Richmond, November 8, 1866.My Dear Sir—As the organ of the Hollywood Memorial Association, I desire to express to you our grateful acknowledgment of your untiring efforts in our behalf, and our sense of your valuable and disinterested services in advancing our solemn and sacred purpose.Your taste and ardor have been efficient in securing for us a large share of general sympathy.We sincerely regret to lose you from our counsels, but feel assured of your continued sympathy and interest, as you may of our best wishes for your success and happiness.Be pleased to accept our acknowledgments, and with them the accompanying slight memorial.I am, with high respect, your friend,N. MACFARLAND,President H. M. A.To CaptainF. W. Dawson.
Richmond, November 8, 1866.
My Dear Sir—As the organ of the Hollywood Memorial Association, I desire to express to you our grateful acknowledgment of your untiring efforts in our behalf, and our sense of your valuable and disinterested services in advancing our solemn and sacred purpose.
Your taste and ardor have been efficient in securing for us a large share of general sympathy.
We sincerely regret to lose you from our counsels, but feel assured of your continued sympathy and interest, as you may of our best wishes for your success and happiness.
Be pleased to accept our acknowledgments, and with them the accompanying slight memorial.
I am, with high respect, your friend,N. MACFARLAND,President H. M. A.
To CaptainF. W. Dawson.
The “slight memorial” of which Mrs. MacFarland speaks is a set of studs and sleeve buttons of gold, with the Confederate battle-flag in enamel on each one. I hope that my children will prize these; not only because they bear upon them the flag under which their father fought, but because of the source whence they came, and the work and sympathy they commemorate.
I had much to do with another undertaking of a totallydifferent character. My immediate circle of friends, among the men in Richmond, consisted of Captain Philip H. Haxall, who had been on General Lee’s staff for a short time; Charlie Minnigerode, whom I have spoken of before, and who was now fast recovering from his wound; Willie Myers, who married a niece of Captain Pegram, Miss Mattie Paul, and died of consumption, dear fellow, some years ago; Page McCarty, who afterwards blighted his life by killing Mordecai in a duel; Jack Elder, the artist; and John Dunlop, my old Petersburg friend, and a few others. We had been in the habit of meeting at night, when we had any time to spare, in what we called “the chicken coop,” which was a sort of summer-house in the rear of a restaurant in Broad Street. Here we founded the Richmond Club, of which Colonel D. G. MacIntosh, of South Carolina, who had married the beautiful Virginia Pegram, and was then living in Richmond, was the first President. I was the first Secretary. I mention the Richmond Club here, because it soon grew to be a large and prosperous concern, with a handsome club house of its own, and because there were features in the constitution and by-laws which might be adopted with advantage by similar associations. Card-playing for money was absolutely prohibited, and what was more peculiar than this, and was a hobby of my own, no member was allowed to take any refreshments whatever in the club at the expense of another. No “treating” was permitted, unless a stranger should have been invited to the club by a member, in which case the member who invited him might ask other friends to join the party. It was an admirable rule, and was effectual in preventing that hard drinking which is the bane of most clubs, and which is difficult, at times, to avoid so long as one member feels under any obligation, or ispermitted, to invite other members to drink with him at his expense, which involves an obligation on their part to return the compliment.
My health now was not as good as it had been. I was attacked by chills and fever, and obliged to give up my work. I think the malady was brought on by my exposure to the sun, in my tramps about the streets in the summer. Dr. Barney, of Richmond, insisted upon my going to his house, and Mrs. Barney was assiduous in her kindness. As soon as I began to regain my strength I went up to Mr. Barton Haxall’s beautiful place, near Orange Courthouse, and recovered rapidly. This was in August or September, 1866. I had for a short time been engaged to be married to Miss Mary Haxall, one of Mr. Haxall’s daughters, but was unceremoniously jilted not long before I went up to Orange. A brighter or wittier girl than Mary Haxall, in those days, it were hard to find; and the unkindest cut of all was that she should have ended by marrying a man whom she might never have known had I not presented him to her. This is Mr. Alexander Cameron, a wealthy tobacco manufacturer of Richmond, who is, I am told, desperately in love with his wife after all these years, and proves his affection by allowing her to have her own way in everything. Before my engagement to her, I was at a party as her escort, when Mr. George, of Richmond, appeared discourteous in his conduct towards her, in consequence of a difference of opinion as to an engagement to dance. As soon as I had conducted her home I sent Mr. George a challenge. Page McCarty acted as my friend, in the matter; and part of his plan of action was to have the ground for the combat on the other side of Hollywood Cemetery, so that the duelists would have the satisfaction of passingthrough or around the Cemetery on their way to the place of meeting. Page told me, with his peculiar drawl, that he knew I could stand it, and he thought it might unsettle the nerves of the other fellow. The whole of the arrangements had been made, and we were to fight the next morning, when some cool headed friend (I do not remember who it was), intervened, and the difficulty was adjusted, as it ought to have been. There was so little expectation of a settlement that I made a visit to Miss Jennie Cooper, the daughter of Adjutant-General Cooper, late in the evening, and communicated to her my last wishes; and gave her my watch to take care of, and dispose of, in the event that the walk through the Cemetery should not have the expected effect upon Mr. George’s nerves. My experience with Miss Haxall prompts me to say that an attractive girl is exceedingly dangerous to the peace of mind of any one whom she may undertake to instruct in the round dances. The crisis was brought on, I believe, by some tableaux for the benefit of the Memorial Association, or something of that kind. In the tableaux Miss Mary was “Cleopatra” and I was a Confederate soldier lying dead on the battle-field, wearing for the occasion the uniform coat of Major McGraw, who was a Lieutenant in the Purcell Battery in 1862, when I joined it, and had risen to the rank of Major and lost an arm in the service. It was the morning after the tableaux that I became engaged to Miss Mary, and presented her with a gold brooch which exhausted my pocket money, and on which brooch her initials and mine were tenderly scratched with the point of a pin. In less than a fortnight the play was over. But when I returned to Richmond, from Orange, I went to see Miss Mary and her sister Miss Lottie Haxall, who were then making a visit toMr. Conway Robinson, their uncle, who lives near the Soldier’s Home at Washington. Miss Lottie Haxall, the younger sister of Miss Mary, was a thoroughly high-bred girl in every way, and noble in every phase of her character.
