Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1921-03-11
VETERAN OF The CIVIL WAR
Highly Esteemed Old Confederate Re-
counts His Experience.
SERVED THROUGH FROM BEGINNING

Went In Under the Belief That 1t
Would Not Take a Great While to
Clean the Yankees Up, Participated
In Many Fierce Battles, and Finally
Surrendered at ApPomattax Court
House, but His Spirit Remains. Un-
conquered,
Among the grand old men of York
county who have long enjoyed the re-
spect, esteem and love Of other fellow
men, probably none stand higher than
John Knox, of Glover. For one thing
he is a Confederate veteran-one OF
those vetel ans Of whom all his COM
rades bore testimony that as solcIier'
he measured up to every duty and re-
sponsibility. But that is not the sole
reason Of the high estimate in which he
has always been held, and is still held.
For nearly sixty years he served as
blacksmith. and whether shoeing a
horse, sharpening a ploW, ironing a
wagon, or whatever came to hand! he
did an honest job and he did 1t well.
Still, that is not nearly all. He mas
measured up to every duty and respon-
sibility Of Christian citizenship. In his
giant body articulated by muscles OF
steel, there was and is a heart of gold
that has never been subject to the de-
cay that must ever remain the fate OF
mere physical power.
Some few years back, at the insist
ence Of the Glover Chapter, U. u. T.,
Mr.. Knox prepared a brief outline OF
his recollection Of his experiences as a
soldier, anI this outline having recent
ly. come into the possession OF the
Yorkville Enquirer, is given herewith
for the pleasure and satisfaction Oh
those who may De interestd:
"The Civil war was like most other
wars in one respect at least. We feit
that the enemy could. not. stand up
against US for long. so we were accord
ingly enlisted for period or SIN
months a., sufficient time to. Lick the
Yankees.
when | left home April 13, 1851, ait
er having enlisted. it was; for what !
thought a short time. My company was
liz. ;5th South Carolina regiment, 1t pc
I ing one of four companies from this I!
county, each one~nuf,tbering about loV
,,cn--. At first we went to. Columbia,
,hon ON to Charleston and Sullivans
Island. where we remained about slH
weeks. During this time we were IN
the service of the state.
AFTER a weeks stay at home, at the
conclusion of the sojourn on Sullivans
Island, we were mustered into the Con-
federate service. Then we were sent 10
Richmond and on to Camp Walker
near Manassas Junction. 1t was close
by that 1 saw ray first actual fighting
in the first battle Of BUY Run. My
company was not seriously engaged as
we were on the extreme right. we
| went into winter quarters in sight OF
Centreville Va, where our most eHclt-
ing work was picket duty.
1.-THE next spring. that Of 1867
brought moro activity. Back to Rich
mond. down tic James river to YORK
town. After spending a'few weeks
there, we came back to Richmond fo'
fear Of being cat off by the Federals
coming up York river. At Williamsburg
we were overtaken and there ensued al
all DAVIS fight: but we made Richmohe
next day. The next engagement, "a'
that of Seven Pines, a few miles from
Richmond, reno n1bci' this :batt.e very
we'll, for it was there that John TufneS
=. from the Beersheba ncighborhoqd, wa:
struck by a bullet and died at once
while stopping over to pick up my hat
We lost in the battle three or Tour Kill
ed and fifteen or twenty wounded.
was here that our colonel, Jack Giles
was killed.
"On to the north of Seven Pines w
engaged in the Seven Days fight AM
Galncs's Mill. Here Col. Jackson, III
took Col. Gilcss place when he wa
killed. lost an arm. and two days late
we fought at Frascr's Farm. The lat
ter battle proved especially disastrou
TO our company and to our regiment
one company being left with only on
man. 1 myself drew the ,rations for m
company and another and got only IN
allc.ment for three men and one officer
so nearly were we wiped out. IN a.
. there were only about 25 Oh 80 men lei
lin my regiment. 1t WAS also at FRA
, se,'s Farm that ii very humorous Incl
, don't occurred. There was u man In
! certain company who had not been VII
ther1 very long. In the midst or th
battle the command came to Tie down
. Instantly all dropped but this mar
tTbinkinc that all had been shot COW
} land that he alone was left alive n
, threw down his gun and made for TN
tall timber.
The night after this battle wen
+ hack to see if could find my couslr
Jonathan Fitchctt, who had pee
, wounded When / arrived at what
5 thought was the place called and ha
= rho good fortune to have him hear an