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Articles - Soldiers of Spartanburg County |
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Most of these records were transcribed from newspapers and posted to
the Spartanburg County Mailing List over a period of several years
by Nancie O'Sullivan and others. With their gracious permission I am
posting these for everyone to share. |
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Individual Soldiers |
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Meetings and Awards
REUNION OF THE BRIARS
April 17, 1903
ANNUAL DINNER ENJOYED BY FORTY VETERANS
April 22, 1921
VETERANS ELECT NEW OFFICERS
April 22, 1921
CHRISTMAS 70 YEARS AGO REMEMBERED BY VETERAN December 24, 1933
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Laurensville Herald
April 17, 1903.
REUNION OF THE BRIARS
The reunion of the 'Briars', Company G. of the Third South Carolina
Regiment, C.S.A., held at Barksdales Station Saturday was one of the
most enjoyable of the seventeen that have been held by the survivors
of this heroic command. In addition to the veterans of the Company
about 150 ladies and gentlemen were present, including a number of
'old vets' of other commands.
Comrade LEWIS STODDARD presided. JUDGE O.G. THOMPSON read an
interesting letter from Judge ALLEN BARKSDALE of La., regretting his
inability to be present and recounting in thrilling terms the
experience of the company at the close of the Gettysburg fight.
Letters were read from Chief Justice Y.J. POPE, who was Adjutant of
the Third Regiment. A letter was also read from DR. J.R. SMITH,
written 20 days before his death. DR. SMITH was a member of another
command but a strong friend of the Briars.
Resolutions were adopted in honor of the late MR. A.S. OWINGS and
DR. SMITH.
Lieutenant LANFORD , the surviving commissioned officer present,
read the roll of the Company.
These members of the original Company of 106 men were present:
O.G. THOMPSON, LEWIS STODDARD, C.B. BROOKS, DR. MANNING EDWARDS,
LIEUT. B.W. LANFORD, MELMOTH FLEMING, J.B. HIGGINS, W.H. BALL, T.Y.
HENDERSON and JNO. D. POWER.
Comrade BEN W. LANFORD told some humorous incidents of camp life.
MAJOR M.H. FERGUSON was called upon and made a hit by his eloquent
tribute to the women of the Confederacy.
Two younger men, born after the war, were tendered the honor of
addressing the old warriors. These were W.W. BALL and HON. W.C. IRBY
JR., both were heard with close attention by the assemblage.
The old flag of the Regiment, still in the keeping of the Briars,
the Color Company, was the object of venerated interest by all
present. The ladies had beautifully decorated the stand with flowers
and evergreens, making it an artistic and attractive picture.
The next reunion, on the Saturday nearest the 14th of April, 1904,
will be held at Gray Court.
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Laurensville Herald
April 22, 1921
ANNUAL DINNER ENJOYED BY FORTY VETERANS
Were Guests of the Daughters of the Confederacy at Presbyterian
Church Last Saturday
Following their usual custom of many years, the U.D.C. of this city
entertained the veterans of the county at a dinner at which time 40
of the " Boys" were able to attend and enjoyed the hospility of the
ladies and mingle with each other one more day as they lived in the
past.
... after dinner exercises were held at the church at which time the
veterans listened attentively to inspiring addresses by COL. O.G.
THOMPSON, COL. H.Y. SIMPSON, REV. C.T. SQUIRES and MRS. J.S.
BENNETT.
Comrades attending were:{ difficult to read}
O.G. THOMPSON, JNO. R. FINLEY, MEL FLEMING, JNO. PUTNAM, R.A.
STODDARD, S.T. BAILEY, W.D. WATTS, W.J. ANDERSON, J.A. MARTIN, T.R.
RIDDLE, H.T. BRYCe?, W.B. OWENS, ?.W. ADAIR, J.F. WALDROP, A.C.
OWINGS, W.L. ALLISON, W.W. STOPE, R.J. COPELAND, J.W. LANFORD, G.A.
MILLER, W.G. ROSS, L.M. CANNON, J.C. STONE, O.A. LYNCH, W. COLLIER,
W.D. SULLIVAN, J.F. MURRAY, T.M. JOHNSON, C.H. HUGHES, M.Y. CURRY,
WARREN STRIBBLING, J.M. HILL, C. CLUCK, M.E. DAVIS, J.D. MOCK, H.G.
PRIOR, J.H. WASSON, B.R. FULLER, G.M. HANNA , W.H. AUSTIN.
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Laurensville Herald
April 22, 1921
VETERANS ELECT NEW OFFICERS
At the annual meeting of Camp GARLINGTON, No. 501, United
Confederate Veterans, held in the Court House Monday the following
officers were elected to serve for the ensuing year:
J.D. MOCK, Commander, J.P. CALDWELL, Adjutant, WARREN C. STRIBBLING,
Treasurer, JOHN R. FINLEY, Chaplin, J.D. MOCK and J.P. CALDWELL,
delegates to the state reunion to be held in Camden, May 18 and 19.