I had pretty well made up my mind to leave theDispatchif I should receive an offer of employment elsewhere. There was no prospect of advancement in theDispatchoffice, and I was very much disgusted by the intention of the proprietors to stop my pay during my absence on account of my illness, contracted in their service. When I returned to Richmond I was sent for by Colonel Briscoe G. Baldwin, who had been Chief Ordnance officer of General Lee’s army, and had been appointed Superintendent of the National Express Company. He told me he wanted me to take a position under him in the National Express Company. This company was organized after the war as a rival of the Southern Express Company, and had been something of a hospital for Confederate officers of high rank. It was at this time in a tottering condition; but Colonel Baldwin said he thought it was not too late to save it, if he could get such men as he wanted to do the active work of the Company. He did not pretend to hide the condition of the Company from me, but told me that he desired to have me there and thought that it would be a good place for me, as, if the Company did pull through its difficulties, I would be on the sure road to promotion. I resigned from theDispatch, and on September 17th, 1866, I was appointed Route Agent in the National Express and Transportation Company, “with all the rights, privileges, authority, and duties attaching to the position.” My salary was one hundred dollars a month, and the Company paid my travelling expenses. The territory which I was to supervise covered the lines of railroad from Richmond to Alexandria in onedirection, and from Richmond to Bristol, Tennessee, in the other. I went out on the road at once, visiting the agents at every depot, and examining into the condition of the business. There was great confusion everywhere, and the railroads were threatening to discontinue taking freight for us, as the Company did not pay the charges promptly. One of the places that I visited was Lexington, where I had the great happiness of seeing General R. E. Lee and his daughters again. I saw General Lee only once after this, and that was when he visited Charleston not long before he died. Engaged as he was with visitors, he gave me, in kindly remembrance of my services with his nephew, General Fitzhugh Lee, a private interview, in order that my wife, Virginia, might be presented to him. General Lee’s youngest son, Robert E. Lee, married Miss Lottie Haxall. I heard after I left Richmond that they would probably become engaged, but I lost sight of Miss Lottie until 1872, when I heard that Mr. and Mrs. R. E. Lee, who were newly married, were staying at Aiken. Assuming that Mrs. Lee must be my old friend Miss Lottie, I wrote to her and begged her to come to Charleston. A night or two afterwards I was at the theatre in Charleston, and as I looked at the audience I saw her sparkling face turned towards me and smiling recognition. The next day Mr. and Mrs. Lee spent with me and my wife, and we went down to Fort Sumter together. It was the last time that my wife went out; and only two or three months afterwards Lottie Lee died of consumption. Almost the last words that my wife, Virginia, who died in 1872, said to me before her death were: “When I die, I shall see Lottie again.”
I also had the opportunity of visiting Warrenton, where I spent a day with General W. H. Payne, whom I had notseen since we bade each other good-bye when he was wounded at Five Forks. General Lomax was living near Warrenton, and we had a glorious day reviving the memories of our service in the cavalry. The National Express Company, however, was on its last legs, and when I reached Richmond in October I found that it had been determined to wind up the concern. So ended my career as an expressman. While on one of my tours of inspection, and waiting at a wayside station for the train, I wrote the following verses:
“ONLY A PRIVATE.”
