with A. S. Rutherford, captain. Notwithstanding the treaties there were Indian rtoubles constantly arising, for the whole country was filled with Indians.

The Columbus Guards were organized with Dr. John A. Urquhart as captain, sometime prior to 1835, but in May of that year they received their commission and have been in existence to this day. They are now in France. They fought the Indians, when necessary, from the very first and were ready to protect Columbus, together with the help of all other males in that dreadful time. In 1836 matters with the Indians were so unsettled that Columbus also organized the Cadet Rifles and Muscogee Blues. This was the year of the war with the Seminole Indians in Florida. Many men volunteered from Columbus and fought in that war. The maternal grandfather of the writer was one of these and he carried a bullet to his death from a wound in that war. He gave a son to the Mexican war, three sons and two grandsons to the Civil war, and two of his great grandsons are fighting in France. Federal and state troops rendezvoused for these troubles in 1836. Forty-four Georgia companies were in Columbus at the call of General Winfield Scott. Among them from Columbus were the Columbus Guards, the Muscogee Drafted; the Muscogee Cadet Riflemen and the Muscogee Artillery.

These were strenuous and exciting days. The Indians had threatened to massacre the inhabitants here. All the male population and military men assembled in the Baptist Church yard. All the women were put within the brick wall fence of the old Oglethorpe building. For a long time they went there every night. The wall extended from First to Second avenue and along there and Twelfth street. First avenue was Oglethorpe street, Second was Jackson street and Twelfth was Randolph street. The last vestige of that wall came down a short while ago when the store of Brannon & Carson was located. Paddy Carr, a friendly half-breed Indian, saved the town the night of the intended massacre. You can doubtless read all about him in the Public Library. I cannot undertake to give the list and history of all the military companies of

The

those and subsequent days, which were in Columbus. There were numbers of them. In 1846 came the war with Mexico. The South took a large share in this important event which finally resulted in fixing the southwestern line for the United States, and ended many other difficulties. Columbus sent her crack company, the Columbus Guards, and many volunteers. A regiment of troops rendezvoused here under Col. Henry R. Jackson, marched to Chehaw in Alabama and entrained for Mexico. It was in this year the City Light Guards organized. Its first captain was a gallant young attorney, A. H. Cooper, who afterwards fell in the Civil war. His descendants are here today. This was a noble company and was a strong rival of the famous Columbus Guards. My earliest recollection, as a boy, was seeing these two companies marching up Broad street one summer afternoon. It was just before the Civil war. In those days there were no paved streets and no central parkway or transfer station. I can see them now. Columbus Guards were on the west side. The City Light Guards were on the east side. The drum corps was in the center. Captain Paul V. Semmes commanded the Columbus Guards and Peyton H. Colquitt the City Lights. Both companies were in full dress. The Columbus Guards had on red cut-away coats with white fronts and white trousers (this for summer). The City Lights had on blue cut-away coats and buff fronts and blue trousers with buff stripe. There was an abundance of brass buttons and epaulets and shako hats and plumes. At the two bass drums were Peter De Votie and Lymus Jones, and at the fifes were Tom Rhodes and Tom Hicks and the kettle drums were handled by Peter Harris and Henry Harris. All these were colored except the last named. Henry Harris fought through the war with his company and is buried in Linnwood. I saw all this about where Kirven's store now stands. These companies marched in platoon formation and moved as one. They were magnificently drilled. When war broke out they went at once to the front. I saw m march out Randolph (Twelfth street) on the plank road n there and board the train just beyond where Golden's

Foundry now is. We had no Terminal station then. Few of them came back. Captain Semmes was made colonel of the Second Georgia Regiment and afterwards brigadier general of Semmes' brigade. He fell at Gettysburg and is buried in Linnwood. Captain Colquitt was made colonel of the 46th Georgia Regiment. He was commanding a brigade at Chicamauga when he fell. His commission as brigadier general had then been issued, but not received at his death. He, too, is buried in Linnwood. There was one other brave man from Columbus, who stood as "Old Rock" in the Civil war, who was a brigade commander.

This was General Henry L. Benning, after whom the Columbus people ask that our camp be named. It may be well just here to say that General Benning, at the time he died in July, 1875, was one of the most widely known and highly esteemed men in Georgia. He was great as a lawyer, judge, soldier and patriot. As a member of the Supreme Court of Georgia, before the Civil War, he ranked with the highest. When war came in the sixties he was one of the first to go out. He raised his own regiment, the 17th, and was its colonel. He was soon promoted to the office of brigade commander, and was attached to Longstreet's bloody corps. I cannot here go into his military record. He was one of the bravest of the brave. He escaped death, but not wounds. He fought through every important battle of the Army of Northern Virginia, and came at last home to help rebuild the fallen fortunes of his country. One of the last signatures of the Secretary of War of the Confederacy was placed on the commission of Henry L. Benning as major general.

If the War Department sees proper to note the suggestion of the people of this historic and patriotic city and name their military camp after General Benning, such a step will be another recognition of what all of our people in Georgia know, and that is that Benning, both in war and peace, was one of our greatest men.

All the above were not the only men or companies who went out in those days. There were hundreds of other brave,

- Bigger wel eve grow out of the ground. Only by *^ By Vea ward.

The Capture of the U. S. Steamer "Water Witch" in Ossabaw Sound, Ga., June 2-3, 1864

By THE EDITOR

In the latter part of May, 1864, an expedition was planned and suggested to the Confederate authorities at the head of the forces defending the City of Savannah and the neighboring territory which, for boldness in its design and the completeness of its arrangement, insuring its success, has seldom been surpassed and not frequently equalled. While it is true that many like performances have been proposed, they have not often been adopted, because of a lack of faith in their success. The incident referred to was remarkable for the secrecy with which it was designed and carried out, as well as the absolute obedience to orders in their most minute detail on the part of every one in whom the confidence of the leader was imposed. The event to which we allude is the seizing of the United States blockading steamer "Water Witch" in Ossabaw Sound, Georgia, beginning late in the night of the second of June, 1864, and ending successfully in the early morning of the third. It is true that the expedition was successful in the accomplishment of the object aimed at by its leader, Lieutenant Commander Thomas P. Pelot, but it was at the cost of the life of that gallant and brave officer. Let us get at some facts in the life of the man and see how he obtained his experience in the duties of a naval officer.

Born in South Carolina, and appointed from that state to the old United States Navy, young Pelot resigned on the eleventh of January, 1861, to take part in the impending conflict between the states, choosing rather to serve his beloved Southland than to fight against her interests, even though the prospects for rapid promotion in the latter cause seemed certain. He was commissioned as first lieutenant in the Confederate States Navy March 26, 1861, and another commission as first lieutenant was given him, dated October 23, 1862, to rank from the second of that month.