The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1905-03-03
A WORTHY TRIBUTE
Or Respect to DR.. A. E. FAINT by
ono OF His Army Comrades.

Mr.. Editor: The sad announce
ment OF DR.. A. f. Fant's death re-
calls many incidents in his life l
would be glad to relate were I able
to do so. He was one of the origi-
nal members Of the "McKissick
rangers" Il company of cavalry
raised at the beginning of the war
and commanded by that peerless
soldier and gentleman, Col. I. G..
Mckissick. Dolph as we always
called him met for the first time
at Camp Hampton, 4 miles below
Columbia where the company was
mustered into the service of the
Confederate States. He was merely
boy in age but n man in size and
strength. To use common phrase
He was much of man,
He was the gag" or clown of
! the company and by his genial dis
position he soon became friend of
the Holcombc Legion Cavalry.
There was scarcely man or
horse in the command that he did
not nickname.
He had witty humor about
him that made it impossible for
! camp life to become monotonous.
No matter how cold or hot it was
whether we had rations or not
'Dolph" was always cheerful. l
never knew him to miss roll call or
be reported absent without leave.
He was always ready for duty. He
had n wonderful store of book learn
ing and a memory that enabled him
to apply it without a moments re-
! Election when the same was in ac-
cord with the object in view. He
had read Shakespeare, Milton,
Georgia scenes, Simon Suggs, and
in fact, almost every work of rom
ancc then in existence.
He had q wonderful pcnchant for
conjuring up the most unpronounc-
able names ever heard. These he
applied to man or beast as he saw
, fit, and like Adam the name he gave
them soon got upon everybodys lips
and the man or horse Gas the case
might be-, was ever known and
called by that name.
At no time was he ever too low
spirited to have his fun. No mat
ter whether in camp, on the road,
on regular routine duty, in battle
or wherever he was, he was the
same Dolph FAINT - imprcssiblc.
There are many laughablo incidents
II might relate just here which
would recall his funny tricks, but
but it is impracticablc to do SO now.
There was nothing mean in any of
them, and most of those who were
the victims of his pranlls usually
enjoyed the laugh as well or better
than those it didn't particularly
concern.
| We had lot of poker players in
the company who were very much
in the habit of playing in camp
when they got an opportunity, these
fellows would gather in some tent
and get up considerable interest in
the game and sometimes several
dollars would change hands as re-
suit.
| The winter quarters were usually
Il cloth tent with an improvised
chimney Of sticks and dirt with a
flour barrel set on top for Il smoke
| fluc. In one of these tents one
night in the winter of '64-'65, a
| lot OF gamcstcrs were at work when
Dolph slipped up and poured a
handful of ground red pepper
down the chimney into the fire and
capped the flue with a saddle blank
ct which caused the fumes or the
pepper to stitic the players who
rolled out Of the tent to escape suf-
location. This broke up poker
tplayingin camp unless some one
was put on guard to watch Dolph
FAINT and prevent another such oc-
surrcnce.
At the battle of Fort Hamilton he
was Knocked down by the bursting
of shell which injured his hearing
and finally resulted in absolute
deafness.
J. i. STRAIN.