Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 16.djvu/24

 18 Southern Historical Society Papers.

Then followed the battles around Richmond, the Second Manassas and the Pennsylvania campaign, in all which this regiment bore its part with its accustomed gallantry. Then your winter of i862-'63 at the Blackwater, thereby missing Chancellorsville; then your return to the Army of Northern Virginia, the Pennsylvania campaign and the battle of Gettysburg, and your transfer with Longstreet's corps to the Army of Tennessee.

On the 28th October, 1863, you were in the battle of Lookout Mountain, where Bratton commanded Jenkins' brigade, before it be- came his own; then the Knoxville campaign and siege, and your re- turn to Virginia; then you took part in that wonderful campaign from the Wilderness to Cold Harbor, in which, from the 5th of May to 3oth June, the armies of the Potomac and of the James under Grant lost a greater number than there w^re men in the Army of Northern Virginia under Lee; and then the long siege of Petersburg, ending with Appomattox.

General Bratton made a report on the ist of January, 1864, of the operations of his brigade from the Wilderness to that date, which com- prises the history of its active operations while under his command. He concludes with a statement, that out of 2,016 present at the be- ginning of the campaign, your losses during it were 1,688, including many of the noblest and best in your ranks.*

THE TWELFTH REGIMENT.

In the summer of 1861, the Confederate Government called upon the State of South Carolina for six regiments of volunteers for the war; that is, for the whole war. The regiments which were accepted under this call were Gregg's old First Regiment (reorganized), Orr's First Rifles, the Twelfth, Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth regi- ments. Gregg's brigade was constituted of the first five of these. The Fifteenth regiment was added to Kershaw's brigade.

Of these, the Twelfth regiment was composed, with the exception, I believe, of two companies from Oconee, of companies raised from York, Lancaster, Kershaw, and Fairfield. From Fairfield there were two companies, Company C, Captain H. C. Davis, and Company F, Captain Hayne McMeekin.

The regiment was organized by the election of Colonel R. G. M. Dunnovant, of Chester, as Colonel; Dixon Barnes, of Lancaster, as


 * Southern Historical Society Papers, Vol. VIII, p. 547.