The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1906-05-11
The Private Soldier.

Written upon the civil war. So much
so, that all the great historical facts
gand the biography and "reminiscences
s0f our great leaders have been told
govcr and over again.
SS Those who have read Lee or Jack
Sons "NIcmoirs," Davis "I1istory
ssof the Confedcracy," or The Last
Days of the2 Confederacy, by Gen.
gGordon, no doubt, what shall tell
g@ill appear tame and insipid, for I
Shall deal mostly with the private
ssoldiers, the unknown and unrccord-
led hero Of the rank and file of the
SSouthcrn Confederate army. But af
ater all, should not their deeds Of valor
appeal to us just as much II seems to
Smc, he who stands The brunt of battle
8docs not get the credit Of being the
hero that he is. Think Of the brave
8boys Of Gigs. who often with bare
sand bleeding feet, in ragged jacket,
Sand with empty haversacks, bore our
BATTERED flag to the front OF a hun
#drcl victorious fields, and wrote OH
Sbriehtcst pages OF American history
#the names that will never die. We
know what they were by what they
accomplished against overwhelming
numbers and resources. | would not
pluck one flowcrf from the laurel wreath
&of Jefferson Davis, soldier, patriot,
Orator and Christian gentleman; not
from Il. T.. Lee, the peerless soldier
and model man of all The centuries
nor from Stoncwall jackson, the very
r thunderbolt Of war; nor from j. f..
8B. Stuart, dashin@. glorious "Jcb, -
Gthc flower Of cavaliers; nor from G..
IT. Bcaurcgard, kind and fearless, the
idol Of his men, and many other wor-
: thy comrades Of these. But is moi the
|honor great and glorious enough to
be shared by leader and follower? IF
they were here to speak today, I can
i hear them say, "yca, a thousand times
yea"
#E At one time when John r. Gordon
was being enthusiastically chccrcd at
banquet in y. V, he sprang to his
feet and said, "Comradcs, You arc
cheering the wrong man. YOU should
cheer the men. the private soldiers
who made Gortlon.' Tn the limit
ed time given me. did not have OPP
portmity Of talking with many Of
the old soldiers. One thing, however,
surprised me from what [ did scc,-
that though true TO the Stars and
Stripes. and will now hold that ban
ner high. they are as faithful to the
Lost Cause as though its battles had
been fought yesterday, uncnnqucrcd
in spirit.
~ | asked one what ne thought Of
the idea. being advocated by some
Of our northern friends. that the rc-
suit of the war was but the accom-
plishmcnts, by human agencies, the
will of the Divine. We know two
conflicting civilizations came into en-
istcncr with the establishment Of the
American Union. AS one of the first
statesmen Of the south has truly
said. the seeds Of the civil war were
planted some fifty years before they
were born who fought her battles. but
to this. the old soldier quickly replied,
the result i$ but another truth Of The
maxim OF the great Napolcan. "Thc
Almighty is on the side Of the great
est cannun.'
I am indebted 10 \. J. Livingston
for the foll"win" incident: There
T.aaSc-.-cE,:r Observation-Disclosures
lived in Spartanbnr% county poor
and humble family by the name Of
Bailey. They had one son. AUSTIN
who WAS conscriptcd and sent to Com
pany b. 3rd. S. e. Regiment. then on
campcd near Richmond. Va. lie, with
several others. came marching into
Camp, Bailey tagging behind, being
an awkward boy. dressed in bark
dyed clothing. straw hat and stitched
down shoes. The boys at once began
to guy him, tcllin" him TO come down
out Of that hat ,ctc. Bailey said. "boys
let up and give me a trial in battle, -
and | tell You he put good many Of
the noisy boys TO shame, for he was
one of the bravrst and coolest boys
in battle that 7 ever saw. This poor,
brave fellow marched and fought
with the old 3rd regiment through all
the battles we were engaged in until
the battle Of the Wilderness, where
&I@ was knocked out. I lost q
leg there and I never saw my friend