The Camden confederate. (Camden, S.C.) 1861-1865, October 02, 1863, Image 1
Cljc Camden Confederate.
VOLUME II CAMDEN, SO. CA., FRIDAY7OCTOBER 2, 18(?3. NUMBER 49 J
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tiOVEKKOR BOKISATI^ 1
Executive Department, ) 1
Columbia, September 21, 1803. } j
Gentlemen of the Senate i
. and House of Representatives:
The day for your annual meeting is $o near \
at hand that I should not have invoked you ,
again in extra session, but for what I deem a J
pressing emergency admitting of no delay. The .
progress of the war tor the last few months has 1
not been favorable to our arms. The brilliant i
repulse of the enemy's iron-clad fleet on the |
7th of April last, in Charleston harbor, has <
been succeeded by the fall of Yicksburg and '
Port Hudson; our retirement from Pennsyl- <
mn M niM'l'ilw1 o li/l fl\ I ? ? ? I nceno ntwl olen !?* 1 I
vein jo, mm | uvuu aim ciiavi aiou u \ j
our evacuation of Morris' Island, but not with- i
out a stubborn resistance i>y the brave garrisons \
of Wagner and Gregg, under a fire from navaj
and land batteries such as no works have ever
before withstood. . o ;
Fort Sumter still holds out with an infantry
garrison, which has recently achieved a brilliant
success. Her noble ruins afford the best ,
proofs of the indomitable courage of the officers
and ujen of the First South Carolina Ar
tillcry. Our malignant foe is now erecting on (
Morris' Island powerful batteries of I'arrott (
guns, and repairing his damaged licet, preparatory
to another and more determined attack .
upon our harbor out posts, whilst his land forces j
are being increased,with the hope, possibly, of
carrying Charleston in*a combined attack by
land and sea. The call of the 1'resident for ,
live thousand troops for si* months' service
within the State, beginning the first of August
' o O O
last, has been promptly responded to, with the
exception of five companies, now in process of
organization. This requisition and the enforcement
of the Conscription Act to forty-live, em- .
bracing almost the entire population between ,
the ages of lortv and fifty, so impairs the cfli- .
eioney of our militia organization that I find it
impracticable to obtain readily a force adequate
to such emergencies as seem likely now soon ]
to be upou us. To meet those emergencies I j
have endeavored, under vour late Act and the ,
Act of 1841, to raise a volunteer force of one |
mounted regiment, two .companies of cavalry j
and one battery of artillery, for service whor- j
ever in the State tbey may bo needed. This .
force has not been so promptly raised as the
occasion requires, and I have, therefore, felt it i
my duty again to convene your bodies, and to <
recoiiiint';. ! to you that you devise such plan,
as in voir .sdom may seem expedient, for |
furnishing i.?r immediate service a military i
force of at ieast ?v\o regiments of infantry, one |
of which should be mounted, and a proportion- i
ate force of cavalry and artillery. Abo, that
the law he so amended as to place in some mil- .
itary organization, for the defence of the Slate
every able bodied citizen between the ages of
sixteen and sixty, not in-Confederate service or
otherwise legally exempted. The immediate
danger to l>e apprehended arises from raiding
parties of the enemy, who may dash suddenly
into the State from Tennessee, through Upper
Georgia, or the pass< s of the mountains of
North and South Carolina. Should the cue
my in large force attempt invasion from these
sections, the Confederate Government will no
doubt, afford adecpiatc protection. But, to report
raids and to protect our firesides, the State
herself should make preparation. The persons
to compose the organizations should be the
ablcd bodied citizens between sixteen and sixty
years of age, not in Confederate service or oth- ;
urwisc legally exempted; and in this class should
be embraced all persons who have procured exemptions
by furnishing substitutes. No one >
should be relieved from the duty of defending;
his home because of having furnished a substi- '
tute for the war for Confederate service. Aliens '
who have declared their purpose to become j
citizens, as also such as are domiciled amongst;
' r>
us, enjoying the protection of our laws, should 1
he included. I recommend, also, that the class j
of those whose service is limited to the district
or regiment in which they reside, be reduced
to the lowest practicable pyint consistent with j
the safe policy of the State. I call, your attention
to the report of the Adjutant and Inspector
General upon the subject, herewith transmitted.
In connection with the subject of cxemp- j
Lions, 1 call your attention to my correspond- ;
mice with the Commandant of Conscripts for !
