While here we received into our brigade the Fifteenth South Carolina Regiment, commanded by Colonel DeSaussure, and the Third Battalion, composed of eight companies and commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Rice.  As these are new additions, it will be necessary to give a brief sketch of their organization and movements prior to their connection with Kershaw’s Brigade.

Soon after the battle of Bull Run or First Manassas, the Richmond Government made a call upon the different States for a new levy to meet the call of President Lincoln for three hundred thousand more troops to put down the Rebellion.  The companies that were to compose the Fifteenth Regiment assembled at the old camping ground at Lightwood Knot Spring, three miles above Columbia.  They were: 

    Company A——­Captain Brown, Richland. 
    Company B——­Captain Gist, Union. 
    Company C——­Captain Lewie, Lexington. 
    Company D——­Captain Warren, Kershaw. 
    Company E——­Captain Davis, Fairfield. 
    Company F——­Captain Boyd, Union. 
    Company G——­Captain McKitchen, Williamsburg. 
    Company H——­Captain Farr, Union. 
    Company I——­Captain Koon, Lexington. 
    Company K——­Captain Bird, ——­

(These names are given from the best information obtainable and may not be exactly correct, but as the fortunes of war soon made radical changes it is of little moment at this late date.) These companies elected for their field officers: 

    Colonel——­Wm. DeSaussure. 
    Lieutenant Colonel——­Joseph Gist. 
    Major ——­

The regiment remained in camp undergoing a thorough course of instruction until Hilton Head, on the coast of South Carolina, was threatened; then the Fifteenth was ordered in the field and hurried to that place, reaching it on the afternoon of the day before the battle of that name.  The Fifteenth, with the Third Battalion and other State troops, was placed under the command of Brigadier General Drayton, also of South Carolina, and put in position.  The next day, by some indiscretion of General Drayton, or so supposed at that time, the Fifteenth was placed in such position as to be greatly exposed to the heavy fire from the war vessels in the harbor.  This caused the loss of some thirty or forty in killed and wounded.  The slaughter would have been much greater had it not been for the courage and quick perception of Colonel DeSaussure in maneuvering them into a place of safety.  After the battle the regiment lay for some time about Hardeesville and Bluffton doing guard and picket duty, still keeping up their course of daily drills.  They were then sent to James Island, and were held in reserve at the battle of Secessionville.  After the great Seven Days’ Battles around Richmond it and the Third Battalion were ordered to Virginia and placed with a regiment from Alabama and one from Georgia in a brigade under General Drayton.  They went into camp below Richmond as a part of a division commanded by Brigadier General