I.Only a private! his jacket of grayIs stained by the smoke and the dust;As Bayard, he’s brave; as Rupert, he’s gay;Reckless as Murat in heat of the fray,But in God is his only trust!II.Only a private! to march and to fight,To suffer and starve and be strong;With knowledge enough to know that the mightOf justice, and truth, and freedom and right,In the end must crush out the wrong.III.Only a private! no ribbon or starShall gild with false glory his name!No honors for him in braid or in bar,His Legion of Honor is only a scar,And his wounds are his roll of fame!IV.Only a private! one more hero slainOn the field lies silent and chill!And in the far South a wife prays in vainOne clasp of the hand she may ne’er clasp again,One kiss from the lips that are still.V.Only a private! there let him sleep!He will need nor tablet nor stone;For the mosses and vines o’er his grave will creep,And at night the stars through the clouds will peep,And watch him who lies there alone.VI.Only a martyr! who fought and who fellUnknown and unmarked in the strife!But still as he lies in his lonely cellAngel and Seraph the legend shall tell—Such a death is eternal life!
I.Only a private! his jacket of grayIs stained by the smoke and the dust;As Bayard, he’s brave; as Rupert, he’s gay;Reckless as Murat in heat of the fray,But in God is his only trust!II.Only a private! to march and to fight,To suffer and starve and be strong;With knowledge enough to know that the mightOf justice, and truth, and freedom and right,In the end must crush out the wrong.III.Only a private! no ribbon or starShall gild with false glory his name!No honors for him in braid or in bar,His Legion of Honor is only a scar,And his wounds are his roll of fame!IV.Only a private! one more hero slainOn the field lies silent and chill!And in the far South a wife prays in vainOne clasp of the hand she may ne’er clasp again,One kiss from the lips that are still.V.Only a private! there let him sleep!He will need nor tablet nor stone;For the mosses and vines o’er his grave will creep,And at night the stars through the clouds will peep,And watch him who lies there alone.VI.Only a martyr! who fought and who fellUnknown and unmarked in the strife!But still as he lies in his lonely cellAngel and Seraph the legend shall tell—Such a death is eternal life!
I.Only a private! his jacket of grayIs stained by the smoke and the dust;As Bayard, he’s brave; as Rupert, he’s gay;Reckless as Murat in heat of the fray,But in God is his only trust!
I.
Only a private! his jacket of gray
Is stained by the smoke and the dust;
As Bayard, he’s brave; as Rupert, he’s gay;
Reckless as Murat in heat of the fray,
But in God is his only trust!
II.Only a private! to march and to fight,To suffer and starve and be strong;With knowledge enough to know that the mightOf justice, and truth, and freedom and right,In the end must crush out the wrong.
II.
Only a private! to march and to fight,
To suffer and starve and be strong;
With knowledge enough to know that the might
Of justice, and truth, and freedom and right,
In the end must crush out the wrong.
III.Only a private! no ribbon or starShall gild with false glory his name!No honors for him in braid or in bar,His Legion of Honor is only a scar,And his wounds are his roll of fame!
III.
Only a private! no ribbon or star
Shall gild with false glory his name!
No honors for him in braid or in bar,
His Legion of Honor is only a scar,
And his wounds are his roll of fame!
IV.Only a private! one more hero slainOn the field lies silent and chill!And in the far South a wife prays in vainOne clasp of the hand she may ne’er clasp again,One kiss from the lips that are still.
IV.
Only a private! one more hero slain
On the field lies silent and chill!
And in the far South a wife prays in vain
One clasp of the hand she may ne’er clasp again,
One kiss from the lips that are still.
V.Only a private! there let him sleep!He will need nor tablet nor stone;For the mosses and vines o’er his grave will creep,And at night the stars through the clouds will peep,And watch him who lies there alone.
V.
Only a private! there let him sleep!
He will need nor tablet nor stone;
For the mosses and vines o’er his grave will creep,
And at night the stars through the clouds will peep,
And watch him who lies there alone.
VI.Only a martyr! who fought and who fellUnknown and unmarked in the strife!But still as he lies in his lonely cellAngel and Seraph the legend shall tell—Such a death is eternal life!
VI.
Only a martyr! who fought and who fell
Unknown and unmarked in the strife!
But still as he lies in his lonely cell
Angel and Seraph the legend shall tell—
Such a death is eternal life!
Richmond, Va., October 24, 1866.
Riordan did not remain long with theExaminerafter I left it, and had been at work in Washington. Occasionally he wrote to me, and assured me that he had not given up the newspaper project for Charleston, and that he would put a “peg in” in that direction whenever he had an opportunity. With this in view, he accepted a position offered him on the CharlestonCourier, and went back to Charleston. In October, Colonel R. Barnwell Rhett was preparing to resume the publication of theMercury, and asked Riordan to take his old place on that paper. Riordan declined to do this, and advised Colonel Rhett to take me if I would come. It was only a day or two after I had finished my work with the National Express Company that I received a letter from Riordan, telling me what he had done; and on the heels of his letter came a telegram from Colonel Rhett, offering me an engagement on theMercuryand asking me to come to Charleston immediately. There was nothing to require me to remain in Richmond, so I accepted Colonel Rhett’s offer, and after a round of leave-taking started for Charleston, where I arrived on November 10th, 1866.
