Lt. Colonel Axalla John Hoole of Darlington, SC killed at Chickamauga, GA September 20, 1863
Axalla John Hoole: "The noblest of soldiers"
The 8th South Carolina is affiliated with C company of the Palmetto Battalion in South Carolina. C company is comprised of the 6th, 8th, 12th, 15th, 21st and 26th South Carolina regiments with members from Columbia to Lancaster, Florence and Cheraw. Our reenacting impressions portray Union and Confederate soldiers. We've included a brief history below of our chosen U.S. infantry regiment, the 61st O.V.I.
"No Regiment of the Confederacy saw harder service or was engaged in more battles than the Eighth South Carolina of Kershaw's Brigade...." Capt. D. Augustus Dickert, History of Kershaw's Brigade (p. 423)
"No unit that served under Lee was more capable nor more terrible in battle than the troops of Kershaw's South Carolina brigade." Ed Bearss, Historian Emeritus, National Park Service "Col. Kershaw ordered Col. Cash of the 8th SC to advance and push the Federals from a small grove of trees to his left-front (at the base of Henry House Hill at Manassas). Cash paused to survey the situation and replied: "We will drive them to hell in five minutes." from the Kershaw papers at UNC "I never saw anything more grandly heroic than the advance after sunset of the nine brigades under Magruder's orders at Malvern Hill." (Kershaw's was one of these) Gen. D.H. Hill "There he (Kershaw) found (Capt. later Lt. Col. Eli T.) Stackhouse, standing motionless on a little rise, his eyes fixed on the vast columns of the Federals maneuvering on the plain to his front (at Fredericksburg)...Gen. Kershaw said to him: 'Stackhouse, you must hold your position here.' In a cool, low, firm tone Stackhouse replied: 'I will hold it, sir, as long as one of us,' with a glance along the line of the old Eighth, 'is still alive." from the Kershaw papers at UNC "I saw...the left wing of Kershaw's brigade (8th SC, 3rd SC Battalion, and the 2nd SC) as they swung into line and, under a galling fire, saw them change direction to the left, and with lines as straight as though they were passing a review, they dashed forward. I saw them leap high fences and stone walls and, as shot and shell ploughed through the lines, the ranks closed up, leaving the field dotted with the dead and wounded...each charge was magnificent..." Maj. James Goggins of Kershaw's staff, describing the assault on the Peach Orchard at Gettysburg61st Ohio Volunteer Infantry: A Brief History
General Joseph B. Kershaw
All content of this site © 2004, 2005, 2006 Company E 8th South Carolina Volunteers
Florence, South Carolina
07 March 2006
