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TR1-WEEIKLYDrIN__ WINNSJ3OROo. S. C.. TILIJ{8,DAY. AUUT'2 88 YL .N.8 CAPTAIN ALSTON'S ORATION. ----- DELIVRED .11 il.'Of1t Tir sU1 Vy. oRS 0.1 TilE BIXTItJ! 4CEE1. ' 4 History of the Corgniand, and thp Part itTo k in the Wa'--Tie Past, the Presaert and the Future. Mr. President, Fellow-citizens and Surpiving Comra<.les of the Sixth: It is with no small degro of diffidence, yet with ipnfeigned pleas ire and delight, that I appear before you on tijis imost dpqply interesting occasion? to Ilay nly humble tribute to distingmisIQd valor, to Igingle with yoq my sympathetic fpplings in clysrishing hallowed in ui)ories, and to antici pate the glorious futrCq thpat asyaits the true, tried, chivalrous and patliotip of pr State and country. Then, how striking and uAiverald is the truth. that patriotism is a predominant cparacteristic of man. Even the benighted Hindoo is Wedded to his jimlothe wncivil ized Ethiopian' laimed -with his pative wilds-the savage squina paptiv:.tod with his sterile and frozen regions-and "Lo, the poor Indiai, whose untutored 111in poee God in clouds or hears liim in Cho wind," is enraptured with his rildo forqsk honfe. But fai abovo all thieso ' it pms bLen res3rval1 for the Ango-. Paxon to possess ad (njoy' ;1) a pre-eninent degr.e this heaven e-dowed principle, for the very ,civilization ellenIidered i) his Itui e is the chief corier stone upon which N'is love of country rests. rhe 0 enterprise of civilize i in in, t.he development of the res.ources at his comanid.t the 'epid i-o'ra inl n'gricultiie, mtanufactures and coin. merce, the wonderful proficiency in 'Iiterature, science and art, the speedy advancemer t .in civil, politi cal and roligions libcuJy, the genor ,ous and ilnoble qualities il peaefil and social relations, the un dan nted courage, Spartal heroism and Roniin fortitudp. '.espeCialliy' whe'n j)rompted by that sacred spirit of resistance to unaithorized acts of Ipower-all these 'higl.ily estimable niequisitions attest his capiacity for superiority and excellence in every elergeney and Conltingl yiey gf life. Therefore, iider "ugl ' pecul.iar auspices is those, t S'OtIern people, and p:irticularly Ve )ple of South Carolina. who, by th.e viso counsels and judicious legislation of their former leading st.tesmon, had hitherto giyen, cbracter to tho .then existilng national goveroen t, 'not only ablhome, but also through out the 'civilized world, beclame restive, and even chafed i.nder the .rongs and oppreion hieae)d upon them by an irresponsiblIeiAijQrity, until "forbearance ceased to be a virtue.-" Thou .it was that Southi Carolina, taking h' ' it-faive, adopted' the .smitiment, that "passive ohedience antl talilo sub .i5iioi to every degree of 'tyranny ,is the p~rovinee of slaves onfly," agi .consequently, making a .pactical application of the' pi'inciph3, on the .20th~ of .De mber, 1860, she pro - 'elaimed to tloayorld her indlepend-. .ence, by te' paggage of the ,Ordinance of SecessioiL. .Goqere,iyeo measme s having thereupon beeni .institrited b~y the United States .government,i thg texcsin of avar was 'sounded thi-oughout this grand old1 ,communwvealth, and among the first to respond to the call of the ytatQ ,was the Siithi Itegimnent' of' South .Caii'olina Volunteers. This corps, .owing to its supeior rnaterial, and througli thn extraordinary genius ,of its able organizer a,1iti disciplina rian, Colonel' Ridn, ',soon 'attained that high degise of effieney anil ,soldiarly bearing wyhich excited the admiration of all military devdtees 'and critics who b'eiweld its serried fliles and solid column. ' When t'ho first booming shiot sped 'across ,Char14stop~ harbor, on the ever 1mahobl ipopping of the 12th 'of the pri'de and glor'y pf Chester ancd Fairfield, were at their .gost of duty, and welcomed the signal1 for hostilities with an eagerness' anel a truly ,p~atriotic devotion, which manifested gleir adherence to 'the great princip~les .involved in the approachiig'stiruggle, sapd a heroic ,deterininatin tozmai'ntaini them at .all hazards,' 'p'slich' liigh 'r'gard was this bod1y o~f inin 'held by the ,oomma~nding general, that militar'y ,duty was imtnediately assigned it ji various portioge of the defenses of Charleston, one of which was an inlet, deeiled most importait, for upon' the vigilauco of itp lpfendors dpenlided ir a great aneastro the safety of the city, and upon which, perlhalp, tho Federal fleet was pro youted from affording relipf and