“No, sir,” said Bland, straightening himself up to his full height; “but I ought to be.  If I was in your army I would have been a Major General, and in command of your army.”  Then with a merry chuckle added, “Perhaps then you would not have gotten such a d—–­n bad whipping at Chancellorsville.”  Then all hands laughed.

* * * * *

COLONEL ELBERT BLAND, SEVENTH REGIMENT.

Elbert Bland was born in Edgefield County, S.C., and attended the common schools until early manhood, when choosing medicine as a profession, he attended the Medical College of New York, where he graduated with distinction.  Ardently ambitious, he remained sometime after graduation, in order to perfect himself in his chosen profession.  Shortly after his graduation, war broke out between the States and Mexico, and he was offered and accepted the position of Assistant Surgeon of the Palmetto Regiment, Colonel P.M.  Butler commanding.  By this fortunate occurrence he was enabled to greatly enlarge his knowledge of surgery.  At the close of the war he came home, well equipped for the future.  Shortly after his return from the war he was happily married to Miss Rebecca Griffin, a daughter of Hon. N.L.  Griffin, of Edgefield.  Settling in his native county, he entered at once into a lucrative practice, and at the beginning of the late war was enjoying one of the largest country practices in the State.  When the mutterings of war began he was one of the first to show signs of activity, and when Gregg’s Regiment went to the coast in defense of his native State, he was appointed Surgeon of that Regiment.  Having had some experience already as a Surgeon in the Mexican War, he determined to enter the more active service, and in connection with Thos.  G. Bacon, raised the Ninety-Six Riflemen, which afterwards formed part of the Seventh South Carolina Regiment.  Bacon was elected Captain and Bland First Lieutenant.  Upon organizing the regiment, Bacon was elected Colonel of the regiment and Bland was to be Captain.

Whilst very little active service was seen during the first year of the war, still sufficient evidence was given of Eland’s ability as a commander of the men, and upon the reorganization of the regiment, Captain Bland was elected Lieutenant Colonel.  From this time until September 20th, 1863, his fortunes were those of the Seventh Regiment.  He was conspicuous on nearly every battlefield in Virginia, and was twice wounded—­at Savage Station, seriously in the arm, from which he never recovered, and painfully in the thigh at Gettysburg.  At the sanguinary battle of Chickamauga, on September 20th, 1863, whilst in command of his regiment, and in the moment of victory, he fell mortally wounded, living only about two hours.

No knightlier soul than his ever flashed a sabre in the cause he loved so well, and like Marshall Nay, he was one of the bravest of the brave.  He sleeps quietly in the little cemetery of his native town, and a few years ago, upon the death-bed of his wife, her request was that his grave and coffin should be opened at her death, and that she should be placed upon his bosom, which was done, and there they sleep.  May they rest in peace.