Honor to Private John Hammond

Confederate Veteran
Volume 13, Number 2, Page 90
February 1905.

Capt. F. E. Eve, Hazen, Ga., writes about one of his men: ' I've been on the 'surgeon's roll' for over a year, but hope soon to report for 'active duty.' This must be my excuse for not noticing sooner through the VETERAN the reference made to the tomb of one of my men killed at Orangeburg, S. C., John Hammond, as brave a boy as ever lived. He had no conception of danger when fighting the Federals, and if he was ever absent a day from his company or from duty until he was killed, I never knew of it. Well may it be said: 'Here lies a Confederate soldier who did his duty.' His horse was killed under him at Brandy Station in the celebrated saber charge of Cobb's Legion that broke Gen. Pleasanton's triumphal advance, recapturing Gen. Jeb Stuart's headquarters and enabling him to re form his lines, make a counter charge on Pleasanton, and drive him across the Rappahannock. The charge of Cobb's Legion, led by Gen. P. M. B. Young, was the turning point in this fight.

I notice in the December VETERAN that H. H. Scott, one of Gen. Wade Hampton's scouts, very properly corrects the claim of some of Wheeler's Cavalry to a little hand to hand saber and pistol fight at Fayetteville, N. C. I have heard Gen. Hampton, with snapping eyes, tell of this little affair in the presence of Hugh Scott and in his absence. The old General's saber stood him in good stead that day.

Now as to the spotted horse: Tip Watkins was orderly sergeant in Company I, of Cobb's Legion (Richmond Hussars from Augusta, Ga.), and he captured the spotted horse belonging to Kilpatrick and unwillingly, as he told me himself, gave him back to Gen. Kilpatrick for two other horses. Cobb's Legion, led by that game old fighter and veteran of the Mexican War, Col. Gib Wright, who was wounded time and again by both pistol and saber, for he was ever in the front, was the first in the charge made on Kilpatrick's camp.

The Cobb Legion went to Virginia in 1861, and was one of the regiments that formed the famous First Cavalry Brigade, A. N. V., and what Gen. Wade Hampton thought of them he often expressed in public addresses as well as in private conversation. They were never in Wheeler's Cavalry. Gen. Hampton was the ranking officer, and commanded Wheeler's Cavalry as much as he did Butler's Cavalry in fact, after Stuart's death he was the ranking lieutenant general, and commanded all the cavalry. He was present and in command, and the fight was made by his direction. He was not a West Pointer, as was Gen. Wheeler.