asistance to tho then fated gar rison of Sumter. Iin tho dischargo of seh onerous and rosponsihlo dtite', not under the restraint of reglbi'rs, but with the freedom of volunte'ers, was pr.sntod a spectal le in ti i *e'picut s (tag of the contest, which Would have dono credit to 'war-worn vetorans. While it was peculiarly gratifying, and tile most ' highly esteoeied privilege, for the soldiers of the Siith to 'render such servico for th.ir ovn fativo Carolina within her own limits, yet their ' proseneq wvas demanded 0upon another and a distant field of action, which was destinmd to bgcoq the grand thoatre of var between the con tending armies, and of course. obedient to the denpaud, they felt that their )patiiotisIn ya's not only "not'circumscribed by State lines," but was as boundless as the Cii federate States of America. Th lirIst regimental comn-mallder having resigle igi positioi, tihe greatly Nuk.ieted Colonel (subse iuenItiv Goneral) Winder, a former United States office, was assigced1 tihe colliailnd by tilo niuliorities at Rih1nold, and tlei'e took charge of the Relgimnent on their way to the world-renowin.ed battle-field of the first Manaisais. This' Christiifn soldigr 'Ind gentleman forthwitli inspired, as if by llagic, conli:leneo and eeteem in every lemllbel of the Sixth* by * his dignified demeanor and accomplished (ualihnnations ; and tlriongI tie long, weary Ioitli sueediiln this fl-st grett b.ttflc of the Wa, itlthough the Army of No'thern Virginia was lushed with victory, y-et he did not suiffer his men to lapse igtq a state of apathy and inactivity, but with that fine nili.tary icunen with which he seiled by nature spoemially gifted and with that strict conformity to disciplillo whill experience had taugnt him iwats time chief pre rT' nisite of t imodcl soldier, he, enl ~rced the most stringeit army regilatios inIf all their details and .niluutiffo, so that by tho time time Jirst active servico in' baftlo was sceg by the Regimnon t they aicquitted themselves most 'credi t r bly against fl)g greatly .Sn'perior numbers of a first-hss division of the Northern army, on the eventful ickT 'of Drainsvillo, thereby refle't ing ominment distinction not only upon themselves for their own native merit, but also upon their colonel for the order and subordi lpiation displayed in this their niiaidon eigagemneit. The ighly revered Winder's conne'tion, so happily formed, wias, however, soon to be severed. Having received an appointInent, lhe 'yas assigned to duty with tlhe famous Stonewall Brigade. On taking leave of *i*i favorito for this more extended sphere of usefulness, his parting adIdress wyas cIli~raterized by ex pression8s of tlie 4ighest regard and most devoted attahamnent. My comnradols, I ha~ve been thus minlute in) detailing the (cyonts conl nected with this Regiment, which transpired Anlder J..he commands successively of Colonels Rion~ and Winder, because, no doubt, thirough their influeince, skill and military prowvess, it received the impross of their genine, which sho forth most lirilfiantl~y on cvery battle field from the heights of Shar'psburg .t > tihe battlement# of Knoxvidie. At thle r'eorganization of'thie arm~y ini 1862, several companies and detachments from Dalrlington, Ker,~ shaw, Lmncaster, York, Claren ion, Sumter, Williamsburg, Edigefield, Barn'mwoll andl Lexington joined3 tile .rngks of this corps, all of wvhich, under the pucpssiyo loadersh3ip o'f tile cool, determined and igallant Colonel (fterwards Genleral) graut toll, and the unobtrusive but hieroic Colonel Steaidman. who, by their conurageouis ox unple and othler (eetial 'qualities of head aind lieart, mfhainltained tile l'igh standai-d whichl it had already acquired under their illustrious >redecessors, shlar ed 'the ai'duou's yttesa inceident to army life,'and partooIk of the honor and r'enown' wVon On thme O'nsan, guined field of'Williamsburg, whler'e the entii'e command, a a 'portoi of, nd~ in connection with, Qenoral Johns~ton's i'ear guard,' on 'the colebra ted retreat from Yorktoiwn, for twvdlv9 long hours' confronited, and success'hilly contended against, the thronging legio'ns of McClellan, disputing everfi inh *of ground, and h6lding at the close the s'ame position selected by our troops in the beginning of +the' action Te design of tho emy was frustrated ---oir object accomplished. Aho, the SeveCn Pines, whure the gallinit Sixti wore second to none in iimaking the m1o14t fuirious onset upon Casey's ' entronched clamp, capituring