (Vol. TX. PIP,
142, 143), In which he says: II take
pleasure in reading the Southern Ills.
torical Society Papers, and consider
them invaluable. They show conclu-
sively the great disparity Of numbers
and the bravery and great sacrifices
of the Southerners In battling for
their principles and for what they
honestly consider were their rights.
And l take q just pride, as an Amor.
lean cit!zsn, a descendant, on both
sides Of my parentage, Of English
stock who came to this country about
1910, that the Southern army, COM
posed almost entirely Of Americans,
we're able, under the ablest American
c%hieftains, to defeat SO often the over.
whclming hosts Of the North, which
were composed largely of foreigners
to our SOIL" General Hooker, in his
testimony, surely overlooked this ele,
ment, or he would not have testified
that the Confederates were inferior to
his people, intellectually and physi,
cally," and acquired their superiority
In steadiness and ell ciency by dis.
cipline alone"
But the point will be obvious by
citing the results Of q few of the
many battles as Illustrations. When
on account OF the wOunding Of Gen. j.
%, Johnson at Seven Pines, Gen. r.
10. Lee was put in command in Vir.
ginia, June /, 1862, the situation
looked dark indeed for the Confed,
crates. The capture of Forts Henry
and Donelson, the fall Of New Or
leans, the capture of Nashville, Rom
oke island and Norfolk, gave the Fed.
erals confidence Of ucces and tended
to greatly dispirit the Confederates
The gloom had been somewhat bright.
by the Confederate victory at
and Stonewll JackSon's brilliant
Valley campaign, which terminated
at Cross Keys and Fort Republic q
days after General Lee assumed
But the situation was ex.
ceedingly threatening, for Mcclellan
was strongly intrenched with 1I5, 600
within sight Of the spires of
and almost within cannon
range Of the city. He had 10. 900
more men at Fortress Monroe and
vas confidently expecting Mcdowell,
whose troops had been diverted by
the movements OF Stonewall Jackson,
to join him with 40, 900 troops. Gen.
Lee to oppose this strong force, after
receiving all Of the reinfofcemeuts
that he could draw from every sourcl
could only muster rs. 900 men, the
largest army he ever commanded.
And yet, with this force Lee attacted
Mcclellan in his stronghold, and In
Seven Days battles" drove him
from every position and forced him to
refuge under the cover OF his
gunboats at Harrison's landing, forty
miles below Richmond, after a serels
Of brilliant Confederate Victories
which Inflicted immense loss on the
In both men and material.
Gen. j. b. Kershaw, Of South Caro-.
lima, published some years ago a deep
~ interesting narrative concerning
Richard Kirkland, the humane hero
of fredericksburg" a sergeant in the
Second South Carolina regiment. AT.
ter the bloody repulse uf the Federals
at fredericksburg, near the foot of
Marye's hill, they left their many kill.
cd and wounded lying between the
lines, and the piteous cries OF the
brave men on account of pain and
thirst appealed to the s. mpathies Of
the soldiers Of both armies. Kirk.
land went to General Kershaw, who
was then In command Of the Confed.
srates at that point, and said with
deep emotion General, l can't
stand this" What is the matter,
Sergeant" asked the general. He
replied : All day | have heard these
poor people crying for water and l
can stand 1T no longer, / come to ask
permission to give them water" The
general regarded him for a moment
with feelings OF profound admiration,
and said : kirkland, don't you
know that you would get a bullet
through your head the moment you
stepped over the wall?" Yes" he
said, Il know that l may, but II you
will let me, | am willing to try it,
After a pause the general said
kirkland, / ought not to allow you
to run such a risk, but the sentiment
actuateS you is SO noble that |
VIII not refuse your request, trusting
that God may protect you. You may
60" With light heart and bu0yant
step the humane hero, armed with all
of the canteens he could carry filled
with water, crossed the wall, went
unframed through the shower OF Lul-
lets, which at first greeted him, and
and relieved the nearest suff.
erer, pouring down his parched throat
the life.glying fluid, putting him in a
more comfortable position, and leav.
ing him a caDteen filed with water.
His purpose o beng apparent, the
Federals ceased to fire on him, and
for an hour and q half, amid the
plaudits Of both armies, this angel Of
mercy went IN his mission from man
to man OF the wounded enemy-his
comrades gladly filing his c~anteens
for him a being prevented from
joining him In his labor OF love only
by the or ers against their crossing
the line until all on that par Il the
field had been relieved. IL needs only
be added-since the bravest are
the tenderest and the loving are the
daring"-that Sergeant Kirkland so
distinguished himself at Get.
that he was promoted for
CONSPICUOUS gallantry," and that he