The farmer and mechanic., 1915-09-21
STRIKING INCIDENT OF THE WAR
Chief Justice Walter Clark Tells Of Rescue Of Fe3Aro,
Officer Who Gave Masonic Signal of Distress

canoe and the Thames and thus be-
came eventually President.
me whole of this section is classic
ground full Of historical associations
and has been described in the we'll
known novel "Horshoe Robinson"
In 1925 in the 35 North Caro-
ma Regiment, commanded bv Col
Matt w. Ransom, later Confederata
Brlsadler General and after the war
Iof 70 years L. S. Senator was Com
pany r from Union county with
Few men from Mecklenburg. Many Of
these soldiers were doubtless descend
ants OF the men from the Waxhaws
who served heir country during the
revolution. This company was at
first commanded by Capt T w. Red
VINE who was member of the Con-
stltutlonal Convention of 1875 and
VINO after more than SO years pass
ed in the practice of the medical pro-
1eSSlon has passed away full of hon
OTIS at the ripe age Of "a. His son
is one Of the most distinguished mem
bers of the bar in the State The
first Lieutenant Of that company, aft
erwards Captain. was Sanford G.
HOWE who is now also dead At
one time l was 1st Lieutenant and
Adjutant Of that regiment and nv
visit to your county recalls an Incl
dent Of the battle Of Sharpsburg Md,
(Which the Federals called "Antie-
| tam) which may be Of some interest
to the few survivors of Co. r and to
| their friends and relatives in your
county, as well as to the Masonic
brethren throughout the Stae.
The battle of Sharpsburg or An
ltietam, Md, was one Of the most crit
ical and bloody battles Of the war. II
was fought by the Confederates in a
of - Hn
backs to the river and If our lines had
been broken not one Confederate
could have escaped on that day. Il
} was styled the "Soldier's battle" fol
there was no room for generalship
When all our reinfOrcements were in
at o'clock in the afternoon, the
lConfederateS numbered only $4,000
J while McClellan's morning rolls, or
: file, show that he had over 100000
in line at daybreak. But Of cours'
= he was not aware of this disparity
Our regiment belonged to the bri
gade commanded by Gen. Robert Ran
som, Walkers Division and under tn
immediate command of Gen. Stone
t wall jackson. About o'clock il
S the morning, our command drove tn
3 enemy out of the West Woods
8 which had already been twice tough
S over by McLaw's division and then b
r Hoods Texans. The enemy mad
4 five successive ssaults during tn
e day, by five different corps but wa
e each time driven back The positio
j OF our brigade was on the easter
= edge OF the West Woods and nea
n the Dunkard church, where our reg
8 irnent charged and captured a sectio
X of artillery, Co. 3 2 U. S. Regular:
g." You will find a description of the bat
l. tie I'm the N. G. Regimental Historic
II in your Court House in Vol. 5, pJ
= was repulsed, an officer from anOthe
e part Of the regiment came to Co
is Ransom who happened to be immed
IL ately in the rear of Co. F and tol
,r him that a wounded man some fit
is yards in front Of, his company Ia
te given the masonic signal Of diStres
,r He added that he thought he was a
N officer of high rank because the con
,e mander OF the brigade who came U
y with the first line on horseback Ia
is his horse killed under him at II
T. turnpike and he had then led h
l. men on foot and when he was sh
l. down at that spot some fifty yards
to front Of his company the enemyS Ill
I'd had broken and gone back. Lieutena
N Howie and I being young office
Id lneareSt at hand volunteered to
out to bring him in. We We're NOV
ce by the latter consideration for | w
We at that time Just few days ov
of 16 and knew nothing of Masonry, al
of l do not think Lieutenant HoWie w
in a Mason for he could have been We
rs little over FL. Col Ransom. ho7
er ever was a Mason and permitted
ie though with reluctance, to make t
by attempt. All this time we were u
to der heavy shelling from the enem
le- batteries nearly a mile away aero
he the Antietam and the broken but ]
I'M formed lines Of the enemy were lyl
,n down in our front and had thro'
ng out a line of s41irmishers who he
in up dropping fire to let US know tf
ne they were there and to discourage c
eG advancing. When We two emers
of from the edge Of the woods We expe
AK ed a volley, but among the enein
ng, skirmishers there must nave De