Notes of the Battle--Pathetic Scenes--Sketches of Officers.
The Seventh Regiment was particularly unfortunate in the loss of her
brilliant officers. Colonel Bland and Lieutenant Colonel Hood
both being killed, that regiment was left without a field officer.
Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Gist, of the Fifteenth, being permanently
disabled, and Major William Gist being soon afterwards killed, the
Fifteenth was almost in the same condition of the Seventh. So also was
the Third Battalion. Captain Robert Jennings, commanding the battalion
as senior Captain, lost his arm here, and was permanently retired,
leaving Captain Whitner in command. Major Dan Miller had received
a disabling wound in some of the former battles and never returned.
Colonel Rice returning soon after this battle, he likewise received a
wound from which he never sufficiently recovered for active service,
so the Third Battalion was thereafter commanded by a Captain, Captain
Whitner commanding until his death one year later. The Eighth Regiment
met an irreparable loss in the death of Lieutenant Colonel Hoole. No
officer in the brigade had a more soldierly bearing, high attainments,
and knightly qualities than Colonel Hoole, and not only the regiment,
but the whole brigade felt his loss. He was one of those officers
whose fine appearance caused men to stop and look at him twice before
passing. The many fine officers, Captains as well as Lieutenants, that
were killed or wounded here made a death and disabled roll, from the
effects of which the brigade never fully recovered. Then the whole
army mourned the supposed death of the gallant and dashing Texan,
General Hood, but he lived to yet write his name in indelible letters
on the roll-of fame among the many officers of distinction in the Army
of Tennessee.
In our first general advance in the morning, as the regiment reached
the brow of the hill, just before striking the enemy's breastworks,
my company and the other color company, being crowded together by
the pressure of the flanks on either side, became for the moment
a tangled, disorganized mass. A sudden discharge of grape from the
enemy's batteries, as well as from their sharpshooters posted behind
trees, threw us in greater confusion, and many men were shot down
unexpectedly. A Sergeant in my company, T.C. Nunnamaker, received
a fearful wound in the abdomen. Catching my hand while falling, he
begged to be carried off. "Oh! for God's sake, don't leave me here to
bleed to death or have my life trampled out! Do have me carried off!"
But the laws of war are inexorable, and none could leave the ranks to
care for the wounded, and those whose duty it was to attend to such
matters were unfortunately too often far in the rear, seeking places
of safety for themselves, to give much thought or concern to the
bleeding soldiers. Before our lines were properly adjusted, the
gallant Sergeant was beyond the aid of anyone. He had died from
internal hemorrhage. The searchers of the battlefield, those gatherers
of the wounded and dead, witness many novel and pathetic scenes.
Louis Spillers, a private in my company, a poor, quiet, and unassuming
fellow, who had left a wife and little children at home when he donned
the uniform of gray, had his thigh broken, just to the left of where
the Sergeant fell. Spillers was as "brave as the bravest," and made no
noise when he received the fatal wound. As the command swept forward
down the little dell, he was of course left behind. Dragging himself
along to the shade of a small tree, he sought shelter behind its
trunk, protecting his person as well as he could from the bullets of
the enemy posted on the ridge in front, and waited developments. When
the litter-bearers found him late at night, he was leaning against the
tree, calmly puffing away at his clay pipe. When asked why he did not
call for assistance, he replied: "Oh, no; I thought my turn would come
after awhile to be cared for, so I just concluded to quietly wait and
try and smoke away some of my misery." Before morning he was dead. One
might ask the question. What did such men of the South have to fight
for--no negroes, no property, not even a home that they could call
their own? What was it that caused them to make such sacrifices--to
even give their lives to the cause? It was a principle, and as dear to
the poorest of the poor as to him who counted his broad acres by the
thousands and his slaves by the hundreds. Of such mettle were made the
soldiers of the South--unyielding, unconquerable, invincible!
