The Encampment at Orangeburg, South Carolina
We present our readers with a view of the encampment of the Washington Light Infantry, of Charleston, South Carolina. The point chosen was in the village of Orangeburg, about eighty miles from the city. This village is known as one of the most beautiful in the state. The residences are spacious, and the lots varying size from four to twelve acres. The shade trees form a striking feature, and add much to the attractions of the place. In one of the most beautiful of these grounds the Infantry made their camp. As will be seen by a glance at the picture, the immense shade trees and luxuriant shrubbery cause the tents to appear quite small; the opening through the centre of the encampment is the main avenue–thirty feet wide–which leads to the family mansion. At the entrance of it stands the “guard tent” and near the house the “marquee” for the officers. On either side are the tents, arranged in the order of a battalion encampment, in all twenty-four–twelve on the right and twelve on the left of the main street. The tents are arranged in rows of six each, which face each other on streets of convenient width.
The company carried with them the “Eutaw flag,” the only standard of the Revolution which is known to exist in the state, and which was given to the corps by the widow of Col. William Washington.
The Washington Light Infantry was organized in 1807 during the excitement growing out of the “Leopard and Chesapeake affair” and is known as “the banner corps of South Carolina. It is at present commanded by Captain Charles H. Simonton, a prominent lawyer of the city.
Note: The dates of the encampment are not identified with this image and article from the June 9, 1860 issue of Harper’s Weekly.