it--driving his division upwvards of two miles slaughitering and being slaughtercd, w'hzen ight checed their victorious advance, and with 'hor sable inantlo on I Veloped the eone, as if to conceal from view the ghastly horror of thme field of caripago. In' this batflo alone, it liasb "ben truly iaid, tho Sixth' I1(giment achiovei iimelrish - aible fame. Then, at p3aines' Mill they lpartipipated il' vigoroumsly assaultitig al, after most stlupend ous exertioli, in carrying, a triplo line of (i)tr(:nclid works, Creeted with such consummate dexterity :~mmd jidgiiment, and fortified so power fully by naturm-o, as to render the prospect of its tcCss mud o(Cu pancy simply absurd, .T'ept by Souithern patriots driven to doe poretion by Northern usuirpationi and Northern tyrainy. Againi, it F'razor's Farm, tho sovero ordeal wias repeated, when victory, though at anl enormoslB Cx)elditiure of hllman lif', perched upon our tatterej mind blood-staincd banncr. Np loss did they 'Qoblftli'inoph ant saccss on the gory field of the second Man-isiss, whero with great, precision iid cooliess in execuitijig, im cojuetion with their brigade, one of the most brilliant mnamnouvres ever performcd under such i gall Ing lire, their 1ourage an1d hieroismui wero 1miost conspicuouis In the violeit attack 'which (defeaitd and fin-tdly routed the Federial infautry massed upon an eminence, Pre panttory to u:tking the last de-pei ateo( eil'ort to i-otrie3Vo the ortunes of the tlay. Afterwards, at Sharps - burg and Fredericksburg, and whcrever and wheiever opportuni, ty ofl'ered, there wIs no d uty, how over diflicult or daIn-erons, that these 1) ttlc-scarred vteratis ever hesitated tQ perf)rm. They pro served the same spirit in the laborious service at the inivestmeit of Suffolk, il which thleir pieo, harlihood and un saervinig loyalty a.ldaud fresh lustre to their al-ea ly fadeless 1auri-els and enviable repu tation. T.101n, too. in the ilidiight couflict ait Lookout Creek, thiir gallantry wyas 'adinirable,' at 'Candp bell's Station rcm-irkabie ; and ' at tebo siege of Kioxvillo their con stancy was unfl tgging. The entire .campaign of East Tbnncssee oup of hardship, which Pit to .tel test the payer' of endurance o'f the Souherni soldier, illust-ating- a granid triumph of patriotism over physie:l suffleriig. III the follow ing year. at tho Wildeie-ss, at SPottsylvInia Court House, and on a number of otbr hotly dontetd! fields,- ieW*ovidences were given of that allegiance, for which the soldiers of the Sixth wolil rather have died than to I etray it. Then camie the' long serics of engage ments on the lines in front of Richmond and Petersburg, in wvhich! noble examples of herisn wvere mmay and fr-equent, and the most disastrous conflict amn img them, in which this Rtegim'e-nt took yart, and in yhih it seemed th'at an niliihation woulhl inie-vi tably result, waIs Fort HI triison, whero, thi'ough a concentrated antd most terrific lir-e of musketry and aitihlery, the remnant runshed on to death, niot ."seeking the bubble repu-. tationi iii the caninonbs mouth," but actua:ted b~y a higher and nmoro noble incentive-duty to themselves, dvty to their countr-y. And even in the Jast few but comparatively insigni ficant ecounters; although our caupital haid beun abandoned, our resources for aim muni tfon '%oll-nmigh exhamustodl, our "comin issariat and other supp~lly dopj irtments entirely doblhoted, yet thia hiandfuil of veo ranls, inl this their bitter ~experienco, had not forgotton the da~ys of their gramndest acievomon ts, when thiir forme r patriot comrados sacri~c'od their lives .in defe'nce of a~ cause which we, fromr the bottom of our lhearts, thank God they never know was lost. For their beloved State, and their own~ supnmy' South, they periled all, and 'would r-ather have fallen, as fill they did, adorioed wi'th the bidg e of fin-omon than to have survivod, garbed in the livro f slaves. And . in tihe solemn cts trohe t Appomattox, on that tglopo Apri nor-gloomy, as if' heaven itself s'demod in syipathiy with the sad, expiring wvail of the Army of Northern Virginia, when' the Sixth furled forever that ensigia which bore n'pon its folds' the pledge of fidelity, sealed wvith thae sacre'd blood of its faithful followers, tihe subiimity of their defeat was not exceeded by the grandeur of their greatest victory;, for, overpowere though not coll(i-red, they, togetli er With their other sur1iving co mlt! C0111 rades in aris, yielded to the Ig nanlim ous sentlimentf of the(,irI groAt Sout.hernIl - chiefinii, (hist "ho hadl, (oonseited t.o the result fromii n1o distrust of thelm), but feeling that valor and devotion could accom plish nothing, Chait could compon wat- for tho loss that woltd havo attended the conitilituion of the (ontest, Ih had d.