Reunion of Company D, Hampton Legion
Anderson Intelligencer August 23, 1883
There was held at Williamston on Wednesday, August 15, a reunion of the survivors of
the Gist Rifles, Company D, Hampton Legion, at which was organized the “Gist Rifles Survivors’ Association,” with
the following officers: Presidents – Captain W.H. Austin. Vice Presidents – J.M. Glenn, Laban Mauldin, R.V. Acker,
Thomas Crymes. Secretary – J.L. Mauldin.
Upon enrolling names, it was found there were twenty six members present, viz: Captain W.H. Austin, Lieut. A.J.
Stringer, Sergt. Thomas Crymes, Sergt. J.W. Crymes, Sergt. S.D. Stewart, Corp. B.L. Crymes, Corp. J.P. Glenn, Privates
R.V. Acker, W.H.H. Ariall, H.D. Boggs, J.A. Boggs, W.M. Cooley, M.H. Deal, J.M. Glenn, G.A. Green, H.A. Griffin,
A.M. Hamilton, W.W. Holder, W.F. Lee, J.L. Mauldin, J.A. Majors, T.W. Martin, J.S. Newton, W.M. Scott, J.V. Whitt,
J.R. Wilson and Caesar Wilson, colored.
The names of such as were present, representing other branches of the confederate service were enrolled, viz: E.H.
Acker and J.I. Halliday, Company E., Hampton Legion; D.V. Garrison, Company B, 7th S.C. Cavalry; W.A. Pepper, Company
C, 2nd S.C. Cavalry. Upon examination of the roll prepared for the occasion, it was revised and corrected, showing
number of commissioned officers, 10; number of non-commissioned officers 26; number of privates, 194; number killed
in battle, 32; number died of disease, 15; number died of wounds, 4; number died in prison, 1; number wounded,
37; number discharged, 25. (It was impossible to be exact as to how many were detached, on unlimited furlough,
in hospital, & C., so no estimate was made.)
A resolution was adopted thanking Lieut. S. E. Welch, late Adjutant of the Hampton Legion, for contradicting and
correcting that part of Gen. Sheridan’s account of the surrender of Gen. Lee at Appomattox, as reflects discredit
upon Gary’s Cavalry Brigade.
The meeting was a pleasant reunion of old comrades and mess mates, some of whom met for the first time in eighteen
years. Many an incident of camp life, grave and gay, long forgotten, was brought forth, proving an interesting
item to all present. Some of the “boys” are now gray-haired men, but to each other they are still the same boys,
as when, marching and fighting, ill-fed, half-clad, but hopeful and cheerful, till at Appomattox, where they surrendered
to Grant’s countless host- struggling to the last and bringing up the rear, they probably were among the last in
the army of Northern Virginia to cease firing, and then only after “Mart. Gary” gave the command. The next annual
meeting will take place at Williamston, on first Tuesday in August, 1884, at 10 o’clock a.m.
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