My first visit was to Riordan, whom I found in theCourieroffice in East Bay Street. The next day I went to work in theMercuryoffice, and remained on that paper until Riordan and I bought one-third of the CharlestonNewsin the autumnof 1867. On May 1, 1867, I was married to Miss Virginia Fourgeaud, a faithful and loving wife. Her health unhappily failed fast, and she died in December, 1872.
In the waning fortunes of the CharlestonNewswas the opportunity that we had long desired of becoming managersof a newspaper of our own; an object which Riordan had kept unflaggingly in view from the moment that he had first talked the project over with me in theExamineroffice at Richmond. It was his foresight, of course, in seizing the opportunity to bring me to Charleston, that put us both in the position to take the chance which was presented to us by the decline of the CharlestonNews. The paper had been exceedingly successful under extravagant and careless management, and we could not, of course, expect to obtain control of it until those who were managing it in Charleston were willing to give it up. Captain James F. McMillan and Mr. R. S. Cathcart had been controlling the paper. Cathcart withdrew, and the condition of the paper grew worse. It was heavily in debt, and the proprietors of theCourierandMercurylooked cheerfully forward to the time when it should quietly expire. We found that the real owner of the property was Mr. Benjamin Wood, of New York, and Riordan went on to New York to open negotiations with him. This ended in Mr. Wood buying out Mr. McMillan, and in our purchasing one-third of the property at the rate of $18,000 for the whole. The new concern, of which Benjamin Wood was a member, as the representative of Henry Evans, a person in his employment, assumed all the liabilities of the old concern. Riordan and I, therefore, found ourselves owners of one-third of a newspaper which had abona fidecirculation of twenty-five hundred, or three thousand, copies daily, with debts amounting to nearly $20,000, and property consisting of two very old presses, a broken down engine, and a suit of badly worn type. But we were very cheerful about it, and our confident expectation was that, in about five years, we should be able to retire from newspaper work, in part, and live at our ease on theproperty we had accumulated. It did not turn out exactly in that way; but, as all the subsequent operations of the concern are set forth in general terms in the record of the litigation in which we were involved by Mr. Wood’s rascality, it is not necessary to describe them here. I should, however, record the fact, that the money with which I paid for my share of the paper was borrowed from Mr. W. J. Magrath. He advised me strongly against embarking in the venture, but, when I insisted upon doing so, he gave me every assistance in his power.
Some day, perhaps, I may undertake to write the inside history of my connection with the CharlestonNews, andThe News and Courier, and give my experiences in South Carolina politics from 1867 down to the present time. But I cannot do it now; and, indeed, I am too near to the events, and to the persons I should describe, to write as candidly as would be necessary to bring out the whole truth, and make it entirely clear. It would be, I fancy—if I had the time to refresh my memory, by looking over the newspapers for the last fifteen years—a narrative, in its way, quite as interesting, to my friends at least, as the incidents of Confederate service which I have attempted to portray.
I append to these reminiscences, to complete the record, copies of my parole and of some letters of which I retain the originals.
LETTER FROM THE HOLLYWOOD MEMORIAL ASSOCIATION.
The Ladies of the Hollywood Memorial Association tender to Captain Dawson their heartfelt thanks for his untiring devotion to their cause; for the efficiency and aid extended to their efforts when most needed; and the prompt co-operation in all measures adopted by the Association; and beg leave to say that while they regret his absence from the meeting yesterday afternoon, they recall with pleasure and gratitude the noble work in which he was then engaged.May the success and energy which crowns that effort be the earnest for the future of the Association, the ladies of which will always hold in grateful remembrance the effective support rendered by Captain Dawson.Tuesday Morning, May 29th, 1866.
The Ladies of the Hollywood Memorial Association tender to Captain Dawson their heartfelt thanks for his untiring devotion to their cause; for the efficiency and aid extended to their efforts when most needed; and the prompt co-operation in all measures adopted by the Association; and beg leave to say that while they regret his absence from the meeting yesterday afternoon, they recall with pleasure and gratitude the noble work in which he was then engaged.
May the success and energy which crowns that effort be the earnest for the future of the Association, the ladies of which will always hold in grateful remembrance the effective support rendered by Captain Dawson.
Tuesday Morning, May 29th, 1866.
[The work alluded to, I think, was that of preparing for calling out the old soldiers in Richmond to put the graves at Hollywood in order.]
MY PAROLE.
