The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1909-05-13

of law and order and replaced
them with honor upon their
pedestals. You cleared your
fields of the brambles which had
grown up and your government
Of the bad men that had climbed
to power. At your bidding pros
perity again started the hum of
it's wheels and honor and integri-
ty became again the attendants
of your public service.
You did all this and more that
will stand to your everlasting
honor. In the strenuous strug-
gle of 1865 you were faithful to
the highest type of the soldier
and in the years following you
were equal to the highest duties
of the citizen.
The grand old county of Robe
son sent to the front 9 full COM
panies and parts of 12other com.
panies-altogether some 1000
splendid soldiers and more men
than you had voters in 1861.
AS the request is to address
the veterans of Camp Hoke, it
has occurred to me that it will be
appropriate to talk to you some
what about the services of the
Robson county companies
where your soldiers went and
what they did. Though it will
be a bare and hasty recital, it will
aid to revive and freshen the
. memory of the survivors and will
impart to the rising generation
, fuller knowledge, perhaps, of the
glorious record Robson county
made in those four eventful
years, the memory of which will
never be forgotten.
The first company you sent out
was COD, 18th N.C.Regiment,
commanded by Capt. Qater Ma
jor) w. S. Norment. This regi-
ment, including Co. D., was
, stationed below Wilmington till
November 1861, when it was Or
: dered to Charleston and spent
the winter at Pocataligo, midway
7 between Charleston and Savan-
r nah. In March, 1862, the regi-
ment was ordered back to North
t Carolina. In May it was assign
= ed to Branch's Brigade and was
sent to Virginia. The Brigade
2 was in the battle of Hanover
5 Court House, 27 May 1862, where
: it lost heavily some companies
f as much as so per cent. The
:, 18th N. c., of which Co. D. was
e a part, was in the Seven Days
S fights in front of Richmond just
:, a month later. The Brigade had
f become a part of Hills Light
Y Division in Stonewall Jackson s
Corps and on August 10 was ir
s the battle OF Cedar Mountain,
n then in the march. against Pope
IS was engaged at End Manassas 81
l. August then followed the enemy
" across the Potomac, then sudden.
h ly recrossing the river, aided ii
J. the investment and capture O:
ic Harper's Ferry with $4,000 pri
10 soners on 18th September. Oh
W II September came the blood,
ic battle Of Sharpsburg (or Ante
lie tam, as the enemy call it). Gen
to Lee fought that battle with the
n Potomac river at his back ant
le with less than one third as man,
at men as Mcclellan had ODpOSin&
~ him. At 4 p. m. the battle seem
Mt ed lost, and the enemy advancin.
to through the gaps made in our de
d. cimated lines were in full marcl
of for the fords in our rear to Gu
us off when A. P. Hills Ligh
y Division, which had been left a
ce Harper's Ferry, having recrosse
ne the Potomac to the Maryland sid
i'd suddenly appeared on the scene
o. They met the advancing lines O
f. the enemy, struck them like tn
ur wrath Of God. and drove ther
I'd broken and disordered backacros
oe the Antietam. While life lasts
ty | will hear no tones more eloquer
rn than the steady roll of musketr
tn which told our Army that eli
a. had come up" and that we wer
r. saved. The cheering beginnin
es on our right rolled down our line
he and was only exceeded by thu
of steady roll of musketry as Hill
he Division pressed back Burnside'
ot Corps. The American soldier
intelligent, and when the tremer
ou dous crash of Hills musketr
of rolled down the heavy air of thu
ur summers eve, both sides kne7
in that there was the decision {
st, the battle and without ordel
.e, down those long opposing linz
IN. of more than two miles the me
CIV facing each other ceased firin'
nd even the artillery became silen
lor When the sound Of the hea1
In musketry moved unmistakeab
to though slowly eastward, dow
MS the Confederate lines there pas
hit ed from mouth to mouth, almo
tie as quick as a wireless MESA.
kle now, I'VE are driving them" ;al
ain then the cheer on cheer roll
of along our lines. the enemy u
derstood, too, and sullenly, wi
yer a few spiteful shots, they wit
r." drew their lines and the day w
he saved.
ith Hills Division had march
ces rapidly that hot summers da
up 16 miles from Harper's Ferry a
ord This is an error. The first compa
ere to leave Robeson was Company E,
,ro M. Norment, captain, I'd Regiment,
Williams, colonel. This company /
seen service in Virginia for seve
'' months before Co. D. was sent out.
cine