-termie: to avoid the useless sacrifice of those whose pant ser-vices hiadI enldvared theml to( rades, in y eldi Ilng, fallen greatness wrungl" at relnetatl acknowlesiment evell fromn suiporeiliou1s a111r5 rogaIlce an1d oer(JVIWlmIIIlil.ing nlltilbers. On every field, from the Antictimi to the HLolston "Our perishing ranks were strewe.l in Likio oceani 11wee-ls hevald Onl the Surt' heaton) shoreO, Dreaming olviotory, in death worO laid low, Their backs to the fieLl, anld their foot, to the l'oe, And leavinug ill battl o bl) oint oil their Look protlly to heaven from tho death bud O faito." We hlonor and revero their memo511) - ri1s, we ro";r-1 with prilcdo their lofty spir 1i t of pitriotisii, vhieh, not inferior to that which aniiated the Swiss revollitionist in repelling the imvasioll of tei An.drian 1mUultaitluds, nor to' thtt 1hicl ill di!ed the Lacedemonian king, with his little baid of bravo Spartans, to conton-1 against Y eres wNithI his llil hions, aiiedlI at 'securing lt'h1 img less than civil, political and religious freoi, the great est, boon ho)stJweJ upn earth through tho bolleient h-ind of Hea'iVel1. .1 thI o!>lo spiritis of tISQ illustrious hroel Cver pI)r ticiato in hli affiirs of their livingo corados, wi) trust that ill their scrutiny of our conduct they have found no (epaLrture from those principles for which both deLacd and living foughtl iln (comm11)n, anid that, they wll saiction this simupli act of devotion to! their mcmuries and of dutty to ourselves, ats i memorial of their merit)riouis ser-vices, nud patriotic sartiic)s. Under all cir cumtistineost,itio bivotua; or mon.t. onous1. can1)p, onl Ll,o ady-nneo or in retreat, on picketi or in the skir inish, on tile litter or in tho ambnh lance, behilld entrenlichmen t or on the broad field of battle, pationeo and boroi'sm nir-ked the amaizing carece of these gallant cieplipls, and whethet i:r c iring the ri4Jrs Of an Alle0ihaimy wintor, or brea.sting the bio ik winds uym the 1 mnk, of tho Potomatc l and Rtppalhlalock, cn couituring the pestilential in taria on the South Atl.lintic coast, or swolteritng under th sarchin rays of a tropial sun, they wvere never excClled iin the annals of war. Uponl the defeat of otr itrm-c, and through the iisiako of our policv, followed the tyrannical sway of ignorance and corruption, whose solo object was pi niry and political alggrandllizelent, and ili clonsoquont degadaItioai of lt, wvholo Southern co)un try. For ten long yeacrs the tendo ney wvas from very b td to the very worst, so that inally the mock go vornent cul mfiniatedc in the vilest, most ab)mfina blo antd most corruipt robber band that evdr infested civil society. Hoeuco the State was redluced to l)ov'erty, every inld ustry languishedt, the people1 beranmo apaithitie --deso h tion an]l rain woero rife in the laud, dejetlion' anid atlmost dlespair1 were settling upon our social and political horihznm. Biut as the dark est ho0ur precedes' ihe riigday, so) the~ i impetnetrablo and1( almotl Cimoerian dar'kness of Raical op pr'sion was biut thie precursor of that bright and glorious sunlight wvhich burst with s-i much splendor andi refulgence upon our tdown troldden and imphoveris1h(d CIarolina. HaLving emerged from the gloom consegnent ulpo n the tyranny wh~ichI stampode~ its ironi 1go1 uphon the alreadiy prosti'ate State, our old commitonwotdth was ti'ansmted into a go'fernmecnt which has taken rank, with thd first ip point of honde anbl respectability, and will continlu, under tile mnanagoment of such asI the presnent admuinistration, to in* creasoO ini p)opular favor and authori ty, until it power andi distinction yill 1)0 recognized thli-oughiout ths wido-spread nati op. As represon tatives of our dcad comrades, we would prove recreant to duty, and traitors to the cause 'which w< ospouse1 'in 'common with ' theip wore jvo to suffer, withoiut the mnoi strenuous exertion, tis gloiouc land of ours ever again to become 'despotism whose infamnous and do gratded minions w'buld pervert andC prostitute to their foul pur~poses tn: faln fortunes and munh ln vem inStitutionS. 