The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1917-08-24
SOUTH CAROLINA'S PART
IN ThE lONFEDERACi i
Prize Essay-Written by High School
fupIl fUr DraytOn Rutherford
Chapter, L. b. G., NeWDerry,
;. T..

StaQQS second 10 none. Even UelOl
the secession of the Southern States
and the establishment of a ConfeG-
crate Government, who first LAID
down the very principles upon whicn
that government was founded?\ Was
it not the three South Carolinians
John c. Calhoun, the great statesman
Geo. McDufie, the orator, and Robert
Y. Hayne, the reasoner-all sincere
I advocates of State sovereignty.
! Acting upon this principle of States
! lights, when future harmony and
| justice between the opposing sections
of the United States seemed impossi-
bel, South Carolia passed the ordi-
nance severing the relation existing
between herself and the other states
of the Union. This was done on the
10th of December. 1860. Her example
was soon followed by other Southern
States. lid Cn February 4, 1861, the
southern Confederacy was organized.
To this government South Carolina
transferred all the loyalty and devo-
tion she had borne for the Union; and
henceforth. she was ready, if need oe,
to shed the last drop of her blood n
its defense.
In the war which followed tas
secession Of the South, none stood the
test Of loyalty better than did South
Carolina. At the beginning of the
struggle South Carolina furnished to
the .confederacy nine regiments Of
State militia, we'll organized and
equipped-a contribution greater than
from any other other State. During
the entire war she gave more SOL
diers in proportion to mate popu:a-
tion than did any other State. The
total number of volunteers, exclusive
of State militia and many old meh
and boys toward the close Of the war,
was about $4,000.
Moreover, the devotion of South
i Carolina to the Confederacy is shown
by the fac1 that most of the battles
in which our troops we're engaged,
were fought in other parts of the
South or in Maryanl and Pennsyl~
vania. This State was not the scene
, Of important conflict except in the
valiant defense of Charleston and
Fort Sumter, and towards the end
Of the war, during Sherman's devasta-
! ting march through the South. How
; ever, the shot that marked the be-
! ginning of the conflict was fred from
! South Carolina upon the federal gar
i rison at Fort Sumter.
To the, soldiers Of South Carolina
! are due large share OF the glory
won in the frst great battle of tas
at Manassas, Wa. Gen. N. q.
Evans, with q force Of only nine hun
| dred men, for long time kept back
q strong force Of one thousand Fed
erals. Other important South Caro-
lima commanders ia this fight were
Gems. Barnard e. Bee, Johnson Ha-
,.good and N L. Bonhan. =
IN the second battle IF Manassas.
| 1ae most ihnportar" Sonth Carolina
infantry troops were the brigades of
! Gems. Jenkins. Evans and Gregg. It
was Gen. Gregg who, when asked
II he could hold his position seat
back the famous reply: "Tell Gen
Hill that my ammunition is exhaus-
ted, but will hold my position With
ii'the bayonet The place was held:
the day was won.
In the elatter part OF the year 1852,
the brigades Of Gregg and Kershaw
! played. a prominent part In the battle
Of Harper's Ferry, sharpsburg aid
FrederickSburg. At fredericksburg
Gen. Gregg was killed by q body Of
the enemy which were mistaken for
friends. Gen. R. &. Lee in express
ing his sorrow for the death Of 50
noble leader, says: "The death y,
such man is costly sacrifice. for
it is to men Of his high integrity
country must look to give character
to her councils, that she may be re-
spected and honored by all nations. =
Gen. Gregg's brigade was now put un-
der the command of Cen Samuel Nc
Gowan.,
In the memorable fight of. Chancei-
lorsvilie the brigade Of Gen. MCGOWAN
was placed in the front lines of Cen
A. P HssFy division. and with the
other Confederates, they finally drove
the Federals before them in a deadly
onslaught.