Head-quarters Department of Virginia,}Richmond, Va., April 18th, 1865.}I, Captain F. W. Dawson, C. S. A., Prisoner of War, do hereby give my solemn parole of honor not to take part in hostilities against the government of the United States until properly exchanged; and that I will not do anything directly or indirectly to the disparagement of the authority of the United States until properly exchanged as aforesaid.(Signed)FRANCIS W. DAWSON,Captain and Chief Ordnance Officer Cavalry Corps,Army of Northern Virginia.I certify that F. W. Dawson gave the foregoing parole in my presence, and signed it in duplicate.(Signed)D. M. EVANS,Colonel and Provost Marshal.Richmond, Va., April 18th, 1865.The bearer, Captain F. W. Dawson, having taken the oath of parole, has permission to go to his home in Mechlenburg County, Va.
Head-quarters Department of Virginia,}Richmond, Va., April 18th, 1865.}
I, Captain F. W. Dawson, C. S. A., Prisoner of War, do hereby give my solemn parole of honor not to take part in hostilities against the government of the United States until properly exchanged; and that I will not do anything directly or indirectly to the disparagement of the authority of the United States until properly exchanged as aforesaid.
(Signed)FRANCIS W. DAWSON,Captain and Chief Ordnance Officer Cavalry Corps,Army of Northern Virginia.
I certify that F. W. Dawson gave the foregoing parole in my presence, and signed it in duplicate.
(Signed)D. M. EVANS,Colonel and Provost Marshal.
Richmond, Va., April 18th, 1865.
The bearer, Captain F. W. Dawson, having taken the oath of parole, has permission to go to his home in Mechlenburg County, Va.
LETTER OF COLONEL BALDWIN, CHIEF ORDNANCE OFFICER ARMY NORTHERN VIRGINIA.
Richmond, Va., April, 1865.CaptainF. W. Dawson,Chief Ordnance Officer Fitz Lee’s Cavalry Division:Captain—The recent surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia dissolves our official relations for the present. I take pleasure in expressing my high sense of the zeal, intelligence, and courage you have manifested in the discharge of your duties.Hoping you may soon recover from your wounds, and wishing you a speedy re-union with your friends,I remain, with much esteem,Yours, truly,BRISCOE G. BALDWIN,Lt.-Col., Chief Ordnance Officer Army Northern Virginia.
Richmond, Va., April, 1865.
CaptainF. W. Dawson,
Chief Ordnance Officer Fitz Lee’s Cavalry Division:
Captain—The recent surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia dissolves our official relations for the present. I take pleasure in expressing my high sense of the zeal, intelligence, and courage you have manifested in the discharge of your duties.
Hoping you may soon recover from your wounds, and wishing you a speedy re-union with your friends,
I remain, with much esteem,Yours, truly,BRISCOE G. BALDWIN,Lt.-Col., Chief Ordnance Officer Army Northern Virginia.
LETTER OF COLONEL MANNING, CHIEF ORDNANCE OFFICER 1STCORPS ARMY NORTHERN VIRGINIA.
Richmond, Va., April 19th, 1865.Dear Captain—The recent reverses to our armies, and your wound, have for a time relieved you from command. I trust by the time your health is restored that some arrangement may be made to effect your exchange, and allow you to again enter the field, and our country to have the services of an officer who has by his faithfulness, activity, and courage, added no little to the cause which he has adopted; and won for himself a name which will long be respected and admired where honor and courage are recognized.Believe me, very truly,PEYTON L. MANNING,Lt.-Col., Chief Ordnance Officer 1st CorpsArmy of Northern Virginia.
Richmond, Va., April 19th, 1865.
Dear Captain—The recent reverses to our armies, and your wound, have for a time relieved you from command. I trust by the time your health is restored that some arrangement may be made to effect your exchange, and allow you to again enter the field, and our country to have the services of an officer who has by his faithfulness, activity, and courage, added no little to the cause which he has adopted; and won for himself a name which will long be respected and admired where honor and courage are recognized.
Believe me, very truly,PEYTON L. MANNING,Lt.-Col., Chief Ordnance Officer 1st CorpsArmy of Northern Virginia.
CERTIFICATE OF GENERAL FITZ LEE.
Petersburg, April 26th, 1865.To CaptainF. W. Dawson,Chief Ordnance Officer Fitz Lee’s Cavalry Division:I hereby certify that Captain Francis W. Dawson, C. S. Ordnance, was regularly commissioned, and at the time of the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia was on my staff as Chief Ordnance Officer of the Cavalry Corps.FITZ LEE,Major-General.
Petersburg, April 26th, 1865.
To CaptainF. W. Dawson,
Chief Ordnance Officer Fitz Lee’s Cavalry Division:
I hereby certify that Captain Francis W. Dawson, C. S. Ordnance, was regularly commissioned, and at the time of the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia was on my staff as Chief Ordnance Officer of the Cavalry Corps.
FITZ LEE,Major-General.
LETTER OF MR. COWARDIN, SENIOR EDITOR OF THE RICHMOND DISPATCH.
