The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1917-10-09
SKETCH OF THE LIFE
AND ADVENTURES
OF
COL. D. A. DICkERT
OF THE 3RD, S. {. REGIMENT
CAPTAIN OF COMPANY II.
COL. D. A. DICkERT

ton of Lexington county known as
Dutch Fork, near the NeWberry line,
and near Broad River. He first saw
the light Of day the 2nd Of August,
lS45. Schools in that part of the
country were very primitive, snort
duration, and generally taught by
some man in the community who had
mastered the three "R's" in education,
and mostly lasted three months al
ter crops were laid by"
Col. Dickert had picked UP enough
schooling at these primitive lnstltu-
tions that when he became about
fourteen or fifteen years of age 1t
was thought by his father he would
send him to a school Of greater pre-
tentions. He then began preparing
to send him to a boarding school at
Winnsboro, S. C. But it was unfor-
tunate for the education of young
Dickert that his father selected the
particular day that he did to start his
son on the road to an education.
The State Of South Carolina had
seeded from the Union: war seem
ed imminent; the governor had called
for regiment Of ten companies as
volunteer soldiers to guard the en-
trance to Charleston harbor A COM
pany was organized in Newberry, and
on che day that Dickert was on his
way to school the same train was
taking the company from Newberry
to Charleston. It required but little
inducement or persuasion to entice
young Dickert to change from the
scholar to the soldier. He became
member of the volunteer company on
the train, and served with it on the
islands around Charleston in what
was known as Company L, 1st S. c.
Volunteers, commanded by Capt.
Whit Walker, with Col. Maxey Gregg
as regimental commander.
1t was the good fortune OF the
young soldier to assist in the build
ing of the forts, made of sand seWea
I'D in sacks about the size OF rir-
ty-pound sack of -four. He assisted,
also, in pulling the great guns from
the boat landing at Cummings 7 'lnt
on Morris Island, ond in mourning
them in the fort His company was
stationed at battery just above what
was called the Stephens or Railroad
battery on the night Fort Sumter was
fred upon. He witnessed the first
gun fred, and saw the siege and fall
OF that memorable stronghold. After
the fall of Sumter the troops then
around Charleston were disbanded.
Some went to Virginia where a nu-
cleus. of an army was forming; 9TH
ers returned to their homes, and join
ed companies which were forming
ali over the State for Confederate ser
vice. Young Dickert returned to Co.
lumbia and joined company then In
camp there. This company had been
organized in his immediate neignbor-
hood, two of his elder brothers being
members of it. The company, which
became Company H, 3rd S. G. Regi.
ment, under the command Of Capt
Nunnamaker, Col. J. III. Williams,
Comndg Regt., was soon ordered to
Richmond, Va, from thence to Man
nassas and on to Fairfax, c. H., do
ing picket duty for the army that
was then forming at Manassas and
along Bull Run.
He participated with the others Of
his command, in the two bloody bat
ties on the 18th and 21st of July, 1851,
known in history as the battles Of
Blackburn's Ford and Bull Run or
Manassas, respectively. He had the
fortune, with others OF his comrades,
to WALK over and view this bloody
holocast, the frts Of its kind in mag
nitude that had ever been witnessed
on the continent.
He winter-quartered with his regi-
ment near the banks Of the sluggish !
stream, Bull Run, during that first
winter Of their service; then marched
with his command next spring to
Richmond and on down to the PENN
sular of yorktown when the armies
changed their base to that section OF
Virginia from their quarters in north
ern Virginia. He was in that long