The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1907-12-04
In MEM0RIAM.
Col. Brailsford Tells Of the Heroism Of
Capt. Richard NJ. Skinner.

PANoLA, S. c., Dec. =. 1907.
Mr.. EDITOR: | noticed in the
last issue of The MANNING
TINES a card from Mr.. Ben
Broadway in reference to the
unmarked grave Of that heroic
young officer, Capt. Richard NJ.
Skinner, who laid down his life
at the battle Of Samaria church
July. 1864. Mr.. Broadway states
that about four years ago he at
tempted to raise, by subscription:
"a sum sufficient to place over
this neglected grave a suitable
monument, but met with poor
encouragement, raising abou5
ten dollars only. and all of THAI
not paid in. In. view of Claren-
don's treatment Of veterans, both
dead and alive, the response to
his appeal was very character
istic indeed. While nigh every
county in the State has erected
at their court houses towering
monuments to their dead heroes,
this county treats her chivalrous
dead with supreme Indifference.
Every county in the State has a
chapter of the Daughters of the
Confederacy, Clarendon has
none. That this should be so is
a damning and everlasting re-
proach to her, for her sons Of
fered their lives as freely and
died as heroically as any soldiers
that wore the gray.
My first sight of Capt. Skin
ner was on the battle-ground
of Pocotaligo as he led the old
Clarendon troop as first lieuten-
ant Capt. Nettles being aosent)
to their position in line. This
was his first baptism of fire and
he so distinguished himself that
Gen. W. S. Walker Immediately
promoted him to the command
! of his troop. He was severely
wounded in the shoulder. This
battle was in May, 1862. The
enemy in their anxiety to de-
stroy the Charleston and Sa-
vannah road and thus cut one OF
the main arteries feeding Lees
army, made another determined
attack upon US on the old battle,
ground Of Pocotaligo: approach
ing from another direction, but
was again defeated, and Capt.
Skinner, realizing the import
ance of the victory and what was
at issue, made a supreme effort
and was rewarded with success.
but was again severely wounded.
For year I saw him daily in
the drills and parades while on
the coast, but when we reached
Virginia our commands were in
different regiments and I cou
not any longer witness his hero
ism in battle, but that he was a
hero to the last breath of his life
his supreme sacrifice assures US,
That the grave of such a sol
der should remain unmarked
and neglected is a shame un
speakable upon this people. My
friend Broadway says he hopes
to increase the li,5le pittance in
hand to sixteen dollars and erect
a little tablet. I protest against
this after a wait of forty years.
had rather circle his grave with
the laurel, the emblem of the
brave, ard the weeping willow,
expressive of our grief.
As their old commander I will
ask every veteran in Clarendon
to remit to Mr.. Ben Broadway
at Paxville the little sum OF
fifty cents, and although as poor
as any Of you, I will send him
ten times that amount. Let us
reserve to ourselves the privil.
ege of erecting this monument
to our brave and devoted COM
rade. And when the time ar
rives, as it surely will, let US all
meet there and unveil the token
of our admiration for him.
D. W. BRAILSFOD.