The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1917-07-05
A WAR SACRIFICE RECALLED.
A South Carolina Mother Who Gave
Her Four Sons to the Confederacy.


war being waged among the leading
nations OF Europe, and the altar OF
patriotism is being heaped with the
costly and fragrant sacrifice of love;
and while the devotion Of. woman is
being expressed by gifts of its best to
the cause of country and humanity;
this seems to me time most opDor-
tune to put on record the sacrifice
of mother OF South Carolina, as
we'll as to do honor to the four sons
she gave to the Confederacy, who
throughout the four long weary years
in which cur dear Southland was
drenched in blood, fought bravely
and gallantly for the cause they be-
heved to be right, and the flag they
had sworn to defend.
The mother to whom l allude was
Caroline Mcmillan Dickinson, mem
Der of the Mcmillan family, whose
descendants are living in this and
adjoining counties, and whose nus
band, Josiah Dickinson, as nearly as
| can learn from the meagre sources
of information at my command, was
a native of Virginia, and moved to
South Carolina while a young man,
first locating at Orangeburg, and fin
ally at Buford's Bridge in this coun-
ty, then a thriving village, where he
engaged in the mercantile business,
married and made his home for many
years.
He prospered in business, and this
union was an ideal one, seven chill
dren being born to them.
In passing, l would state for the
benefit of some descendants who
might be interested, or at any rate to
keep the record straight, that Josiah
Dickinson about the year 1S46 de-
cided to move to Georgia, and while
en- route by wagon to the new home,
suddenly sickened and died, and was
buried near Sylvania, Ca, where his
remains rest to this day.
Thus early was this mother left to
face alone the weighty responsibility
Of rearing this large family, educat-
ing them with the meagre facilities
at command in those days, and bring
ing them up in the nurture and ad-
monition of the Lord.
She lived to ripe old age, loved
and respected by all, a woman of
pure life, and broad christian charity.
Her sons, William, Frank, Josiah,
and Henry, were fine looking stall
wart young men, affable in manner,
cordial in nature and kindly of heart,
the apple of their mothers eye, and
the pride of her life.
In her widowed condition it was
doubly hard to give them up when
the tocsin Of war sounded.
The quartette were all married,
and had children ana happy homes,
realizing that their duty was first Of
all to their country, promptly volun-
teered for service and amid tears and
agonized farewells of mother and
wives, marched away to the field of
duty to do and die; if must be, for
the eternal right.
William, Frank, and Josiah Joined
Co. G, 18th S. C. Volunteers, of which
company William was made captain
and Josiah lieutenant.
They saw service in many of the
severe battles of the war, all three
of them being wounded William
was shot in the side at the second
battle of Manassas. He died from
the effects of this wound in 1859 at
Monticello, Florida, where his ashes
repose. His widow, who was Gabri-
ella Ferrabee, of Beaufort county,
died in March, 1917, at Summerville,
S. C.
Frank was wounded in the leg at
Petersburg, Va, and Josiah received
a slight wound in skirmish at Colds
boro, n. G.
Henry, the youngest son, was a
member of Capt. William Peeples's
company, and served in the calvalry
on the coasts of the state of South
Carolina.
He died several years ago, an
honored inmate of the Confederate
soldiers home at Columbia and is
buried near Allendale by the side of
his wife, who was Sophia Hay.
Josiah, the Uncle Joe,' who was
so long identified with Bamberg and
her interests, whom everybody knew,
and everybody liked, died in 1912,
and is buried at the Moye burying
ground near Buford's Bridge by the