When the war commenced he was one of the Major Generals of the State.  He volunteered and was elected Colonel of the Eighth South Carolina Regiment.  At the reorganization he did not offer for re-election, but came home and was made Colonel in State troops.  He was kind to the poor the whole war, and gave away during the war over 50,000 bushels of corn and large quantities of other provisions to soldiers’ families, or sold it in Confederate money at ante bellum prices.  After the war all notes, claims, and mortgages he held on estates of old soldiers he cancelled and made a present of them to their families.  In one case the amount he gave a widow, who had a family and small children, was over $5,000, her husband having been killed in his regiment.

After the war he continued to farm.  In 1876 he took an active part in redeeming the State, and contributed his time, advice, and services, and a great deal of money.  In 1881 he fought a duel with Colonel Wm. M. Shannon, in which he killed Colonel Shannon.  Colonel Cash was the challenged party.  His wife died in May, 1880.  Colonel Cash died March 10, 1888, and was buried in the family burying ground at his residence, Cash’s Depot, S.C.

Colonel Cash was a man of strong character, fearless, brave, generous and true, a good friend and patriot.  He made no religious profession.  He was charitable to the extreme, and was the soul of honor, and while he had many enemies, being a fearless man and a good hater, he had such qualities as inspired the respect and admiration of his fellow-men.

* * * * *

CHAPTER VIII

Reorganized—­“New Officers”—­Battle.

On the 13th of April the term for which the twelve months’ troops had enlisted was now soon to expire, the great number which had not re-enlisted were looking forward with longing anticipation for orders to disband and return to their homes.  On the 14th, their obligations being at an end, officers and men were making rapid preparation to depart for home—­not to quit the service, however, but more to enjoy a short leave of absence with their families, and to join other branches of the services, more especially cavalry.  Some of the companies had actually left, and were a mile or two from camp when orders came to return.  The Conscript Act had been passed, making it obligatory on all, between the ages of eighteen and thirty-five, to enter or remain in the army.  The men took their sudden return in good humor, for really it was only the married men, who had left their families so unprepared twelve months before, who cared to return home; for some of the young men, who were under the conscript age, refused to leave.  Those who had to return received a lot of good-natured badgering at their sudden return to the army.  “Hello, boys, when did you get back?  What’s the news at home?” “How did you find all?” were some of the soothing jeers the “returned sinners” had to endure; and as so great a number had expressed a desire to join the cavalry, not a few were asked:  “Did you bring your horses with you?” But all was soon forgotten, for in a few days a reorganization was ordered to take place, and new officers elected.