Pike-Lamar County GaArchives Biographies.....Darden, Edmund Burch May 21 1839 - January 19 1919 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Lynn Cunningham http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00011.html#0002535 December 28, 2004, 2:35 pm Author: Capt. E.B. Darden The Barnesville News-Gazette, March 3, 1910 Interesting War Reminiscences By Capt. E.B. Darden, Milner, Ga. I am a nephew of Gen. James M. Darden of Jasper county, Ga., who was one of the oldest Major Generals who ever held a commission in the Empire State. He was a great and good man. I am also a brother to Lieutenant W.J. Darden of the 32nd Ga. Regiment who distinguished himself at the Battle of Ocean Pond, Fla. For his gallantry and leading his men to victory, and his thoughtful kindness in taking care of the wounded. He is well and favorably known by many of the old veterans yet living in Upson county who served in that historic old regiment that made one of the most spirited and most murderous assaults on the negro troops at the Battle of Ocean Pond, Fla. that was ever witnessed during the civil war. They certainly fought those negroes to a finish. As they were not recognized at that time as citizens of the U.S. government, there was no quarter shown them, and the slaughter was complete without the least shadow of a doubt. What made that old regiment famous, was the heroic defence [sic] it made in defending Fort Sumter. Lieutenant Darden was killed at Charleston by a shell thrown from Fort Sumter while he was asleep at his quarters. He was a great favorite and his untimely death caused a gloom of sorrow throughout the entire camps. He was engaged to be married at that time to Miss Kate Vanwort of Columbia, S.C. She was renowned for her beauty and modesty and was one of the warmest hearted southern girls that ever wore a secession hat, made from twigs of a willow bush, and trimmed with bull-rush. When the sad news of his death was imparted to her, the clouds of grief and sorrow gathered thickly around her and she would not be comforted and soon died, a broken hearted young beauty. That was one of the ten thousand things that happened during that wicked and cruel war. Before I close this sketch I want to return my sincere, heartfelt thanks to the United Daughters of the Confederacy for their thoughtful kindness and loving devotion for the old heroes of the lost cause and their untiring energy in erecting monuments in commemoration to the sacred memory of the Confederate dead. Such deeds of loving kindness are going to live forever with the coming generations in our beautiful Sunny South. [Transcribed 11/13/04 Lynn Cunningham] Additional Comments: From copy obtained at Old Jail Museum and Archives, Barnesville, Georgia. Compiled by Shanna English. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/pike/bios/bs265darden.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/gafiles/ File size: 3.2 Kb