An old man in Captain Watts' Company, from Laurens, Uncle Johny Owens,
a veteran of the Florida War, and one who gave much merriment to the
soldiers by his frequent comparisons of war, "fighting Indians" and
the one "fighting Yankees," was found on the slope, just in front of
the enemy's breastworks, leaning against a tree, resting on his left
knee, his loaded rifle across the other. In his right hand, between
his forefinger and thumb, in the act of being placed upon the nipple
of the gun, was a percussion cap. His frame was rigid, cold, and
stiff, while his glossy eyes seemed to be peering in the front as
looking for a lurking foe. He was stone dead, a bullet having pierced
his heart, not leaving the least sign of the twitching of a muscle
to tell of the shock he had received. He had fought his last battle,
fired his last gun, and was now waiting for the last great drum-beat.
A story is told at the expense of Major Stackhouse, afterwards the
Colonel of the Eighth, during this battle. I cannot vouch for its
truthfulness, but give it as it was given to me by Captain Harllee, of
the same regiment. The Eighth was being particularly hard-pressed, and
had it not been for the unflinching stoicism of the officers and the
valor of the men, the ranks not yet recruited from the results of the
battle at Gettysburg, the little band would have been forced to yield.
Major Stackhouse was in command of the right wing of the regiment,
and all who knew the old farmer soldier knew him to be one of the most
stubborn fighters in the army, and at the same time a "Methodist of
the Methodists." He was moreover a pure Christian gentleman and a
churchman of the straightest sect. There was no cant superstitions or
affectation in his make-up, and what he said he meant. It was doubtful
if he ever had an evil thought, and while his manners might have been
at times blunt, he was always sincere and his language chosen and
chaste, with the possible exception during battle. The time of which I
speak, the enemy was making a furious assault on the right wing of the
Eighth, and as the Major would gently rise to his knees and see the
enemy so stubbornly contesting the ground, he would call out to the
men, "There they are, boys, give them hell!" Then in an under tone he
would say, "May God, forgive me for that!" Still the Yankees did not
yield, and again and again he shouted louder and louder, "Boys, give
it to them; give them hell!" with his usual undertone, "May God,
forgive me for that," etc. But they began closing on the right and
the center, and his left was about to give way; the old soldier could
stand it no longer. Springing to his feet, his tall form towering
above all around him, he shouted at the top of his voice, "Give them
hell; give them hell, I tell you, boys; give them hell, G---- souls"
The Eighth must have given them what was wanting, or they received it
from somewhere, for after this outburst they scampered back behind the
ridge.
[Illustration: Lieut. James N. Martin, Co. E., 36 S.C. Regiment.]
[Illustration: Maj. Wm. D. Peck, Quarter Master of Kershaw's Division.
(Page 162.)]
[Illustration: Col. James D. Nance, 3d S.C. Regiment. (Page 353.)]
[Illustration: David E. Ewart, Major and Surgeon, 3d S.C. Regiment.]
Years after this, while Major Stackhouse was in Congress, and much
discussion going on about the old Bible version of hell and the new
version hades, some of his colleagues twitted the Major about the
matter and asked him whether he was wanting the Eighth to give the
Union soldiers the new version, or the old. With a twinkle in his
eye, the Major answered "Well, boys, on all ordinary occasions the new
version will answer the purposes, but to drive a wagon out of a stall
or the Yankees from your front, the old version is the best."
Major Hard, who was killed here, was one of the finest officers in the
brigade and the youngest, at that time, of all the field officers.
He was handsome, brilliant, and brave. He was one of the original
officers of the Seventh; was re-elected at the reorganization in May,
1862, and rose, by promotion, to Major, and at the resignation of
Colonel Aiken would have been, according to seniority, Lieutenant
Colonel. Whether he ever received this rank or not, I cannot remember.
I regret my inability to get a sketch of his life.
