“There was not a dry eye in our tent, and they told us next day not a cap with a rim on it in camp.
“Nothing could have kept Mr. Randall’s verses from living and growing into a power. To us fell the happy chance of first giving them voice. In a few weeks ‘My Maryland’ had found its way to the heart of the whole people and become a great National song.”
The flag which is mentioned by Mrs. Martin is the regimental flag of the Maryland Line, and was afterwards decorated with a buck-tail captured from the Pennsylvania regiment of that name. Gen. Ewell issued an order complimenting the command, and granting it that badge of honor, which was borne to the end. The flag which went into “Dixie” with the war-song, it was never captured, never surrendered. It waves here to-night, tattered and battle-stained, the inspiring emblem and memorial of heroic deeds without number.
The history of the Maryland regiments is familiar to you, as well as the history of other commands composed of Marylanders who served in the Army of Northern Virginia. It has, however, come to my knowledge within the last week or two that a company of Marylanders served in South Carolina as early as March, 1861, taking part in the bombardment of Fort Sumter. They composed Company C of Lucas’s battalion of artillery, and were in the thick of the fighting until the surrender of Johnson’s army in 1865. In the defence of Battery Wagner, on Morris Island, the command lost heavily. Among the Marylanders who fell were Baker, Tucker, Flanigan, Brass and Marty. Fifteen or twenty of the old members of the company are still in Baltimore, it is said. Mayhap, some of them honor this association with their presence to-night. The subjoined letter from the commanding officer of the battalion to which they belonged will tell you what is thought of them in South Carolina and by South Carolinians:
Society Hill, S. C., Jan. 22, 1887.
Capt. F. W. Dawson, Charleston, S. C.:
My Dear Sir—It gives me very great pleasure to testify that Company “C” was composed of as brave and fearless soldiers as fought for constitutional government under the “Stars and Bars”—in my opinion. The following is its brief military history:
Early in 1861 recruiting officers were sent to Baltimore to enlist recruits for three years to serve in the regular army of the Confederate States. Two companies were enlisted and placed under the command of Capts. Lee and Childs. Capt. Lee (Stephen D.) rose to the rank of lieutenant-general, and Capt. Childs to that of colonel. Col. Childs is now an officer at the Customhouse in your city. I found Capt. Lee’s company on Cole’s Island when I took command of the Stono fortifications on 10th July, 1861.
On the 10th November, 1862, these two companies were consolidated and attached to Lucas’s battalion heavy artillery, C.S.A., under Capt. Theodore B. Hayne, and known thereafter as Company “C.” The company participated in the capture of the gunboat Isaac P. Smith on the 30th January, 1863, in the defence of Battery Wagner and Fort Sumter, and of Battery Pringle on the Stono. The attack on the last named fortification lasted ten days and nights, viz: from July 2 to 12, 1864. The attack was made by the monitors Lehigh and Montauk, assisted by the gunboats Pawnee, McDonough and Racer, and a mortar boat. In all these engagements Company “C” did its whole duty. Should the defence of Charleston ever be written, Company “C” will be entitled to a prominent place in the narrative of that heroic struggle.