Richmond, September 10th, 1866.CaptainF. W. Dawson:My Dear Sir—As you are about to separate your connection with theDispatch, please accept this expression of my sentiments on the occasion.TheDispatchwill miss your valuable contributions and your intelligent and persevering efforts to promote its interests, and increase its attractions. I can truly say that I never knew a gentleman more earnest and energetic, in the pursuit of journalism, while you have displayed accomplishments for the profession that are rare and invaluable. Socially, we will all feel a great loss in parting with you; and the recollections of our intercourse with you will always be agreeable. While your own talents and bearing will command respect for you in every community, and your gallantry in the Southern cause will commend you to the hospitality and friendship of every Southern man, I tender you my most earnest and heartfelt good wishes for your prosperity and happiness in life.Very truly and sincerely, yours,J. A. COWARDIN,Editor Dispatch.
Richmond, September 10th, 1866.
CaptainF. W. Dawson:
My Dear Sir—As you are about to separate your connection with theDispatch, please accept this expression of my sentiments on the occasion.
TheDispatchwill miss your valuable contributions and your intelligent and persevering efforts to promote its interests, and increase its attractions. I can truly say that I never knew a gentleman more earnest and energetic, in the pursuit of journalism, while you have displayed accomplishments for the profession that are rare and invaluable. Socially, we will all feel a great loss in parting with you; and the recollections of our intercourse with you will always be agreeable. While your own talents and bearing will command respect for you in every community, and your gallantry in the Southern cause will commend you to the hospitality and friendship of every Southern man, I tender you my most earnest and heartfelt good wishes for your prosperity and happiness in life.
Very truly and sincerely, yours,J. A. COWARDIN,Editor Dispatch.
The following is a copy of my application for membership in the Survivors’ Association of Charleston District, with the endorsements of the officers under whom I had served:
APPLICATION.
Charleston, S. C., April 14, 1869.To the Officers and Members of the Survivors’ Association of Charleston District,Charleston, S. C.:Gentlemen—The undersigned respectfully applies for admission into your Association, and presents the following as theRECORDof his services in the Confederate Army and Navy:Entered Confederate servicein December, 1861, at Southampton, England, as sailor, aboard the C. S. SteamerNashville. Promoted to Master’s Mate, C. S. N., February, 1862. Resigned as Master’s Mate, C. S. N., June, 1862. Entered Purcell Battery, Field’s Brigade, Army Northern Virginia, as Private, June, 1862. Promoted to First Lieutenant of Artillery, August, 1862. Promoted to Captain of Artillery, April, 1864.[A]Present at the following Engagements: Mechanicsville, Second Manassas, Fredericksburg, Gettysburg, Chattanooga, Knoxville, Wilderness,Spotsylvania C. H., North side James River, 1864, Valley of Virginia, 1864, Five Forks.Woundedat Mechanicsville, June 26, 1862; at Harrisonburg, Va., 1864; Five Forks, March 31, 1865.Taken Prisonernear Williamsport, Va., September 14, 1862.Releasedon parole, October, 1862.Surrenderedand was paroled, May, 1865.FRANCIS W. DAWSON,Applicant.
Charleston, S. C., April 14, 1869.
To the Officers and Members of the Survivors’ Association of Charleston District,Charleston, S. C.:
Gentlemen—The undersigned respectfully applies for admission into your Association, and presents the following as theRECORDof his services in the Confederate Army and Navy:
Entered Confederate servicein December, 1861, at Southampton, England, as sailor, aboard the C. S. SteamerNashville. Promoted to Master’s Mate, C. S. N., February, 1862. Resigned as Master’s Mate, C. S. N., June, 1862. Entered Purcell Battery, Field’s Brigade, Army Northern Virginia, as Private, June, 1862. Promoted to First Lieutenant of Artillery, August, 1862. Promoted to Captain of Artillery, April, 1864.[A]
Present at the following Engagements: Mechanicsville, Second Manassas, Fredericksburg, Gettysburg, Chattanooga, Knoxville, Wilderness,Spotsylvania C. H., North side James River, 1864, Valley of Virginia, 1864, Five Forks.
Woundedat Mechanicsville, June 26, 1862; at Harrisonburg, Va., 1864; Five Forks, March 31, 1865.
Taken Prisonernear Williamsport, Va., September 14, 1862.Releasedon parole, October, 1862.
Surrenderedand was paroled, May, 1865.
FRANCIS W. DAWSON,Applicant.
FOOTNOTE:[A]Served from June, 1862, to October, 1864, as Assistant Ordnance Officer, 1st Corps, Army of Northern Virginia, and from that time to April, 1865, as Ordnance Officer Fitzhugh Lee’s Cavalry Division.
[A]Served from June, 1862, to October, 1864, as Assistant Ordnance Officer, 1st Corps, Army of Northern Virginia, and from that time to April, 1865, as Ordnance Officer Fitzhugh Lee’s Cavalry Division.
[A]Served from June, 1862, to October, 1864, as Assistant Ordnance Officer, 1st Corps, Army of Northern Virginia, and from that time to April, 1865, as Ordnance Officer Fitzhugh Lee’s Cavalry Division.
