The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1917-10-09

campaign was over he Ielul Heu VIII
lis command to the army around
Petersburg.
In February, 1863, the South aCr-
DINA brigade, consisting OF the md
3rd, 7th, Sth, 18th and 3rd batt&ilon5
of the brigade, now commanded 2y
zen. Kennedy, Gen. Kershaw having
peen promoted to major general ana
commanding a division in Lees army,
were ordered to South Carolina. They
were landed on the eastern SIDE o.
the Salt Kahatchie River in tie low
er part of South Carolina, Whl!e
Sherman, with his army, after pass
ing through Georgia, was then lying
in camp around the port of
When he began to move northwara'
and even while in camp, Dickert was
ordered to raise, equip and mount
volunteer company formed out OF
this brigade, to operate on the rear
and flank of the Union army. Inese
men we're formed out Of the Widest
most desperate, venturesome anu
reckless men in the army. They were
under no restriction or control othS
than that of Capt Dickert. Inc!
kent in the swanrps and operated
along the byways, fields and back
country, and were absent from the>c
regular companies often for weeks
at a time They had no regular
nor orderly way to dispose ol tnsif
prisoners, whom they were forced 70
CAPTURE. They confined themselves
almost entirely to catching and d4s-
nosing of those who were taken Whlis
pillaging and robbing dwellings,
burning houses, insulting women am
scch like vandalism. Being in the
rear of Shemran's army, or way 70
the right or left Of it, when prisoners
we're taken in their vandal acts, 1t was
simply impossible to carry them into
orr camps without laying themselves
liable to capture and shot as "busa-
whackers." Acts done by such men
as Dickert controlled at that time
we're considered as legitimate acts
Of war. would now be looked upon
as brutal and bloodthirsty land PR
acy.
When it was learned that the army
was to surrender near GREENSBORO
\. c., Uckert brought in his meE
and reported to his general. lie was
told to return all his men to their
respective commands. But instead o.
surrendering, the night before the
canitulation was to take place, Dick
srt with his original company and
his company of scouts $50 men in all.
with their rifles and each with 9n
rounds of cartridges, left camp clan
destinely, and made their way west
ward. After getting beyond the con-
fines of the Confederate army, they
turned south, and passing through
the Federal lines secretly at night,
he brought all his men home
with their arms and equipment
intact. For IL months he kept
his company in a condition that they
could meet any negro disorder at a
moments notice AS soon as times
| became normal, Qhe called together
the old soldiers from this count
and organized the Monumental AS
sociation. He was chosen as the
| president and set about raising mon
ey to erect monument to the dead
soldiers After much delays and set.
backs, the money was raised. He was
chairman of the committee to choose
the monument and select site.
He was prominent in the days OF
the so-called Ku Klux Klan and took
an active part in the Red Shirt move
ment, raised the first company IN tae
county thus designated, and on cam
paign- days was in command of all
the Red Shir. companies in the coun-
ty, volunteers numbering 1000 hourse-
men He was frequently arrested
and imprisoned by the Federal ad-
thorities and radicals then in control
Of our State For his supposed con-
nection with this secret order he was
often arrested at night and carried
to Columbia to stand trial for the
supposed misdeeds, but nothing was
ever proved against him. When the
,.-@,.,ti, IN 1919 and