South Carol in, Major C. 1), Melton, who is the j
successor of Col. John S. Picston, with whom,'
previous to your last extra session, I had a cor- '
respondent, a copy of which was then transmitted
to you. Another copy, as also a copy
>f that with Maj. Melton, is now transmitted,
rhis subject calls for legislation so as to reconcile
as far as possible the difference between the
laws of the two Governments. It is an impor- '
tant question involving the jurisdiction of the
two Governments, and needs to be delicately
handled. I am satisfied our true policy is, as
far as is compatible with the constitutional j
rights of the State, to conform to the law of
Congress on this subject. I bave not felt at
liberty to make any distinction between the
classes exempted by our law when the cases
have been made, but bave claimed the exemption
of all alike. The action of the Executive
Council, on the same subject, and the action
of your two Houses, at your last session (the
House approving and the Senate by its silence
acquiescing) made it proper that I should reply
to Maj. Melton as I had done to Col. Preston.
Additional legislation is needed to enable the i
Executive, through civil or military authority, I
or both, more effectually to aid the Confcdcr- j
ate Government in arresting deserters from the
army. In most cases the absentees have prob- j
ably not left their commands with the intent 1
to desert their colors; but the result of their j
absence is the same, so tar as the good of the
service and protection of the country .is concerned.
1 have endeavored, so far as 1 was
authorized, to afford assistance, but the law is j
inadequate to such efficient aid as is needed.
Many construe your late Act on this subject to
mean .hat the Sheriffs are not to render aid to
the Enrolling Olliccr till resistance has been!
made. In all such cases the deserter, of course j
* !
makes his escape. Such law as you may think
proper to pass should embrace deserters from
State service, and should also punish aiding
and in resisting or avoiding arrest.
1 invite your attention to the operation of
the system of impressment adopted l-y thir
Confederate Government. 1 am informed that i
in some sections \yhcre the people have little !
more than is absolutely necessary for their own
use, it is apprehended that destitution will be
brought about by its unequal operation. Coming
as you do from every section of the State;
you are doubtless bettor informed upon this
subject than myself, and better prepared to
adopt a judicious policy than I am now to suggest
it. I have called the attention of the
Confederate Government to the subject; and
suggested to them the probability that the collection
of that tax in kind, which operates
more equally on all, would obviate the necessity
for the impressment of provisions.
The system adopted for furnishing labor for
const defenccfc has failed to accomplish its mir
1 A
pose. Large numbcfs havo availed themselves
of the provision of the law and paid the line of
one dollar and fifty conts instead of furnishing
the labor; and others, with the hope of impunity,
have neither furnished the labor or paid
the fine. With the money collected by the
agent he has been unable to hire any labor.
I recommend an amendment of the Acts 011 |
this subjeot, so as to abolish the line and so as |
to authoii/e the Governor, through the Com- | 0
missioneis of Moads, (who in the main are true ! 1
to their trust,) to impress the labor requisite to i I'
enable him to respond to the en Is of the ; *
Commanding General, giving credit for all la- !
bor previously furnished, and that the time of 11
service be extended to two months. The free 1
negroes should be included. I doubt not that J
there has been cause for the complaint hereto- '
fore made as to the treatment and detention 1
of the negroes, but it is believed that through 1
the instrumentality of the energetic State Agent, 1
(whose report is herewith transmitted,) many 1
of the evils have been remedied.
M. L. BONIIAM. i
The Trouble** in Iredell and Wilkes. ^
Wo find the following in the Iredell Kxprcss,
of Thursday :
Considerable excitement was produced in ^
this place on last Wednesday morning by a re- '
port coining from the neighborhood of Jacob 1
Fralcy, Esq., that a number of deserters in that c
section had massed themselves for a battle with I
a portion of the State Guard, from Camp Vance, *
commanded by Lieut, liobards.
It appears that the people of that region had
appointed a day for a Union meeting in the
yicinitv ot Esquire Fraley's, and had extended (
an invitation to the deserters and skulkers
thereabouts to attend and take part in the pro- *
ceedings. The guard marched from near this 1
place Monday night and reached the place '
where the meeting was to be held about daybreak
Tuesday, a distance of twenty miles.
After the meeting asseidbled, (a large nuin- ber
of women being present,) the guard and
mili'ia surrounded the building and took possession
of the ring-leaders, letting the females
and a number of citizens loose, retaining under
guard five deserters who were present and the 1
chairman, a Mr. John Diffee, who is from appearance
seventy five years old and quite infirm.
About one hundred and sixty deserters were 1
on their way to the rendezvous, but would not '
advance nearer than Warren's Bridge-, (three
miles distant from the place of meeting,) on
learning of the presence of the guard. The
supposition was they were waiting for reinforcements
from Trap 11*11, in Wilkes County,
and intended attacking the next day; but the
guard weVe disappointed on reaching the place
of an anticipated battle the following morning, !
the deserters having skedaddle*! to the mountains
in Wilkes.
An attempt was made on Tuesday night, to 1
release the prisoners who were being conveyed
to Camp \ ancc, by a pni t\ of sixteen citizens,
but <1 nl not succeed in their object, one of whom '
was captured early Wednesday morning and
confessed being one of the parly. Two militia
oilicers were .also arrested iho same da\ for
aiding and .abetting deserters. ? >n Thursday,
these men were placed, under guard of militia,
to bo brought to this place, but on reaching a
creek within four miles of here, they escaped
through negligence of a portion of the men under
whose care they had been placed for safe
deliverance into the jail, prior to their shipment,
to Camp Vance.