But the Rupert of the brigade was Colonel Bland, of the Seventh. I
do not think he ever received his commission as full Colonel, but
commanded the regiment as Lieutenant Colonel, with few exceptions,
from the battle of Sharpsburg until his death. Colonel Aiken received
a wound at Sharpsburg from which he never fully recovered until after
the war. Colonel Aiken was a moulder of the minds of men; could hold
them together and guide them as few men could in Kershaw's Brigade,
but Bland was the ideal soldier and a fighter "par excellence." He had
the gift of inspiring in his men that lofty courage that he himself
possessed. His form was faultless--tall, erect, and well developed,
his eyes penetrating rather than piercing, his voice strong and
commanding. His was a noble, generous soul, cool and brave almost to
rashness. He was idolized by his troops and beloved as a comrade and
commander. Under the guise of apparent sternness, there was a gentle
flow of humor. To illustrate this, I will relate a little circumstance
that occurred after the battle of Chancellorsville to show the
direction his humor at times took. Colonel Bland was a bearer of
orders to General Hooker across the Rappahannock, under a flag of
truce. At the opposite bank he was met by officers and a crowd of
curious onlookers, who plied the Colonel with irrelevant questions. On
his coat collar he wore the two stars of his rank, Lieutenant Colonel.
One of the young Federal officers made some remark about Eland's
stars, and said, "I can't understand your Confederate ranks; some
officers have bars and some stars. I see you have two stars; are you a
Brigadier General?"
"No, sir," said Bland, straightening himself up to his full height;
"but I ought to be. If I was in your army I would have been a Major
General, and in command of your army." Then with a merry chuckle
added, "Perhaps then you would not have gotten such a d---n bad
whipping at Chancellorsville." Then all hands laughed.
* * * * *
COLONEL ELBERT BLAND, SEVENTH REGIMENT.
Elbert Bland was born in Edgefield County, S.C., and attended the
common schools until early manhood, when choosing medicine as a
profession, he attended the Medical College of New York, where he
graduated with distinction. Ardently ambitious, he remained
sometime after graduation, in order to perfect himself in his chosen
profession. Shortly after his graduation, war broke out between the
States and Mexico, and he was offered and accepted the position
of Assistant Surgeon of the Palmetto Regiment, Colonel P.M. Butler
commanding. By this fortunate occurrence he was enabled to greatly
enlarge his knowledge of surgery. At the close of the war he came
home, well equipped for the future. Shortly after his return from the
war he was happily married to Miss Rebecca Griffin, a daughter of Hon.
N.L. Griffin, of Edgefield. Settling in his native county, he entered
at once into a lucrative practice, and at the beginning of the late
war was enjoying one of the largest country practices in the State.
When the mutterings of war began he was one of the first to show signs
of activity, and when Gregg's Regiment went to the coast in defense
of his native State, he was appointed Surgeon of that Regiment.
Having had some experience already as a Surgeon in the Mexican War,
he determined to enter the more active service, and in connection
with Thos. G. Bacon, raised the Ninety-Six Riflemen, which afterwards
formed part of the Seventh South Carolina Regiment. Bacon was elected
Captain and Bland First Lieutenant. Upon organizing the regiment,
Bacon was elected Colonel of the regiment and Bland was to be Captain.
Whilst very little active service was seen during the first year of
the war, still sufficient evidence was given of Eland's ability as
a commander of the men, and upon the reorganization of the regiment,
Captain Bland was elected Lieutenant Colonel. From this time until
September 20th, 1863, his fortunes were those of the Seventh Regiment.
He was conspicuous on nearly every battlefield in Virginia, and was
twice wounded--at Savage Station, seriously in the arm, from which
he never recovered, and painfully in the thigh at Gettysburg. At the
sanguinary battle of Chickamauga, on September 20th, 1863, whilst
in command of his regiment, and in the moment of victory, he fell
mortally wounded, living only about two hours.
No knightlier soul than his ever flashed a sabre in the cause he
loved so well, and like Marshall Nay, he was one of the bravest of the
brave. He sleeps quietly in the little cemetery of his native town,
and a few years ago, upon the death-bed of his wife, her request was
that his grave and coffin should be opened at her death, and that she
should be placed upon his bosom, which was done, and there they sleep.
May they rest in peace.
* * * * *
LIEUTENANT COLONEL HOOLE, EIGHTH REGIMENT.
Axalla John Hoole was of English decent, his grandfather, Joseph
Hoole, having emigrated from York, England, about the close of the
Revolutionary War, and settled at Georgetown, S.C.
James C. Hoole, the father of A.J. Hoole, was a soldier of the war of
1812. He removed to Darlington District and married Elizabeth Stanley,
by whom he had five children, the third being the subject of this
sketch.
