The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1909-06-15

case demanded 1t, as ne thought.
During his political career he reflect
ed disparagingly upon brother Of
Lawrence Keitt, which engendered a
bitter controversy and finally result
ed in duel-the favorite and unva-
rying recourse in those days, among
politicians, to soothe wounded honor.
They had burilliant exemplars. Hem
ry Clay and John Randolph; Andrew
Jackson and Tom Benton had settled
similar disputes under the code
duello during the same generation.
They repaired across the North
Carolina line and went for business.
keitt received flesh wound in the
shoulder, and tradition says that the
ball from Keitt's pistol penetrated
the hat OF his antagonist, but this is
not substantiated. Col. Lawrence
M. Keitt was a third honor graduate
of the South Carolina College, read
law and hung out his shingle in the
city of Orangeburg. He was soon
| elected to the legislature, and, in
1858. to congress, where he bade fair
to become a leader had the civil war
not cut short his career. He was a
strong partisan, and cheered on Pres
ton Brooks when he caned Charles
| Summer. Col. keitt was a rabid
secessionist and State rights man
to the hearts core. For long time
| he believed that the worst would
never come to the worst, and that the
North was afraid to fight. Proclaim
ed from the stump that he would
drink every drop of blood shed In
the war" 1t has been charged that
the silYer-tongued' orator from St.
Matthews Parish, was a "fire-brand
and tire-eater." That he was aggres-
sive, hot-tempered to the point of
| recklessncss at times, and ready to
fight at the drop of hat, there can
be no doubt. But it should be re-
membered that the game little Com
monwealth was herself "tire-eater. "
| She had recently shaken her proud
| fist in the face of the National Gov
| ernment, and Keitt was South Car
Gilman down to the very marrow of
| his bones. The war clouds were now
looming so grimly and darkly above
| the horizon as to be unmistakable
and the paths of Keitt and Dantzler
were soon to converge again and for
the last time Like Jobs war horse,
| they scented battle from afar and
were eager for the fray. Such char
acters, like Ivanhoe, the chivalrous
knight, would writhe in agony and
despair, II unable to respond 10 the
bugle call of those who are daring
the fighting, in defence OF their own
rights and traditions.
So when the demand was made
for $4,000 volunteers fifteen hundred
of the States sturdy patriots gather
ed at Charleston's old race course
in the fall of 1862, and organized
the famous 10th regiment. Honors
naturally came to Keitt and. Dantze
ler-the former being elected colonel
and the latter lieutenant colonel OF
the regiment. They did ralient sarv-
Ice around Charleston, Sullivan's,
Morris and James Island. In the
| 30 1QEd M t1ln al oI
colonel of the 22nd regiment, and
both were called to Virginia in May,
where they were sadly needed. "Jeb''
Stuart, the great cavalry leader, and
"Stonewall' Jackson the invinci-
Bile, had answered the last call-the
former by Yankee bullets and the lat
ter by the folly of his own men--and
Longstreet was severely wounded.
But the two brave South Carolina
colonels were spared only long
enough to show the Cromwellian q
stuff OF which they we're made.
Dantzler was soon cut down from
the front Of his regiment on June
End, 1854, near Petersburg, in a
charge against the 1st Connecticut
artillery.
On the previous day. while Col
Keitt was boldly and recklessly lead
ing his men at Cold Harbor on his
war horse, ball from the enemy s
guns penetrated his liver, from which
he died the following day.
Thus the two brave and fearless
leaders, rivals in the every day af-
fairs OF life and burning with the
same fervor for the Southern cause
and it's traditions, passed from earth
to the great beyond together; were
brought home on the same train and
buried together under the stately
pines Of old Tabernacle, with their
heads pointing to the South--emble-
matte of the section which they low
ed with every fibre and ligamcnt OF
their being, and for which they
br.vely offered up their lives.
The hearts OF their weeping wid.
ows, doubtless. were pierced by nc
knecncr pangs than the widows oi
the humble prirates who bled and
died under them. but inscrutable j:
the fate which snatched these loya
and eminent citizens in the prime
Of life, from their homes and loved
ones, when there seemed so much tc
live for and the future so brigh
before them.
But why should We comment fur
lnrn hlo u