Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 26.djvu/75

 Rh vicinity, with a restricted railroad transportation service for their movement outward in cases of emergency.

I have no space in this narrative for details of this gallant, self-sacrificing retention of our coast line, but the reader will find in that invaluable history, "Johnson's Defence of Charleston Harbor," page 277, "a calendar of events on the coast, January 9, 1861, to February 18, 1865," which records the numerous attempts to destroy our railway line, the enemy's objective point for four years, uniformly resulting in utter failure and defeat, as shown in this indispensable military record. This invaluable encyclopaedia of local military annals, as its title indicates, was intended to record the events of the war in Charleston harbor during a stated period; the author, however, in addition, kept a diary of such other events relating to our coast defence as was possible at the time, and so preserved what now proves to be of great value to the war history of those years; in this thoughtful and painstaking way this "calendar of events" has been preserved to us. * * * * *

An interesting chapter of war history is yet to be written of this unequalled defence of exposed coast territory between the railroad and seashore, below Charleston, marked, as it was, by conspicuous courage, patient endurance and a continuous self-sacrifice on the part of each and all, to say nothing of fighting successfully in numerous engagements against heavy odds. It was an unobserved, daily and nightly routine of arduous and exposed service, and it is due to the heroism and fidelity with which this duty was discharged that the honorable record has been indelibly made, that not a rail on our base line was ever disturbed by the enemy during four long years of frequent attempts and effective resistance.

Germane to the successful defence of this coast territory, and especially to the victory of Honey Hill, the officers and men on duty may well be remarked upon here. The rapid growth of the Confederate army to large dimensions soon exhausted the roster of graduates from West Point, Annapolis, Virginia Military Institute and Citadel Academy, then the only sources from which to secure educated military men. Relative to the whole number of officers in the armies of the Confederacy these were few indeed; their influence for good was felt and recognized during the struggle, but the fact remains that our armies were, necessarily, officered by civilians. From both classes, and especially from the civilians, officers were advanced to high positions, and won great distinction in the war, rising from