The Claude News (Claude, Tex.), Vol. 14, No. 37, Ed. 1 Friday, June 2, 1916 Page: 2 of 8
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m
Capt. J, R Humbert tells how the men of South Carolina beat off the
fierce assault of Federal regiments and blocked the 1 ap to Charleston
v
fmrnrnmimm
1" 1 N THE spring of *«1 I «u
teaching school in Orange-
burg, when Colonel Ha-
good'a regiment, consisting
ot troops from Barnwell
______J and Orangeburg, and
known as First regiment, South Caro-
lina Volunteers, was ordered to Coles
Island.
In the fall of '61 President Davis
called for 3,000 troops to enlist for
three years' service or throughout the
war. We went under that call as the
Orangeburg Heavy artillery.
"1
PLATT KNOWS BIRDS
On November 11 we were mustered
Into service at Orangeburg and or-
dered to Port Johnson, where .Major
Lamar was quartered with a large
company from Barnwell. He divided
his company and formed a battalion of
artillery and early in 1862 increased
his battalion to a regiment of artillery
with ten full companies.
Fort Johnson was about two miles
in the harbor of Charleston east and
south of the city. There we found an
old fort and barracks and a number of
residences, some of which were occu-
pied.
On James Island.
James island embraced considerable
area of land lying south of Charles-
ton and was separated from the city
by Ashley river, from John's island
on the west by Stono river, from Ilat-
tery island on the south and Folly is-
land on the east by inlets running
from Stono river to Folly island. It
extended from Fort Johnson on the
east to Battery island southwest, a
distance of several miles. After the
Confederate forces had been withdrawn
from Cole's island and other points,
the Federal forces began their advance
on James Island, commanded by Gen-
eral Hunt with Brigadier Generals
Benham, Stevens, Wright and Gilmore.
About ten days previous to the battle
of Secesslonvllle a detachment of
twenty men from Captain Kent's com-
pany in command of Lieutenants Hum-
bert and Barton were ordered to Seces-
slonvllle to take charge of a 10-inch
Columblad and mortar battery. Seces-
slonvllle was situated on a peninsula
running out on the east side of James
island. We crossed an arm of Folly
island inlet on a long bridge made of
pine poles. The peninsula widened out
for some distance and then drew down
at the apex to something like 100
yards, where the battery was located.
The battery consisted of four 8-inch
siege pieces commanded by Capt. S.
J. Reid of Lamar's artillery, one 10-
inch Columbiad by Lieut. J. B Hum-
bert. one mortar battery by Lieut. W.
S. Barton.
The marsh or lagoon ran in the rear
of our battery, making an elbow to
our right, across which Colonel Ha-
good's regiment, with other troops,
was stationed to meet the attack of
Brigadier General Wright, advancing
up Stono river with a heavy force.
After a few days the remainder of
Captain Keitt's company was ordered
to the fort. We were on duty night
and day and frequently under the Are
of a gunboat lying in South Folly
island inlet, which Beemed to take a
special delight in shelling our battery.
Attacked at Dawn.
Just at dawn on the morning of June
16, 1862, the Federal forces, under the
command of Brig. Gen. I. 1. Stovens,
consisting of six regiments, with Rock-
well's and Strahan's light batteries,
surprised our pickets of the Twenty-
fourth South Carolina volunteers, and
others, doing duty at River's causeway,
about one mile in front of the The
pickets came running in without giv-
ing sufficient notice of the advance of
the enemy. Though surprised at first,
we soon rallied to our guns to meet
the charge of the enemy supported
by the Charleston battalion and the
Pee Dee battalion.
The fight was on and serious it grew
with men falling right and left. With
six regiments advancing in two lines
upon a much smaller force the outlook
for us was doubtful. But we knew
what metal our men were molded
of and South Carolina expected every
man to do his duty. The battle raged;
in the first charge Colonel Lamar was
wounded, Captain Reid was killed and
also every gunner in his detachment,
together with a number of our infan-
try support. His pieces were silent the
remainder of the fight. Captain Reid
had command of the siege pieces and
his men were more exposed than my
command, which was in charge of the
10-inch Columbiad on a barbette car-
riage. As the advance line of the
enemy pressed forward some mounted
our breastworks but were killed or re-
pulsed. Lieutenant Barton, by strong
effjjrt, did all that he could with his
mortar battery under the disadvantage
of a short range.
During the second charge a large
ruddy-looking Irishman, a non-com-
mi.sjitf>Bed officer of the Eighth Michi-
gan. i think, succeeded in mounting
the extreme left wing of our battery
and demanded a surrender of the fort.
