The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1919-01-23
Established in 1891.
HOW LAWRENCE NJ. KEITT DIED.
Heroism of Famous South CaroliH-
ian Recalled by a Veteran.


The notice of the death of Miss
Anna Keitt recalls the tragedy of
Cold Harbor and the glorious bearing
and fall of Colonel Keitt. The writ
or had reached home at the time,
having been furloughed on account
of severe wounds received at Spott-
sylvania Court House on the 9Th of
May.
1 spent the summer at home, but
recall very distinctly the principal
events of the campaign from the
Rapidan to the James. Grant cross
ed the Rapidan the night of the 4th
Of May, 1854, with 1870 men. Lee,
not waiting for his antagonist to get
into the open country with his vastly
superior forces, threw his columns
into the Wilderness and in two days
of awful conflict, beat the army of
the Potomac.
Then followed the ten days strug-
gle at Spottsylvania Court House, be-
ginning the morning of the 9Th of
May. Baf1ed and beaten by the su-
perior leadership and fighting of the
Confederates, again Grant and Meade
withdrew from Lees front and
sought to pass by his right toward
Richmond. Again Lee showed to
great advantage over his adversary
by drawing him into position at the
North Anna River, where lie could
not give battle and escape the certain
ty of defeat. Once more, resorting
to his fanking tactics, Grant march
ed his forces to Cold Harbor, there
to find Lee again across his track.
It was here that, two years before.
the right of McClellan's great army
was beaten and broken up. This field
now became the scene Of one or the
bloodiest tragedies of the great war
between the two great sections of the
American Union. The fighting was
heavy on the 1st and I'd, but it was in
the early morning of the Sd day Of
June that Grant assaulted with an
immense force, in which he lost 49,.
500 in 80 minutes, from force of
about 100000. 1t is doubtful if the
annals of war show a greater proper
tionate loss in such a brief length OF
time.
So crushing had been the repulse
and so CHASTITY the tragedy that when
orders were given by the Union COM
mander to renew the attack, the
troops fatty refused to move and
merely opened fire where they lay.
Hancock, Smith and others of di-
vision and corps commanders refused
to repeat that order to their troops.
A sectioH of the line was known as
the ''Kershaw Salient" Kershaw was
then commanding division. The old
brigade originally composed of the
Second, Third, Seventh and Eighth
Regiments, until the autumn of 1852,
following the battles of Sharpsburg
and South Mountain, when the Fif-
teenth Regiment and Third Battalion
were attached to the brigade and
during the campaign, was I think,
commanded by Gen. John Kennedy
and others. 1t was on this field that
the Twentieth South Carolina Regi-
ment, led by Gen. Lawrence M. Keitt,
joined the old brigade.
The regiment was fresh from the
coast of South Carolina, had seen
little of active service and with full
ranks had perhaps had something
like a thousand men. The boys call
ed it Keitt's Corps.
I think it was on the third that
Colonel Keitt, On horseback, I think,
led the brigade in desperate charge
and was killed under circumstances
of great gallantry. He had been
greatly distinguished in civil life,
having served as member of the
lower house of congress prior to the
war and also the lower house of the
Confederate Congress. He was an
ardent disciple of State rights and
when the crucial period came, in the
relation between the two great sec
tions. stood for separate State action.
On this field he, along with thous-
ands no less brave and loyal, sealed,
with his blood his devotion to duty
and to country.
The three days. fighting at Cold
Harbor closed the campaign from the
Rapidan to the James. On the night
of the 18th of June Grant pulled
away from Lees front and taking a
route farther eastward and crossing
the Pamunkey and the James, set be-
fore Richmond and went to ditching.
month'e owfu1 s1auohter in