A Tasspokt foii Non-com hat ants:?The
Columbia Carolinian vouches for the following
"case:1' A lady presented herself at Branchville
to enter the car for Charleston. The sentinel
told her it was contrary to law, and she
could not go. She ordered him twice to take
down his musket, which barred the entrance. ,
lie refused. She drew a revolver, and point- ,
ing it. at him, threatened to shoot him if he (
persisted in excluding her. With some surprise,
he demanded, "Arc you a man in woman's
clothes?" "No." was the reply, " 1 am
a woman." "Then come in," said the sentipel,
"for hang me ii I light a .woman, or be killed
by one; you can't be classed with non-combatants,
and they are what I am ordered to keep
frr?m ooinor to (diarleston." So she was reeoor
"w ? j
nized as a belligerent power, and allowed to J
pass.
Kcr?liivw'g Brigade. I
At a meeting of this Brigade, upon motion
f Lieut. Col. Gail Hard of the 2d S. C.,regiment
he body was organized bv calling Brig. Gen. <
vershaw to the Chair, and appointing Adju- j1
ant Y. J. Pope Secretary.
Gen. Kershaw explained the object of the g
neeting to be to consider whether or not the I
Misrepresentation of one of our leading State fl
ournals, concerning the opinion the army en- fl
ertained of the President, should be corrected ?
>V the expression of the true feelings of tho nl
brigade towards our worthy Chief Magistrate. fl
Vfier which the meeting was declared ready ^
or business. ft
Col. .lames D. Nance, of the 3d S. C. regi- 1
nent, thou said in substance: It is cause for
iegret,
Mr, Chairman, that any necessity should
lave arisen for us to join issue with any portion
of our fellow, citizens; and that thus an ap- ffj
)earance is given that the unanimity aud liar- 'j
liony of our State (which has always been her I
thief glory) is disturbed. I think the policy of fl
ivory one should be to avoid irritating issues or
irovoking discussions which are likely to lead ^
o divisions and dissensions. But when we aro <1
o far misrepresented on a subject vitally afccting
the efficiency of the army, and, as we
?elieve, the welfare of the country, it becomes ?
>ur imperative duty to respectfully repel the
jpinions attributed to us. If is not proposed ^
0 raise a partisan issue, or to deny in an n 11 be- j
mining spirit the allegations of one of the most .
prominent papers in our State. * '
Whatever opinions I have hitherto held or
loclarcd, have, for the most part, as some of
iron know, been in harmony with those which
1 ' *
iiave been so ably announced and supported '
by the Charleston Mercury. I am, therefore, 1
without prejudice. But I have never agreed '
with the Mercury, or those who agrees with it 1
in opposition to the President. Before Mr. 1
l>?vis was elected to his elevated and respon- ^
sible office 1 thought him'tho fit mar. wc had
for President, agd, in my humble judgment, ho
lias since vindicated this opinion. Apart from
these considerations, the necessities of the times
require of us all a heavy support of the President,
who is bending his best energies and abilities
for the good and independence of. our I
countrv. Least of, all, should we, by our silence,
give a tacit acknowledgement that the
1 n o
Mercury has correctly spoken oui opinions in
saying wo (a portion of the army) have "lost
confidence in the President."
The. paper which I now submit, it is cousid.
crcd, embraces in substance and spirit what is
piopcr 011 this subject. 1 submit, Mr. Chairman,
tiie following paper for the consideration01'the
meeting:
A portion of the army from South Carolina
have, bv the accident of republication in a
T ? L
liichmond paper, been made aware of the following
misrepresentation of their opiuion:
Speaking of the President, the Charleston
Mercury is represented as saying, "He has lost
the confidence* of both the army and the
people."
Among the first troops of South Carolina to
enter the service of the Confederate States, this
brigade allirms their entire confidence, admiration
and respect for the President, and they
believe their sentiments are shajred by the army
of Northern Virginia, for which South Carolina
knows they have as clear a right to speak
as any troops representing her in the field;.
Upon motion, the paper thus submitted was
unanimously adopted and ordered to be printed
in the Charleston Courier, Charleston Mercury,
Southern Guardian, and South Carolinian, with
the request that the other papers in the State
copy.
The meeting then adjourned.
Brig. (ion. .J, B. KERSHAW, President.
V. J. Popk, Secretary.
UltID iE NOTICE.
THK REFUGEES FROM THE LOW COUNTRY,
residing in Camden or the vicinity, are invited to extend
their pleasure rides across tho Bridgo over the
Watoree River, at their will, free of charge.
By order of Directors.
JOHN M. DeSAUSSURE, Prcs't.
September 18 #