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duty.
Twice he was thrown in the sea by his boat overturning and once had to swim a long way to reach shore.
He was congested, and died after a painful illness.
His last question was: ‘How fares
Lee in
Virginia?’
His life was given as freely as man could offer it for his country.
Lieutenant James R. Hamilton was born in
Chester county, S. C., March 10, 1841.
He was educated in
Columbia, and had just completed the study of engineering when the war commenced.
He enlisted on January 1, 1861, as a private in the Columbia flying artillery, under the command of
Capt. Allen J. Green, and a few days after his enlistment he became sergeant.
After the fall of
Fort Sumter the company of artillery was disbanded and he then enlisted as a private in Company A, of the First (
Gregg's) South Carolina infantry.
In the following August the regiment was reorganized for the war, he was made second corporal, and after the
battle of Sharpsburg promoted to fourth sergeant, serving as such until after the
battle of Gettysburg, when he was made first lieutenant and retired to light duty, having been seriously wounded.
He was assigned duty in the
provost marshal's department and was stationed at
Columbia, and afterward at
Branchville, S. C. He surrendered with his command to
General Stoneman on the
Catawba river, April 17, 1865.
He participated in the following engagements: Fall of
Fort Sumter,
Vienna Station, Va.;
Mechanicsville,
Gaines' Mill, Frayser's Farm,
Malvern Hill,
Cedar Mountain,
Second Manassas,
Ox Hill,
Harper's Ferry,
Sharpsburg,
Shepherdstown, Snicker's Gap,
Fredericksburg and
Gettysburg.
At the
battle of Fredericksburg he was wounded by a minie ball in the right leg, and this kept him out of the service until the following June.
At
Gettysburg he was again wounded by a minie ball in the left thigh, and this, together with the previous wound, unfitted him for further active duty.
He was wounded at
Fredericksburg about the same time as
Gen. Maxcy Gregg, and in going to the rear he saw a couple of soldiers endeavoring to get the general off the field.
Although badly wounded, he assisted in carrying
General Gregg to a place of safety and then reported to
Gen. A. P. Hill the fact of
Gregg's wound, and also that the right of his brigade was being
