The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1916-10-21
REMINIscENcE
XII.

Editor Star: This is the unlucky
number, and therefore / am going to
cut it short, and make it up of "odds
and ends" that is, incidents that took
place here and there, not related to
each other either in time, location or
character.
4 few days ago a friend of mind
said to me that he was reading my
Renaissance articles with a great
deal of pleasure and interest, and
asked me if | relied entirely upon my
memory in writing them; or, if had
written them out years ago and was
now only revising and rewriting
them.
Well, as others may be asking
themselves the same questions, will
answer them here before | proceed
further with this number No, I do
not rely entirely upon my memory;
nor did write them out years ago. /
have in my possession a roster or roll
of the Edisto Rifles containing the
name of every man who belonged to
the company at any time during the
war, and opposite each name, if he
was killed, wounded or captured, it is
entered in red ink, when, where, and
how it occurred. This little book was
gotten up by committee appointed
for that purpose at the first meeting
~ fla e,4,xr;xxo,.c IF fba ooy,opapu a ffaxx,
years after the close of the war,
when the information was easily and
reliably obtained from many sources.
The committee reported and submit
ted their work the next year at the
survivors reunion and it was thor
ioughly gone over, verified and adopt
led. It was not ordered printed but
the committee was requested to write
up quite number of copies and one
Of them was presented to me which /
tnoW have. From this little book get
most of my dates as to when the
flights and incidents that relate took
lplace and the place. I have other
data, old memoranda, clippings, etc.
(which / also use, and sometimes
have to refer to histories, especially
to get the names of the federal com
nanders in some of the fights and
skirmishes. Outside of these helps
rely on my own memory which have
found to serve me well, for whenever
any matter formed a part of my owr
experience, or came under my owr
observation, whenever I call it up be
fore my mental vision the whole scene
is as clearly shown as if it had only
I, occurred a short while ago-just like
: unfolding it upon a moving picture
screen not only see it all, bu
almost live it over in all of it's vivit
reality.
Speaking of the roll that have o.
the Edisto Rifles reminds me of thu
first reunion of the survivors held a
Orangeburg, S. c., year or two afte1
the close of the war. All of the sur
vivors who were in reach, except one
, attended, and it was agreed that tn,
: company should fall In" as of old
and when the roll was called each on
present should answer for himself
! and any that were alive and not pres
ent, when their snames were Gale,
! any one present who knew where the,
were would. report the fact and tel
his whereabouts, and when one wa
, called who was dead then the who'll
company would uncover their head
while some one would answer, dead,
and tell where, when and how he en-
tered the shadowy vale. Now hav'
said that there was one still alive VIII,
could have attended but did not show
{ up. will not for charity's sake, dis
close his name, and shall even nov
after fifty odd years, write the fact
with sorrow and regret. One time
somewhere in Virginia. I shall no
mention more definitely when O
!, where, we were forming line to G,
into battle and all at once the cracl