Endorsements.
[From Commodore Pegram.]
Petersburg, Va., October 29, 1869.I take pleasure in bearing testimony to the authenticity of the accompanying record, as furnished by Captain F. W. Dawson, whilst he was under my command on board of the C. S. SteamerNashville; and I do most earnestly recommend him to the favorable consideration of the Committee on Applications, as one eminently entitled, by his efficient services, to enjoy all the advantages and honors of a Survivor.Captain Dawson offered his services to the Confederate cause on board the C. S. SteamerNashville, at Southampton, England, December, 1861, in any capacity I might designate. He was under age at the time, being about 17 or 18 years old; for this reason I declined to take him away from his home and friends to set him adrift in a foreign land then engaged in a bloody war.A few days before sailing from Southampton, duty called me to London, and Dawson, taking advantage of my absence, assumed the garb of a sailor boy, and was enlisted by the First Lieutenant on board theNashville. I did not know that he was on board until we were at sea, and was so surprised at seeing him that I called him to enquire how he had thus gotten the weather-gage of me? He replied, he was determined to espouse the Confederate cause at all hazards, even by smuggling himself on board, if indispensable to attain his object.During the voyage of theNashvillehomeward, the admirable conduct of young Dawson attracted my attention, and that of all the officers; and such favorable reports were made to me of his zeal in the discharge of every duty required of him, that I determined to give him an acting appointment of Master’s Mate in the C. S. Navy, which appointment was promptly confirmed by the Honorable Secretary of the Navy, upon my recommendation, when theNashvillearrived at Beaufort, N. C.Mr. Dawson was attached to a vessel of the James River Squadron at thetime that General McClellan made his advance upon Richmond, yet such was his anxiety to engage in the battle, that he offered his services as a volunteer to the officer in command of the Purcell Battery. He was taken from the field of battle at Mechanicsville badly wounded, but remained fighting his gun until the close of the action, when, from loss of blood, he was completely prostrated. Mr. Dawson’s bravery on this occasion, elicited the admiration of his Captain, who went with me to the Hon. G. W. Randolph, then Secretary of War, to request that he might be appointed a Lieutenant in the C. S. Army. The request was readily granted as a reward of merit.Though suffering from a painful wound, Mr. Dawson did not remain idle. An invitation had been issued by the Secretary of War to the junior officers of the army, to propose for admission into the Ordnance Corps. An examination was ordered; and when the Board of Examiners met, Mr. Dawson was examined and passed with distinction, and was commissioned in the Corps of Ordnance. His career of duty in that branch of the service is better known to the officers of the army with whom he served than to myself: though I have watched his course with great satisfaction, and always felt a profound interest in his advancement and welfare, having long since forgiven him for his tact in weathering an old sailor.R. B. PEGRAM,Lt. Com’g, C. S. N.
Petersburg, Va., October 29, 1869.
I take pleasure in bearing testimony to the authenticity of the accompanying record, as furnished by Captain F. W. Dawson, whilst he was under my command on board of the C. S. SteamerNashville; and I do most earnestly recommend him to the favorable consideration of the Committee on Applications, as one eminently entitled, by his efficient services, to enjoy all the advantages and honors of a Survivor.
Captain Dawson offered his services to the Confederate cause on board the C. S. SteamerNashville, at Southampton, England, December, 1861, in any capacity I might designate. He was under age at the time, being about 17 or 18 years old; for this reason I declined to take him away from his home and friends to set him adrift in a foreign land then engaged in a bloody war.
A few days before sailing from Southampton, duty called me to London, and Dawson, taking advantage of my absence, assumed the garb of a sailor boy, and was enlisted by the First Lieutenant on board theNashville. I did not know that he was on board until we were at sea, and was so surprised at seeing him that I called him to enquire how he had thus gotten the weather-gage of me? He replied, he was determined to espouse the Confederate cause at all hazards, even by smuggling himself on board, if indispensable to attain his object.
During the voyage of theNashvillehomeward, the admirable conduct of young Dawson attracted my attention, and that of all the officers; and such favorable reports were made to me of his zeal in the discharge of every duty required of him, that I determined to give him an acting appointment of Master’s Mate in the C. S. Navy, which appointment was promptly confirmed by the Honorable Secretary of the Navy, upon my recommendation, when theNashvillearrived at Beaufort, N. C.
Mr. Dawson was attached to a vessel of the James River Squadron at thetime that General McClellan made his advance upon Richmond, yet such was his anxiety to engage in the battle, that he offered his services as a volunteer to the officer in command of the Purcell Battery. He was taken from the field of battle at Mechanicsville badly wounded, but remained fighting his gun until the close of the action, when, from loss of blood, he was completely prostrated. Mr. Dawson’s bravery on this occasion, elicited the admiration of his Captain, who went with me to the Hon. G. W. Randolph, then Secretary of War, to request that he might be appointed a Lieutenant in the C. S. Army. The request was readily granted as a reward of merit.