To him 1 replied that we would never
surrender, and the fight went on. My
POINTED PARAGRAPHS
If people were as wise as they think
they aie the unuxpected would seldom
occur.
No girl who is able to bring a man
to the point cares for leap-year priv-
ileges.
Our idea of true faith is that of a
man who advertises for the return of
a lost umbrella.
ft it believed by some that the time
will com* when aa honest man will
Agreed on That.
"You say Mr. and Mrs. Gadsby are
two souls with but a single thought?"
"Exactly."
"How lovely!"
"I'm afraid .pot. They want to see
as little of each other as possible."
That Historic Performance.
"Nero Addled while Rome burned."
"Well," replied the accomplished mu-
sician, "it's a little something to hit
credit that he didn't prefer a ragtime
gun, the 10-inch Columbiad, was mount-
ed on a new barbette carriage which
worked heavily and recoiled only about
half the length of the carriage at each
discharge. This gave mo the advan-
tage of rapid firing.
A Close Place.
It was give and take, nip and tuck,
as to who should hold the fort. Cap-
tain Jamison of the Fourth Louisiana
battalion, who had been ordered to
help mount Capt. F. N. Bonneau's
guns, reached tho fort after the fight
svas on. 1 asked how many men he
brought, and he said 100. 1 told him
that with his help we could hold the
fort. When the main body of Federals
got within 100 yards of our fort, three
field officers were galloping toward
the center of their line, urging their
men forward. I waited a moment un-
til they met, then tired a double load
of projectiles and swept them from
the field. That broke the charge and
the infantry withdrew.
Big Guns Bark.
Then we were under a terrific flro
of shot and shell from Rockwell and
Strahan's light batteries covering
Stevens' retreat. While the fight was
on I noticed a number of sharpshoot-
ers secreting themselves In the under-
growth on the edge of the marsh and
killing our men. 1 detailed a sergeant
and a small detachment of men and,
placing them on the extreme right of
the battery, I instructed them to clean
out that hedgerow. This they soon
did.
The assaulting force was probably
4,000, while we had, all told, about
800 men. After tho battle was over
we had killed 100 men tryir.g to scale
our breastwork and we buried 500
more on our front. I don't know the
number of their wounded. Our loss
was 54 officers and men killed and 144
wounded.
After the battle I went into the
bombproof and told Colonel Lamar of
Captain Reid's death. I knew he con-
sidered him one of the best officers.
Soon after the battle the news of vic-
tory was heralded throughout the
Confederacy. General Pemberton, who
was in command of the Confederate
forces, made mention, by special or-
der, of the heroic defense of the fort
by Colonel Lamar's command and oth-
er troops engaged. And we were tho
recipients of many congratulations. It
was hard to fight over the dead bodies
of our comrades, but the occasion de-
manded it.
Dan Kelly, the Orangeburg Irishman,
with W. H. Amaker, J. W. Gibson,
Henry Hoover, John Jones, Julius
Shuler and other members of Company
I died as heroes at their post. The
battle of Secessionville was one of the
most decisive of the war—General
Stevens, advancing on the fort with
six regiments and two light batteries
with General Wright on Stono to pro-
tect his Hank and then to fail! They
were evidently badly defeated and
never made a second attack. Secession-
ville was the key to Charleston, and if
it had been taken Charleston would
probably have fallen.
After tho battle Capt. F. N. Bonneau
came to my battery and said to me:
"Lieutenant, your gun deserves to be
mounted on a golden pivot."
We were relieved from duty and or-
dered back to Fort Johnson. After a
few days Captain Keitt, who was
physically unable to do duty as a sol-
dier, resigned honorably and was pro-
moted to captain, Company I, Second
regiment, South Carolina artillery.
The lower officers were respectively
promoted.
Representative Edmund Piatt, who
la a newspaper publisher of Pough-
keepsle, N. Y„ knows more things
that are true about bird! than any*
body else in congress.
Whenever he can collect a Uttle
■pare time, Piatt puts dull statecraft
behind him and sets forth into the
woods and fields to listen to the song
and twitter ot the birds. Sparrows,
robins, flamingoes, storks, crows,
wrens—no matter what kind of birds
he sees, Piatt knows them all by sight.
If a bird is sitting still he can tell it
by its plumage, if flying, by its flight.
And If he can't see the stork or linnet
or cockatoo or whatever the bird Is,
he can identify it by its song. A bird
finds it practically Impossible to fool
Piatt. The blackbird that tries tc
pass Itself off on Piatt for a quail pre-
sents an absurd spectacle.
