Description

Free Domestic Shipping. You are purchasing the exact item shown in the photographs. From the personal wartime papers of Dr. Theodore. A. LaFar of Charleston, South Carolina (born 14 October 1831 in Charleston and died 28 December 1912 in Chattachoochee, Florida and buried in the French Protestant Huguenot Cemetery in Charleston). A Google search reveals the 1890 proceedings of the South Carolina legislature that accepted four South Carolina Confederate Battle Flags from Dr. LaFar on December 22, 1890 . According to the minutes of the Legislature, LaFar had fled Richmond on April 2, 1865 and taken the flags with him. The Legislature recognized and summarized his service as Director of the South Carolina Hospital Bureau. Duties of the SCHB included "forwarding packages to soldiers in the field, establishing state hospitals, aiding prisoners in the hands of the enemy, receive the wounded after battle and to 'succor' a South Carolina soldier wherever found." A wonderful camp date-lined letter from a Lieutenant at the winter camp (near Orange, Virginia) of the famous light artillery brigade of William Ransom Johnson Pegram's Artillery Battalion. The writer had been with the unit from formation as a private, rising to the rank of Lieutenant through and with the Gettysburg battles. This letter is mounted on 19th century ruled paper. The text of the letter is as follows: H[ea]d Q[uar]t[e]rs Pegram's Battalion 10th February 1864 Dr. T. A. Lafar So[uth] Ca[arolina] Depot Richmond, Va. D[ea]r. Dr.: Co. B. W. Edwards of Darlington So Ca will forward to your care $300.00 subject to my order. Please keep the same for me until I have need for it. In case you should be able to get any govern- ment cloth for me, pay for the same out of the above fund. In haste Yrs, E. K. Dargan Using a subscription genealogy Internet site, I have determined that E. K. Dargan (born in 1841) enlisted on September 2, 1861 as a private in Company D, of the 1st Regiment of South Carolina Infantry, which became the Pee Dee Artillery. The 1850 Federal Census shows "E.K." as a son of Julius (a lawyer) and M. J. Dargan. "E. K." was the second oldest of six children. The oldest was Alonzo Timothy Dargan born in 1839 at Darlington who became a Lt. Colonel in Company B of the 21st South Carolina and was killed in action on May 7, 1864 at Port Walthall Junction. I suspect that the "E" in "E. K." stands for Ebenezer, as modern day inhabitants of the family farm in Darlington reference their originating ancestor as "Ebenezer." I found reference to Lt. E. K. Dargan in the Pegram's Battery of Pee Dee Artillery and the text is reproduced after this paragraph. The letter writer did survive the war and the 1870 census lists him as a Darlington Lawyer with a five month old child. named "L(ouis) P(egram) Dargan." The genealogical site took me to the 1895 Harvard Law School graduation program and listed Louis Pegram Dargan as the son of E. K. Dargan. Company D left home in Darlington District, August 15, 1861, having volunteered for the war, and arrived in Virginia a few days later, and went into camp near Richmond. In the spring of 1862 this company was converted into a battery of artillery, known as the Pee Dee Light Artillery, and transferred to another command. The end of November 1862 saw the Battery on the move with Jackson’s Corps. After a feign toward Winchester, they wheeled around and marched to Fredericksburg. The Army of the Potomac was poised to strike across the Rappahannock, but Lee was digging in on the heights above the town. Walker’s Battalion went into position at Hamilton’s Crossroads on Dec. 13th, with the PDLA on the left atop a wooded crest. They came under a withering Federal barrage, but had orders to save their fire for the Yankee infantry. Still, the Battery helped repel six charges against Jackson’s center, four of which required the use of double-canister to drive the Federals back. McIntosh would report that he’d “never seen the guns worked so beautifully” by his men than at Fredericksburg. The fight took a dreadful toll on the Battery—26 of the 66 men present were killed or wounded. Two guns were also dismounted, a limber and caisson exploded, and 25 horses were lost. At nightfall, the Battery was relieved to replenish their ammunition. Before dawn, an impressed Gen. Jackson ordered “those same boys that were up there yesterday” back onto the front line and the PDLA went back into position. Col. Walker relieved them a short time later, however. McIntosh went into winter quarters at Milford Station and the Battery remained there until spring. The intrepid captain was promoted and given his own artillery battalion after another reorganization. In his place, Ervin Brunson was made captain. Brunson, from the Ebenezer section of Darlington District, was a capable officer although not wholly