Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 26.djvu/248

 238 Southern Hi^nriml Society Papers.

cuse me for publicly recording how he did his duty to South Caro- lina and the South, under very serious disabilities, in perilous times. As soon as it was possible after the election of Governor Hamp- ton, the " Lafayettes " resumed their position in the volunteer mili- tary of the State, and are still in that service.

THE FURMAN LIGHT ARTILLERY, (EARLE'S BATTERY.)

One day in 1862 a tall, well-mounted artillery officer rode up to my quarters, near Hardeeville, and inquired for me; he introduced him- self as Captain Earle; said that his light battery had been ordered to the vicinity, and asked my advice as to a good locality for a company camp. I mounted my horse and rode with him, pointing out differ- ent localities that were suitable, one was finally selected, and later in the day the command arrived. In the course of conversation Captain Earle remarked upon the disabilities encountered in drilling and preparing the men in the light artillery service. He had found it impossible to obtain a hand book for the light artillery drill, and had to be dependent upon such verbal instructions as he could obtain. By a singular coincidence I owned a copy of the very latest edition of the United States Light Artillery Manual, descriptive of and illustrated with plates of each and every part of the gun, carriage, caisson, projectiles and every detail of the drill, etc. I mentioned this, and said I would send to Charleston and get the volume for him. This I did, and I record here that I never in the army, or out of it, witnessed more painstaking, constant work done than went on in " Earle's Battery." Hour after hour, day after day, for months the drills were kept up, and the result was very soon seen one of the best disciplined and most efficient light batteries in the service. The personal friendship thus begun lasted uninterruptedly until Cap- tain Earle's recent lamented death.

The company known during the war as " Earle's Battery" was organized in August, 1861, by (Rev.) W. H. Campbell as captain, for service in Colonel Maxcy Gregg's infantry regiment. It soon attracted a large membership, and the lieutenants were: G. W. Holtzclaw, first; W. E. Earle, second; James Furman, third. There being need for artillerists, Colonel Gregg consented to release the command; in numbers it was large enough for two companies. Captain W. H. Campbell was promoted major, and Lieutenants Holtzclaw and Earle were made captains. Captain Earle's company as a compliment was named for Dr. James C. Furman, a prominent and highly esteemed citizen of Greenville city. Its three officers