1 t-11st We are now so far as South Carolina is'Cion corno , est.ablisho 1 upon a sonnd basis, With gelnuino principles of dommcracy porvading our ' body politie, and proipting overy political act, with men " of tho most unsullied character, whoso minds are thoroughly iinbued with le people's interest. Then, in our present condition, together wvith th hoeful )rospct of con inuous moliorationi, our govern, imemit will be w ondorfui to contem plate. These happ y 'circumstanicos CInl novor bo too highly appreciated, and can never fail to raise 4 throb ill every heart that loves poace, honor, pmosperity and liborty, and' to 'fill with io livoliost omotions and most grat eful recollectiois those who wilt bIo the roecipients of ill the blessing guaranteed under this glorious Conuiln1iation. With Old Soutli Carolina thus rein.stated in' hoie for mer grandeur, with her good, wise and heroic Elxocutivo, directing . with a patriot's zeal and a patriot,'s devotioh her mst vital concerns with her legislativo department nWive nid alssiduouts in its rosl)onsi ble dat;os, with the prosperity of tho peopl paramount to every oth or consideration ; with a judiciary of spotless intogfrity, spurning alike the partial adinilistration of justice amid tho foul pollutions of bribery, dashing from its lips thme poisoned Cup of licentious and debasing ser. vitude, and plantiing itself Upon the firml founlda1tions1 Of truthl and rectitude, and dispensing to all the COnsL'(lequent legitimatO results, Will bo transittod the richest and'most honorable herit-tg to the latest posteriity. With those three branch es Of government securely 'estab lished, with such offlicials as the preselit incumbents, ind witih a harmony of fooling and unity of action such as prevailed amongst our gallant soldiers during our late unifortunato strugglo, is , there any positioin which we may not attain are there any results wo may hot accomplih-any doe Is we may not ichieve Than, iniloed, our 'uever, to-be-forgotten ante-bellum' days will surely return, bringing with thmi the propitious influences of statosmen such as tho immortal Lovndes, the great and saga'cious Calhoun, the energetic and brillianit l:Lyno ; of jurists such as Chevos; H arpor and O'Neall, Whose eruinaIJ was nover tarnished by an unjuht aet, nor polluted by a filthy bribe of divinos, as Thornwoll and Capers; the purity of whose lives is a living testimony of the fait they profess cd, and of that religion Which will and onlV can raiso man to a pi-oper elovation upon earth, and exalt him in the pasidiso abovo ; then, too' of lovely woman, whose province it always has been to cher onward the de.iu)lndilng, to give statesmeri iiflueinco, amid arm heroes for battle. She will still continue to assert he high prerogative in fulfilling her GOd-givon mission, and will thus orect to her virtuous and 'praise 'worthy d(s11 a monument whose towo'ring summit wvill stand ilmmu table ammidi change, magnificent'amid ruin, thme last remnant 'of aruth'a beaLuty, the last resting place of heaven's light..' Fuiirther moroe, every interest of our wvholo United States will on Ihance in pr1opor'tion 'to thme -ap pro pr1iate adjustment of outr civil polity, and( tis p~ropOrly developed, will b6 the harbinger of progress' and en'. torp~rise on the most gigantic' scmde. IAnd in such a coumtry as wve possessi, stretching from the (dens0 forests of Maine to thme broad prair'ies of Te'xas, anid from the frozen poaks of Alaska to the roof-girt peninsula of Flori da, ."embracing every ,variety of climate, and with a 'soil 'which an ticipates thme husband man's idesires', our1 commerce wvill again 'whuiteid o very sea, our fields wave \vith the frits of agricuilttire, and our inex'. haustibla mines teem with the mnost valuable minoral productions." A general system of liberal education will be establishmed, Aicadomies and collegos will sp~ring ~ip in 'ev'ery town and neighborhood, with "tem-. ples of unrcstrictod piety roared and !odicated to the living God, and vocal with his praise." Finally, thy youth, the only hopb of 'th'e fuiture, under these benign influences, to.:. gotheor with the fostering care 'of p jioti mothers, will become learned and virtuous, and b6 pt'epaied- to occupy the high stations in life- o which they wvere created. 'The'n we have thme consoling refleetion, tl1a4 w'hen we shall have passed of? th* stage of action, our thantle's will -fall Iupon worthy descendants, .thd - ta of whose ~Iostiny will sliine thitzhoge intensely 'bright 'as it 'ap ocho~ 'the zenith of its glpry,'and' seds itp brilliant halo tipon aeidn 11 ratir,nn ba all mul sin dhgn g~