popular. Col. Walker was put in command of Jackson’s reserve artillery, and Major Willie Pegram took his place. The Battery left for Chancellorsville on April 29th, arriving early the next morning. Lt. E.K. Dargan’s section accompanied Jackson on a reconnaissance that day, returning after nightfall. After following the corps around Hooker’s right flank, the Battery went into position near an old shop along the Chancellorsville road. When Jackson launched his famous attack, Brunson ordered the Napoleon forward to support Hill’s troops while the rest of the Battery engaged Union artillery at Fairview Heights. The Napoleon soon returned after being driven back by heavy fire. A lucky shot exploded a caisson, killing three and wounding four including Sgt. Maj. A.J. Rugg mortally. Pegram soon afterward ordered the entire Battery forward, but lack of good ground forced Brunson to return at nightfall. Later that evening, Gen. A.P. Hill ordered Brunson to send a rider to find Gen. Stuart. Ervin’s nephew, Ordnance Sgt. Joseph Brunson, volunteered and took off with the word of Jackson’s wounding. Sometime after midnight, Joe came across some of Stuart’s cavalry who took him to Gen. Fitzhugh Lee. Brunson accompanied Lee to Stuart’s headquarters and the message was delivered. May 3rd dawned with the Pee Dee Lt. Arty moving along the Orange Turnpike toward Chancellorsville. The unit occupied some abandoned Federal works and began exchanging long-range fire with the Federal guns near U.S. Ford. This action resulted in four wounded and 8 horses killed. Afterwards, the Battery returned to Milford to rest and recruit. In attempts to unify the armament of the army’s artillery, Brunson received three 3-in Ordnance Rifles to replace his other guns. On June 15th, 1863 the PDLA began the long march northward to begin the Gettysburg Campaign. They crossed the Potomac and camped near South Mountain on the 27th. The opening day of that historic battle found the Battery deployed along the Chambersburg Pike with Pegram’s battalion. They put accurate counterbattery fire into the Union guns along McPherson Ridge, forcing one Federal battery to move three times. Once the enemy artillery was silenced, the guns were turned on the troops of the Union I Corps. The seasoned artillerymen kept a steady fire until dark. One of the rifles broke an axle during the engagement and was retired. On July 2nd, with the rifle repaired, Capt. Brunson was strangely absent from duty and command of the Battery fell to Lt. W.E. Zimmerman. The PDLA was advanced to Seminary Ridge, about a mile south of the Hagerstown Road. They engaged the enemy wherever they could, particularly the batteries of the Union XI Corps around Cemetery Hill. On the 3rd, they were part of the barrage that preceded Pickett’s Charge—their long-range rifles belching hot iron into the positions of the Union XVI Corps. Gettysburg would cost the Battery 2 killed, seven wounded, twenty horses, and one caisson exploded. Upon its return to Virginia, the PDLA went into camp near Orange Court House. They would take part in several smaller engagements, including A.P. Hill’s disastrous march against Bristoe Station in mid October and Jubal Early’s Mine Run Campaign in Nov.-Dec. At Verdiersville during the latter action, the Battery fired in support of Early’s artillery, allowing them to disengage from the fight. A few days latter, the men took part in a heavy cannonade between Hill and Meade near Rexville. The rest of the winter was fortunately quite. By the time Grant launched his Overland Campaign in May, 1864 the PDLA was is dire need of equipment and horses, the lack of which prevented them from participating in the Wilderness fight. But they did take part in the battles around Spotsylvania, where they dug extensive redoubts in between sharp fights with Burnside’s artillery. Zimmerman, now captain after Brunson was cashiered, lost one killed and three wounded. He also was faced with the fact that his battery was in unsatisfactory condition. Unable to recruit and losing men to battle and disease, there were hardly enough men to man three guns.... Terms and Conditions: FREE United States of America Postal Service FIRST CLASS MAIL SHIPPING to the United States. Uninsured International, including Canada, shipments are $36.85 because this will be sent by registered, insured mail. The United States Postal Service has an excellent record with my shipments. I have been a member of the American Philatelic Society since 1978 and have been selling on eBay for years. Virginia buyers must pay our Governor's 5.3% sales tax unless you email a PDF of your resale certificate within 24 hours of the end of the auction. Buy with trust and confidence. Thank you for taking the time to view my items and make sure to review the other items in my eBay retail store, especially in this category.