The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1922-03-22

worlds great soldiers. Any other
view OF it would seriously impair if
not oblitcratc Jackson's claims ESQ
grievously correcD to undying fame.
1t is Jac1sons famous Shenandoah
Valley campaign Of 1862, a period in
(which he held separate command, that
carried his name and fame beyond the
seas. In this brief time (about three
months) his force at no time exceeded
Twenty thousand men, and with which
he fought and beat three separate Fed
cral armies, each superior in numbers
and all manner Of equipment, to his
own. 1t is the extent to which the
leaders, achievements go, as COM
pared with the men and resources at
his command, and the obstacles to ov-
crcomc This reasoning applies to
the achievements Of great Lee, acting
in larger sphere.
Tried by this test, the great soldiers
Of the North-Grant, Sherman, Sheri-
dan--fall behind Lee, Jackson, Forrest
and Hampton, and cannot take rank
with them with the future historians.
Come to think, in tho recent great
war, all the parties to the conflict had
great leaders, but there is no proof
that Lee and jackson had an equal
on either side. Let's see: there was
Germany with vastly superior forces,
and with an equipment that gave an
appearance of the greatest war ma
no hnI
check, rcpulscd for long drawn out
weeks and months, by tho i'll pre-
pared forces Of the allies. l would
think that military men would say
that with Lee and Jackson leadership
Paris would have fallen.
On the other side it is but fair 10
say that, while giving all credit for
allied leadership, after America went
into it, the fight was not won until
Germany was outnumbcrcd Who can
think OF any of the world war leaders
living in history as will Lee and
Jackson.
But let's come back to the Rapa-
hammock 1t is natural that we boys
bark back to the old camp and battle
field One sixth Of the losses Of the
four years Of war occurred in this
old county. Fredericksburg, Dec. 13,
1862 charlottesville, May and 3,
1861 the Wilderness, May and 6,
1864 Spottsylvania G.. H., May 8 to
IS, 1868.
Somehow the tragedy at Frederlcks-
burg has fingered in memory with me
more than any or all the others While
I was in all of them, in Spottsylvania
the scenes on and around Maryes' Hill
how it was beaten by storms Of shell
and musketry. Six distinct assaults,
of those dark blue lines, how they
came, it appeared in solid column, in
a few yards of our lines Then when
torn to pieces by our shell and musket-
ry, their lines would crumble and
break to the rear, to give place for
other lines advancing. Why Maryes
Hill remains so vivid to us Is more be-
cause so many of our poor boys went
down there. The brigade suffered
heavily, the 3rd regiment, by reason
OF it's place in line to the front Of the
Marye blouse, which Is still standing,
suffered terribly The Briars carried
in twenty-five men, came out at dark,
with three men to answer roll call,
seven dead. The State Guards went in
with forty-onc, came out with three. or
course there was generally four or five
wounded to one killed. Out Of twenty
five Of the Briars, seven wore killed,
or mortally wounded, the other fifteen,
with wounds from which they recov-
crcd
I have more than once called atten-
ton to the number Of killed at Fred
ericksburg, called at the cemetery on
memorial occasions. There are many
other fields called, but Fredericksburg
leads. We lost heavily at Chickamau-
ga, Gettysburg, Sharpsburg, consider
ably at the Wilderness, not so heavy
at Spottsylvania G. H., heavily around
Richmond, some at Petersburg, Har-
Iper'a Ferry, Shenandoah Valley,
Knoxville, Bentonyille:- M
The Briars and the 3rd regiment
Host more men at Fredericksburg than
on any other field South Carolina suf-
lfered on all the battleflelds, but great
est at, the End Manassas, August 90
and 80, 1862, where she lost seventeen
hundred, killed and wounded.
n