Axalla John Hoole was born near Darlington Court House, S.C., October
12th, 1822. His father died when he was quite small, leaving a large
family and but little property, but his mother was a woman of great
energy, and succeeded in giving him as good an education as could
be obtained at St. John's Academy, Darlington Court House. Upon the
completion of the academic course, at the age of eighteen, he taught
school for twelve years, after which he followed the occupation of
farming.
While a young man he joined the Darlington Riflemen, and after serving
in various capacities, he was elected Captain about 1854 or 1855.
He was an enthusiastic advocate of States Rights, and during the
excitement attending the admission of Kansas as a State, he went out
there to oppose the Abolitionists. He married Elizabeth G. Brunson,
March 20th, 1856, and left the same day for Kansas. Taking an active
part in Kansas politics and the "Kansas War," he was elected Probate
Judge of Douglas County by the pro-slavery party, under the regime of
Governor Walker.
He returned to Darlington December 5th, 1857, and shortly afterwards
was re-elected Captain of the Darlington Riflemen. At a meeting of
the Riflemen, held in April, 1861, on the Academy green, he called for
volunteers, and every man in the company volunteered, except one. The
company went to Charleston April 15th, 1861, and after remaining a
short while, returned as far as Florence, where they were mustered in
as Company A, Eighth S.C.V.
The Eighth Regiment left Florence for Virginia June 2d, 1861. At the
expiration of the period of enlistment, the regiment was reorganized,
and Captain Hoole was elected Lieutenant Colonel, in which capacity
he served until he was killed at the battle of Chickamauga, September
20th, 1863. He was buried at the Brunson graveyard, near Darlington.
* * * * *
COLONEL E.T. STACKHOUSE, EIGHTH REGIMENT.
As I have made some mention of Major Stackhouse, he being promoted to
Lieutenant Colonel, and afterwards Colonel of the Eighth, I will take
this opportunity of giving the readers a very brief sketch of the life
of this sterling farmer, patriot, soldier, and statesman, who, I am
glad to say, survived the war for many years.
Colonel E.T. Stackhouse was born in Marion County, of this State, the
27th of March, 1824, and died in the City of Washington, D.C., June
14th, 1892. He was educated in the country schools, having never
enjoyed the advantages of a collegiate course. He married Miss Anna
Fore, who preceded him to the grave by only a few months. Seven
children was the result of this union. In youth and early manhood
Colonel Stackhouse was noted for his strict integrity and sterling
qualities, his love of truth and right being his predominating trait.
As he grew in manhood he grew in moral worth--the better known, the
more beloved.
His chosen occupation was that of farming, and he was ever proud
of the distinction of being called one of the "horny-handed sons of
toil." In the neighborhood in which he was born and bred he was an
exemplar of all that was progressive and enobling.
In April, 1861, Colonel Stackhouse was among the very first to answer
the call of his country, and entered the service as Captain in the
Eighth South Carolina Regiment. By the casualties of war, he was
promoted to Major, Lieutenant Colonel, and Colonel, and led the old
Eighth, the regiment he loved so well, in some of the most sanguinary
engagements of the war. All that Colonel Stackhouse was in civil life
he was that, and more if possible, in the life of a soldier. In battle
he was calm, collected, and brave; in camp or on the march he
was sociable, moral--a Christian gentleman. As a tactician and
disciplinarian, Colonel Stackhouse could not be called an exemplar
soldier, as viewed in the light of the regular army; but as an officer
of volunteers he had those elements in him to cause men to take on
that same unflinching courage, indominable spirit, and bold daring
that actuated him in danger and battle. He had not that sternness of
command nor niceties nor notion of superiority that made machines of
men, but he had that peculiar faculty of endowing his soldiers with
confidence and a willingness to follow where he led.
He represented his county for three terms in the State Legislature,
and was President of the State Alliance. He was among the first to
advocate college agricultural training for the youth of the land, and
was largely instrumental in the establishment of Clemson College, and
became one of its first trustees.
He was elected, without opposition, to the Fifty-first Congress, and
died while in the discharge of his duties at Washington.
* * * * *