Rarely does Piatt venture out of
the house without his bird book and
bis opera glasses in hie pocket. A bird may take the view ot the one In the
poem and assert: "Nobody knows but my mate and I, where our nestlings lie.
Chee, chee, chee."
But that bird is wrong. For Piatt knows.
One morning Piatt paused in a little park on his way up to Capitol hill
to fix his opera glasses on a bird that was going twee, twee, twee, in a mighty
oak tree. Innocent pedestrians Btopped to look, wondering what manner of
man or beast Piatt had sighted in the tree. One old fellow, however, was
smarter than the rest. As he passed he remarked out of the corner of his
mouth to Piatt:
"I've seen you practical Jokers before. You'll stare up yonder a long time
before you'll get me to look."
DEMOCRATS' NEW SECRETARY
Normal promotion and recogni-
tion of ability both operated when W.
R. Hollister was appointed acting sec-
retary of the Democratic national
committee not long ago. The change
was made necessary by the lamented
death of Thomas J. Pence, the secre-
tary, and It is believed and hoped by
the many friends of Mr. Hollister that
his present temporary position will
be made permanent at the Democratic
national convention at St. Louis next
June. Mr. Hollister was appointed
assistant secretary by Mr, Pence and
conducted the affairs of tho office for
several weeks under the direction of
the secretary.
Mr. Hollister, who halls from Jef-
ferson City, Mo., Is clerk of the sen-
ate committee on foreign relations, of
which Senator Stono of Missouri is
chairman. Moreover, he has con-
ducted two campaigns for Senator
Stone with skill and success. In 1912,
before the Baltimore convention, he was an active member of the forces that
tried in vain to bring about the nomination of Speaker Clark, but as soon as
his party decided it wanted to run Woodrow Wilson for president, Mr. Hol-
lister devoted all his energy and experience to the election of that gentleman.
The new secretary is still a bachelor, despite bis good looks, affability and
wide acquaintance.
PARKS MEAN MUCH TO CITY
Playgrounds a Moot Important Part
In the Welfare of Any
Community.
Play and outdoor exercise are aa
necessary to the' modern city dweller
aa is education, according to J. R.
Richards, Chicago's superintendent oi
recreation.
The way in which people spend thelf
Uvea after the day's journey Is over-*
the way in which they play—offer#
them the best chance of contributing
to the enhancement of one another's
lives; that is the view of Herbert
Croly in "Progressive Democracy."
Parks are often called the lungs of
the cltieB. That seems to denote!
health giving. To call them the hearij
pf the cities might give mora idea of
the moral value ot the people's play-
grounds.
That there is a moral issue In tho
nse of public parks is the theme of
Mr. Richards' paper on the American
city. The leisure time period, he de-
clares, is the part of our existence that
makes or breaks us. The saloon, of-
fering facilities for getting together, la
one resort open to the Idle hour, and
he asserts that "the first visit is for
companionship and not for booze."
Among the recommendations for tho
development of recreation opportuni-
ties for adults is that city authorities
should co-operate with organizations
already in existence and should have
| a survey made to put into uso for out-
door sports all vacant areas. Grown-
ups, ho believes, should bo induced to
take more Interest in golf, tennis,
cricket, boating, skating and other
games and should be given plenty of
room for sport. Public swimming
pools also are urged to spread healtb
and retain it.
INTERVIEWING CARTER GLASS
Washington correspondents one day
not long ago after an experience with
Representative Carter Glass of Vir-
ginia, chairman of the house commit-
tee on banking and currency and ono
of the steadfast supporters of Presi-
dent Wilson in the "armed-ship" con-
troversy.
Mr. Glass was questioned by sev-
eral correspondents regarding tho
near revolt in the bouse, and he used
vigorous language in expressing Ills
opinion of certain of his colleagues.
One correspondent prepared his
"story" and took it to Mr. Glass rot
approval before publication. The Vir-
ginian made a few changes and later
In the evening called up the writer
and asked him to "make it perdition
instead of hell." The next day, when
he Baw his words In cold type, he de-
nied he had been interviewed. The
reporter used both "hell and perdition" in his indignant outburst for press
gallery consumption and analysis.
Plan the "City Practical."
Something of the right spirit is in
St. Louis, where Harlan Bartholomew
has been engaged by the citizens' city
planning committee. Tho river front
and the street system will first engago
his attention.
{ "The city beautiful idea does not
appeal to the general public suffi-
ciently to win financial support," he
said shortly after arriving from New-
ark, N. J., where for three years he
had been a city plan expert. "I am
Interested in the city practical, and I
find that the public Is inclined to
favor it, as is comes to understand
what can be done, and the benefits
'.hat will follow.
