The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1916-08-18

among them and although they all
got through the battle safely, one of
them, Lieut.. John H. Fielder, 1st Lieut..
of Edisto, as a result contracted ty-
phoid fever and died after he got
home on his plantation near Orange
burg.
Meanwhile, the governor of South
Carolina had called the 1st regiment
to colors again and ordered it to mobi-
lie at Summerville, S. c., on the goth
of July, so that those who had gone
to Virginia had to hurry back the day
after Manassas and join their respec-
tive commands at Summerville. This
place is % miles west of Charleston.
The men gathered rapidly and with
alacrity. The result of the fight at
Manassas had blown the already fam
ing fires of patriotism into white heat
and numbers of men rushed down to
enlist in the several companies of our
regiment, while new companies were
being organized all over the state and
regiment after regiment was rapidly
formed. There was no trouble get
ting volunteers or recruits in those
days. Indeed our men seemed to
think that if they did not rush they
would not find any vacant place for
them to get into service. And it was
not only so at the beginning of the
war, but the same patriotic and heroic
spirit kept up through all of the long
and sanguinary conflict, even when it
became apparent, as we were without
supplies of any kind to carry ON the
conflict, and no source from which to
fill up our ranks, that we were just
wearing ourselves out whipping the
other fellows. And the same spirit
animated the hearts of the women
of the Confederacy." Brave, patriotic
women! Doing all things, hoping all
things, enduring all things to the bit
ter end! No land or country since the
morning stars first sang together,
ever produced nobler, purer, lovelier
and more heroic women than lived in
our Southland in those days-and on
and on until the crack of doom will
any land ever produce their superiors!
History will keep bright through all
the ages to come, their noble worth,
their heroic accomplishments, their
patriotic endurance, their uncomplain-
ing sacrifices, their unsurpassed love-
illness and their noble and queenly
bearing. May God bless those still
living and men must hallow the men,
cries of those who have crossed over
the silent river!
But to resume. While at Summer
vile, on the 22nd day of August, the
regiment was mustered into the Con-
federate service, in to.what was called
the Provisional Army of the Confed-
crate States, under act passed by the
Confederate congress on 18th day of
February, 1861. This mastering in
was only for one year and at it's ter
mination we all re-enlisted for three
years or the duration of the war. AS
have already said, while at Summer
vile, John H. Fielder, first lieutenant
of the Edistos, died of typhoid fever
at his home near Orangeburg. He
was buried with military honors, a
squad of the company under command
of Lieut.. James F. Izlar was sent up
to perform the ceremonies. Lieut.
Fielder was genial, courtly gentle
man, graduate of Yale, and was
liked by the whole company.
In the latter part of August the
regiment was ordered to Coles Island
situated at the mouth of Stone riv-
er, one of the water approaches to
the city of Charleston. We went by
rail to Charleston, marched through
the city and took river steamers and
through the inland waterways were
transported to our destination. We
disembarked at the eastern end of the
island and marched westward toward
the center of it until we reached the
point which had been selected for us
to pitch our tents. That is it was
near the center in the length of the
island, but much nearer the water
front than to the inland border of it.
The place chosen for the encamp-
ment was thick with bushes about as
high as mans head and it required
a good deal of pretty hard work to
get the place in good shape, but it
was not long before we had cleaned
and worked out. into a nice decent
camp. On Coles Island there was an
old fort called Fort Palmetto, built of
sand, shell, concrete and turf, which
was called the old Spanish Fort, %
because it was supposed to have been
built by the Spaniards long years be-
fore, but good South Carolina histor-
ian now living, says that supposition
is myth, as we had no Spanish set
Elements or forts in South Carolina
and that this old Palmetto Fort was
built by South Carolinians in 1872
when we had our last tilt with Eng
landI guess the historian is correct
about it. Anyhow we found it there.
1t had been worked over and much i'm
proved, with number Il do not re-
member how many of very good can
non mounted and magazines of NUM-
tons built and supplied. It was gar