T.Y. HENDERSON and MEL FLEMING delegates to the general reunion.
Whereas, since our last meeting, God has transferred from our
attenuated lines, to swell the ranks of the Confederate hosts beyond
from the eternal camping ground , our brothers in arms.
COL. JOSEPH N. BROWN, LIET. R. FRANKLIN FLEMING, WM. BABB, SR., WM.
BABB, JR., T.H. BOBO, T.J. DILLARD, Z.V. GARRETT, JNO. T. LANGSTON,
J.H. WILLIAMS, JNO. C. WILLIAMS, G.T. ANDERSON, W.C. BRYSON, A.J.
ELMORE, E.Y. McQUOWN, R.W. TAYLOR, WM. COLE, J.T. GARRETT, W.P.
HARRIS, LAFAYETTE HENDERSON, F.R. OWINGS, and JOHN G. TUMBLIN and
others whose names may not appear.
These were strong men who knowing their rights dared maintain them,
half fed and barefooted, for four years against odds such as history
does not chronicle. It was these men that the peerless LEE, speaking
to a British officer that accompanied his headquarters, said " I am
ashamed for the world to see my men on dress parade but I am not
ashamed for the world to see them in battle".
.... We extend to the sorely bereaved families and friends of our
fallen comrades our deepest sympathy and condolence, and commend
them to the loving compassion of Him, without whose knowledge , even
the smallest of His creatures cannot fall.
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Spartanburg Herald
Sunday, December 24, 1933
CHRISTMAS 70
YEARS AGO REMEMBERED BY VETERAN
Recalls Bygone Days
The following stirring account of Christmas in the Confederate camps
during 1861-62-63 AND '64 was written for the Herald by W.R. TANNER,
veteran now living at Cowpens:
" CHRISTMAS OF 1861- Company C, 13th Regiment, South Carolina
Volunteers, was camped at Coochihachi. My company was to guard the
Pocotelego, Coochihachi, and Ashepoo Rivers. We had to guard the
trestles in these rivers; we were camped in a bell-shaped tent.
There was a Methodist preacher by the name of ALEX WALKER in our
camp who had preached in that community before the war broke out.
Two men who knew this preacher visited our camp one day and found
the preacher, whom they knew and loved, went home and on the
following day returned bringing us half of a fresh killed hog and 14
dozen eggs. Soon we heard some one hollowing, as if in distress, we
went to investigate and found a small boy fishing. He had hooked an
18 pound fish and was tugging for dear life to land it. He had
pulled so hard against the fish he had lost his footing and slipped
into the river, but was still holding on to the pole. We helped him
land the fish and then bought it from the lad, giving him fifty
cents!
in exchange for his fish. We took it to camp and boiled it in a 16
gallon camp kettle and then scrambled the 14 dozen eggs and had a
real Christmas feast.
" CHRISTMAS OF '62 - We spent this Christmas at Orange Courthouse,
Virginia. We were, part of us, on guard duty and part in camp. We
spent the day running and jumping 'half-hammon' and pitching horse
shoes. We had for dinner peas and rice, cooked together. This we
called 'Hopping-john'. We were so hungry then I suppose we enjoyed
our 'Hopping-john' as much as we do our turkey and cakes now.
"CHRISTMAS OF '63- We were camped on the Rappahanock River, between
Fredericksburg and Guini Stations, on the Richmond Railroad. Food
was very scarce now, we only had one quarter of pound of beef per
man, per day. Sometimes there were several days we had no meat at
all; we had no meat for Christmas dinner, only one pint of flour per
man. Our brigadier general was MAXEY GREGG. We were in a valley and
Brigadier Gen. SCALES' brigade was stationed on a high ridge above
us. They were North Carolina men and we were from South Carolina.
There was a big snow, two feet deep and for sport, we South Carolina
engaged the men from North Carolina in a game of snow ball. I have
never seen such large snow balls in all my life. There were about
5,000 men throwing snow balls. We enjoyed this sport very much until
one man was killed by a snow ball." CHRISTMAS OF '64 -
We spent this day in the ditches around Petersburg, Va. The 13th
regiment was in the south edge of Petersburg. We had only one sixth
of a pound of meat per man, per day and part of this was mule meat.
W.W. DUNCAN was our Chaplin, he was later made Bishop of the
Methodist Church. He preached at 11 o'clock on Christmas day. Some
of the soldiers went to hear him preach, some were playing cards or
throwing dice near where he was preaching. During this Christmas
time General GORDAN, in order to show the spirit of the soldiers,
related the following incident: " A soldier lay mortally wounded and
his doctor told him that he only had a short while to live;
presently a beautiful young lady entered the hospital and asked this
soldier if he would have her pray for him, saying that she was a
daughter of the Lord. The soldier said he would like to have her
pray and for her to say to the Lord that he would like to be his
son-in-law".
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