February 19, 1863, The Charleston Mercury
It will be seen, by reference to General Orders No. 10, that Governor BONHAM, in the exercise of his powers as Commander-in-Chief of the forces of the State of South Carolina, has called upon the militia composing the Fourth Brigade, the 2d, 14th, 15th and 39th Regiments of militia, and the 4th Regiment of the 1st Corps of Reserves to rendezvous promptly at certain places named and designated, to assist in repelling the threatened invasion of our coast and capture of the Metropolis of this State.
In answer to such a summons every true son of Carolina will not hesitate to rush to arms. Our homes, our altars, our liberties, are all at stake. To falter is to fail; to hesitate is to be lost. An immense fleet, strong in all the most novel equipments of naval warfare, threatens us by sea, and an army of 70,000 men, already landed at Hilton Head, menaces us by land. The LINCOLN Government has risked its all, with the desperate resolve of a gambler, upon the last throw. GRANT seems to have abandoned the investment of Vicksburg, HOOKER has led back his disorganized army from the banks of the Rappahannock behind the secure works at Washington and Fortress Monroe; the Northwest is ripe for stratagems and willing to forego the spoils; and FOSTER, scared away from Newbern, has added his forces to the hybrid army of BANKS, whose mongrel battalions now promise to bring under speedy subjection to Yankee rule the ancient and venerable city which the best blood of Europe founded and colonized.
May God forbid! Men of Columbia, give back the old slogan of your race. Come from King’s Mountain, from Hanging Rock, from Cowpens, from Eutaw, from the slopes of the Alleghanies to the level fronted sea, and meet these foes of freedom and your kindred in the same spirit with which your fathers went forth to conquer or die – in the sacred name of liberty. The victory of today will be the paean of tomorrow. The good fight is almost won. One more brave struggle, and you are not only almost, but altogether free – free from Yankee contact and rule – free from the bondage of everything we loathe – free to choose our own road to wealth and empire – and in our own right and prowess, free to carve out for ourselves and our children’s children the broad lines of territory that shall bound our future realm.
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •