The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, August 22, 1878, Image 1
TR1-WEEIKLYDrIN__ WINNSJ3OROo. S. C.. TILIJ{8,DAY. AUUT'2 88 YL .N.8
CAPTAIN ALSTON'S ORATION.
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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~