Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1907-09-04
IlEUNIoN OF THE RIFLES"
Some Facts About that Great Orr's
Regiment of Rifles.
( From the Abbeyille Mediums

s
The Survivors Association of the
First South Carolina Rifles (Orr's
Rifies) will hold it's annual reunion
In Abbeyille September IS and 10,
and the people here are looking for
ward to the occasion with pleasant
expectations, for the regiment has al
ways held warm place in the hearts
Of Abbeville citizens.
| The regiment was organized and
mustered in at Sandy Springs, An
derson county, July 81, 1861, the
very day on which the battle of First
Manassas was fought in Virginia and
| won. =
1t was Sunday. There were ten
companies in the regiment Abbe-
Vile furnished 2, Anderson 8, Marion
and Horny 1 between them, Pickens,
which included the territory now in
Oconee and Pickens, 4. The oficers
were: Colonel, James l.. Orr: Lieu
tenant Colonel, ]. Foster Marshall;
Major, d. A. Ledbetter.
| After about months drilling the
regiment went to Sullivan's Island,
and remained near Charleston until
April, 1862, when it went to Vir-
ginia. Col. j. L. Orr resigned. hav-
Ing been elected to the Confederate
States Senate. The other field Off
GERS were advanced in rank, and
Capt. J.W. livingston became major.
The command was first under fire
at Mechanicsvillo, June 26, 1852, and
from that time until Appomattox it
had a "place in the picture near the
flashing of guns"
At Gaines Mill, June 27, 1862, the
First S. G. Rifles carried 537 men
into action. OF these 81 were killed
and 234 wounded-a total loss of
315.
During the war 334 officers and
men were killed, or died of wounds,
and 201 of disease total of 535.
total number of casualties 1925.
| At Appomattox there were only &C
men in line with guns in their hands.
During their service the regiment
was actively engaged, or in the line
of battle at the following places:
Mechanicsville. Gaines Mill, Fra
sier's Farm, Malvern Hill, Cedar
Mountain, Second Manassas, Ok Hill,
Harper's Ferry, Sharpsburg, Botelers
Ford, Fredericksburg, Chancellors-
willie, Gettysburg, Hagerstown, Funks-
town, Mine Run, Falling Waters,
Bristol Station, Wilderness, Spott-
sylvania Court House May 12,
spottsylvania May Is, Jericho Ford,
Cold Harbor, Riddles Shop, Peters
burg, Deep Bottom, Gravelly Run,
Dutch Gap, Fussell's Mill, Reams'
Station, Jones Farm, Bellefield, White
Oak Road, Sutherland's Station,
Petersburg, Amelia Court House and
Appomattox.
The association was organized in
1878 at Anderson, where a number
OF survivors attended the funeral of
Judge Orr, whose body had been
brought home from st. Petersburg,
Russia, where he was United States
minister ..
Since that time the association has
met annually. At Sandy Springs
there were many cabins used by those
who attended the famous camp meet
ings that made the place known far
and wide. The survivors had an at
tachment for their first camping
ground, and had their annual reun-
ions there until the cabins became
so dilapfdated that thew afforded M
shelter on rainy days. They then
asked to be allowed to meet in Glenn
son College, in the vacation, when
nothing was going on at thu institu-
; ton, but permission was refused and
that year they met in the open air at
the old spring. A storm came up and
the old soldiers went into a church
nearby and rested on the hard
benches during the night.
The reunions afterwards have been
held in the several towns of the ter
ritory from which the regiment was
enlisted, to wit: Anderson, Honea
Path, Seneca, Walhalla and Due
West.
Some Of the most talented men of
the day belonged to the command.
James l.. Orr never had a superior in
mental endowments. There never
was brighter mind in South Caro-
lima than that of VIM. G. Keith, the
adjutant. James S. Cothran and Jo-
seph j. Norton afterwards adorned
the Bench of the State Rev TT ~