"The river front should be made &
public convenience and a business as-
set, and tho Improvements to be made
should be in the direction of aiding
the Interchange of freight between
rail and water carriers.
"The street system of St. Louis, as
of most American cities, is too largely
rectangular. Radial highways are
. needed. Hero tho work of city re-
lB an Interview not an in- j plannIng ha3 to rnrrort the mistakes
terview? was a question asked by . Qf th0 paBt_ wh,ch nro often rostly
L
KEYNOTER FOR REPUBLICANS
Not at the Depot.
"That new feller don't seem to give
a heck for society."
"What makes ye think <!0?"
"Why, he's lived here fer a week
and durned ef he's been down to see
the train come in once!"—Browning's
Journal.
Held by the Enemy.
SIr&m—Don't see how them folks up
to Joslah's could hev stayed their two
hull weeks.
Hiram—I do; paid their board mon
ay la advaaoa.
Warren G. Harding, United States
senator from Ohio, selected as tem-
porary chairman of the Republican
national convention in Chicago in
June by the executive committee
of the national committee, will
bo called upon to sound, in his open-
ing address to the convention, tho
keynote of the Republican campaign.
That he will sound it in eloquent
periods is a certainty, for he is one of
the silver-tongued orators of his party,
whose words are a delight to the ear,
whether or not they carry conviction
to the mind.
Mr. Harding has been classed as a
conservative and has announced that
preparedness and the tariff will be the
paramount Issues in the next cam-
paign. Consequently these questions
will be dealt with at length in the key-
note address.
Senator Harding is a tall, erect,
striking figure. Born In Blooming
Grove, 0„ in 1865, and educated at the now defunct Ohio Central college at
Iberia, he became a printer, and soon rose from the case to be editor and
owner of the Marlon Star. Naturally drifting into politics, he was elected a
state senator in 1899 and served two terms. Then, In 1903, he was made lieu-
tenant governor. In 1910 he was the Republican candidate for governor, but
was defeated by Judson Harmon. Four yoars later he contested the Repefc.
Mean nomination for United States senator with Senator Foraker and win
out, and was elected. His term expires In 1921.
Bo welt does Obi a think of Senator Harding that until a few montha ago
ho was much talks* ot as that state's "favorite eon" for tho prssldeatlal
the Chloago convention.
mistakes. The only place where it
ran do now work, and prevent further
mistakes is in the planning ot subdi-
visions and additions."
Use Is the Test.
Chicago's effort to promote outdoor
recreation recently received tribute
from Knos Mills of Colorado. He is an
enthusiastic supporter of tho move-
ment for Increased utilization ot
America's national parks.
"No city in the country has done so
much for outdoor recreation as Chi-
cago," he said. "You are using your
parks."
So it would appear that Mr. Rich-
ards practices what ho preaches in tho
magazines. The Chicago News, in ac-
cepting Mr. Mills' compliment, com-
ments:
"Chicago docs not by any meana
lead In park area, either absolutely or
in proportion to population. But, as
Mr. Mills remarks, this community
makes excellent provision for tho peo-
ple's intensive utilization of the avail-
able park facilities, Tho playgrounds,
the bathing beaches and swimming
pools are designed to bring opportun-
ities for healthful exercise and enjoy-
ment within easy reach of as muny Of
the people os possible, and a true rea-
son for regret Is the delay In the ac-
quisition and conversion of the outly-
Ing wooded areas."
City to Build Homes.
The city of St. John. N. B., Is pre-
paring to enter tho housing business
for the benefit of the workmen ot tho
city. The first step was ta.ken at a
recent meeting of the comidon coun-
cil, when a bill giving the city the re-
quired power, was approved and or-
dered to bo forwarded to the legisla-
ture.
The bill gives the city power to ex-
propriate lands as they may be re-
quired and to erect houses suitable for
tho homes of working men. It pro-
vides for the Issuing of bonds to cover
the cost of purchase and erection and
sets forth an easy-payment scheme un-
der which the properties may be ac-
quired b> the cilLcns.
The plan suggested Is a payment ot
10 or 15 per cent ot the ultimata oosf
when possession is taken and tho bal-
ance to be patu in monthly Instalf-
mentfc, auch payments to bo arranged
£0 Include Interest at • pc
m balance outstanding.
■
<S(.
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Bishop, Marvin E. The Claude News (Claude, Tex.), Vol. 14, No. 37, Ed. 1 Friday, June 2, 1916, newspaper, June 2, 1916; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth348590/m1/2/: accessed May 5, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Richard S. and Leah Morris Memorial Library.