Though suffering from a painful wound, Mr. Dawson did not remain idle. An invitation had been issued by the Secretary of War to the junior officers of the army, to propose for admission into the Ordnance Corps. An examination was ordered; and when the Board of Examiners met, Mr. Dawson was examined and passed with distinction, and was commissioned in the Corps of Ordnance. His career of duty in that branch of the service is better known to the officers of the army with whom he served than to myself: though I have watched his course with great satisfaction, and always felt a profound interest in his advancement and welfare, having long since forgiven him for his tact in weathering an old sailor.
R. B. PEGRAM,Lt. Com’g, C. S. N.
[From Lieutenant-General Longstreet.]
I take pleasure in certifying to the services of Captain Dawson in the 1st Corps, Army of Northern Virginia.JAMES LONGSTREET,Lt.-Gen., C. S. A.
I take pleasure in certifying to the services of Captain Dawson in the 1st Corps, Army of Northern Virginia.
JAMES LONGSTREET,Lt.-Gen., C. S. A.
[From Lieutenant-General Anderson.]
Charleston, S. C., April 16, 1869.It affords me pleasure to recommend this application to the favorable consideration of the Committee on Applications, and to say that the services rendered by the applicant eminently entitle him to share the privileges and distinctions of a Survivor.My acquaintance with Captain Dawson began in the early part of the war; but during a period of about six months, following the battle of the Wilderness, (whilst in command of Longstreet’s Corps,) I had constant opportunities to observe the meritorious conduct and gallant bearing of this officer.The record given within, between the dates or during the period above mentioned, is correct.R. H. ANDERSON,Lt.-Gen’l, C. S. A.
Charleston, S. C., April 16, 1869.
It affords me pleasure to recommend this application to the favorable consideration of the Committee on Applications, and to say that the services rendered by the applicant eminently entitle him to share the privileges and distinctions of a Survivor.
My acquaintance with Captain Dawson began in the early part of the war; but during a period of about six months, following the battle of the Wilderness, (whilst in command of Longstreet’s Corps,) I had constant opportunities to observe the meritorious conduct and gallant bearing of this officer.
The record given within, between the dates or during the period above mentioned, is correct.
R. H. ANDERSON,Lt.-Gen’l, C. S. A.
[From Major-General Fitz Lee.]
Richland, Stafford Co., Va., November 10, 1869.Captain F. W. Dawson was my Ordnance Officer at the time he specifies. He was a brave soldier and an efficient officer.“Survivors!” let him in.FITZHUGH LEE,Maj.-Gen., C. S. A.
Richland, Stafford Co., Va., November 10, 1869.
Captain F. W. Dawson was my Ordnance Officer at the time he specifies. He was a brave soldier and an efficient officer.
“Survivors!” let him in.
FITZHUGH LEE,Maj.-Gen., C. S. A.
These pages I have written at the request of my wife, Sarah Morgan Dawson, and for her dear sake. It is little enough, in the hurry of a busy life, to do for one who, year after year and so long as I have known her, has strengthened my faith by believing in me, and enlarges my hope always by her confidence and love.
TRANSCRIBER’S NOTEObvious typographical errors and punctuation errors have been corrected after careful comparison with other occurrences within the text and consultation of external sources.Except for those changes noted below, all misspellings in the text, and inconsistent or archaic usage, have been retained: for example, breast-work, breastworks; gunboat, gun-boats; pic-nic; grewsome; trowsers; tragical; Hayti; rascality.Pg 98:‘in the caisons’ replaced by ‘in the caissons’.Pg 123:‘on a reconnoissance’ replaced by ‘on a reconnaissance’.Pg 123:‘be the heighth’ replaced by ‘be the height’.Pg 147:Chapter heading ‘XXIII’ replaced by ‘XXXIII’.Pg 172:‘in the autum’ replaced by ‘in the autumn’.Pg 178:‘Spottsylvania C. H.’ replaced by ‘Spotsylvania C. H.’.
TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE
Obvious typographical errors and punctuation errors have been corrected after careful comparison with other occurrences within the text and consultation of external sources.
Except for those changes noted below, all misspellings in the text, and inconsistent or archaic usage, have been retained: for example, breast-work, breastworks; gunboat, gun-boats; pic-nic; grewsome; trowsers; tragical; Hayti; rascality.
Pg 98:‘in the caisons’ replaced by ‘in the caissons’.Pg 123:‘on a reconnoissance’ replaced by ‘on a reconnaissance’.Pg 123:‘be the heighth’ replaced by ‘be the height’.Pg 147:Chapter heading ‘XXIII’ replaced by ‘XXXIII’.Pg 172:‘in the autum’ replaced by ‘in the autumn’.Pg 178:‘Spottsylvania C. H.’ replaced by ‘Spotsylvania C. H.’.