The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1916-07-28
livan's Island, in Charleston harbor,
transferred the garrison to Fort Sum

livan's Island, In Charleston harbor,
transferred the garrison to Fort Sum-
ter. The governor (Pickens) of
South Carolina, did not order out the
militia, but called for so many thou
sand volunteers. The response was
prompt, enthusiastic and overfowing.
The Edisto Rifles-140 strong-re-
sponded to the last man. Other COM
panies were organized and without
one-third Of the trouble and delay we
are seeing now, and ten companies
were soon formed and mustered into
service. Four of these companies
were from Orangeburg county and six
from Barnwell county and were at
once organized into the First Regi-
ment of South Carolina Volunteer In
fantry, and of this regiment the
Edisto Rifles was Company A. The
Edisto Rifles organized for active SER
vice on the 22nd of January 1861, and
a short time after that the regiment
above referred to was formed The
enlistment of all these troops was for
one year and for service in the state
as South Carolina was then alone and
no Confederate States existed, but
stirring historic events multiplied
rapidly, and long before the years
enlistment expired the C. S. A. had
come into existence and bloody battles
had been fought. The First Regiment
/ S. C. v. /. served its first year on the
coast of South Carolina and upon the
termination Of the years enlistment
there was unanimous re-enlistment
for three years or the war, for SER
vice in the Confederate States Army.
At this enlistment new organizations
were formed, new regiments were
created and in this new arrangement
tie Edisto Rifles and two or three
other companies of the First Regi-
ment s. C. v. +. united themselves to
what was then known as the "Eutaw
Battalion" which soon filed up to the
required number of companies and
was then to the close of the war
known as the "Eutaw," or Twenty
fifth Regiment, S. G. ". L, in which
regiment the Edisto Rifles was Com
pany G.. But I did not set out to
write history of the Edisto Rifles
and any one desiring to follow them
along in their heroic and splendid
career through the war, can satisfy
their desire by obtaining and reading
an illustrated history of the company
printed by the State Publishing Co.
at Columbia, S. c., or Memoirs of the
War of Secession" written by Brig
Gen. Johnson Hagood, who command
| ed the brigade of which the Edisto
Rifles was always part. While. the
four companies from Orangeburg
county were encamped near the town
as i have above stated, company
flag was presented to the Edistc
Rifles by Miss Adella Fielder, sister
tof the then first lieutenant of the
company. The flag was blue bunting
trimmed with silver cord and tassels
and silver fringe. On one side was 8
white silk palmetto tree and a white
silk crescent. On the reserve was
1Edisto Rifles" in white silk letters
Beneath the palmetto tree was white
scroll on which was the motto, or
hoe signo vinces" in black letters. The
staff was ornamented with a silver
star at the top. This flag was highly
priced by the company and used or
all occasions until it was found that
SO many flags "a number of compan.
les had them) caused confusion in
time of battle, so all company flags
were laid aside, and only regiments
battle flags were used. Well, 7 guess
Mr.. Editor, and the readers, too iii
there be any) think it about time
had reached the point where I was te
tell about the day we started off tx
the seat Of war and the first cannon
heard fired at the opening Of the
great conflict. Well, I think 50 too
and here it is. The First Regiment
s. G. ", had been ordered to go te
Charleston to take part in the taking
of Fort Sumter from Major Anderson
and the garrison that he had trans.
ferred from Fort MouItrie, as I have
stated. The four companies which
were encamped near Orangeburg were
ordered to entrain at the railway sta
ton of that town, on the morning OF
the 18th of April, 1861. The fact was
known to the people of the town and
surrounding country and there was a
large crowd at the station to see the
troops "off to war" There were
fathers and mothers, and wives and
sisters and sweethearts. There were
hand-shakings and embraces, billing
and cooling, smiles and tears, kissing
and cheers: but through it all, the
universal language was, sGod bless
you, but acquit yourselves like men, .
and the record shows they did. Now
there was an old cannon lying around
Orangeburg, three FOUNDER, which
had been there ever since the revo-
lutionary war and had been used al
that time to help defend the town
when Lord Rawdon made his raid
against it. It was an old matchlock
and was fired by touching the powder
at the vent with faggot. It had
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