The Lafayette Artillery (Kanapaux's Battery).
This command dates its origin to the early years of the century, as ‘the
Fusilers Francaise;’ the company was composed of Franco-American citizens of
Charleston, and very handsomely uniformed in blue dress coats, with buff breasts, such as are shown in pictures of
Napoleon as consul.
As a boy, I have often seen the company parading as infantry in that beautiful uniform; a prominent corps, and was part of the escort to
Lafayette in 1824.
About the year 1840 it changed its service to light artillery, and was the first light battery seen on the streets of
Charleston with guns and horses; followed soon after by the Washington Artillery,
Captain Peter della Torre; the German Artillery,
Captain John A. Wagener, and, after the
Mexican War, the Marion Artillery,
Captain A. M. Manigault.
Not only was the ‘Lafayettes’ the pioneer light battery in
Charleston, but it was kept up with
esprit de corps, and was a well-drilled artillery company.
At the opening of ‘the war between States,’ it went into service under
J. T. Kanapaux, a son of the early captain,
Charles Kanapaux.
The records of the corps have been lost or destroyed, so that a full roster of commanders is not possible, but the following names are recalled:
Victor Durand,
Charles Kanapaux,
Peter B. Lalane,
A. Roumillat,
Gustavus Follin,
Charles Emile Kanapaux,
J. J. Pope.
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From the beginning of the century, the
French element of
Charleston's population has been uniformly public-spirited and devoted to the best interests of city and State.
The following were officers in 1861:
Captain John T. Kanapaux;
Lieutenants M. P. O'Connor,
L. F. LeBleux,
G. W. Aimar,
A. Victor Kanapaux.
By assignment to special duties and other causes, changes occurred during the war, and at the date of the
Honey Hill battle (1864) the following were commissioned officers:
Captain John T. Kanapaux;
Lieutenants, senior first,
C. J. Zealy; junior first,
A. Victor Kanapaux; second,
T. W. Bolger.
Two guns and thirty-six men, under
Lieutenant Zealy, were detached from Bee's Creek Battery and sent to
Honey Hill.
No passing commendation does justice to that meritorious officer,
Lieutenant Zealy, whose career in the war was marked by devotion to the cause and a cheerful and most efficient discharge of duty.
If he had done no more than serve his guns in the desperate fight down the road in the morning fight near Bolan Church he would be entitled to the highest praise.
He still survives; resides in
Charleston, and is richly entitled to the ‘well done’ of the community.
The other two guns, under
Sergeant Joseph Bock,
acting lieutenant, remained in position at
Bee's Creek, and the surplus men were equipped as infantry, under
Lieutenant T. W. Bolger, as a support for the guns there.
Captain John T. Kanapaux remained in command of that post.
An incident in the fight at
Honey Hill in this
Lafayette detachment is worth recording, showing the character and military spirit of the men.
Sergeant Julius A. LePrince was at one of the guns; he was a sufferer from chills and fever, and that was the alternate day for his attack; sure enough, in the very midst of the fight the gallant sergeant was shaking very perceptibly, and burning up with fever, but by sending spare men off to the rear, to fill his canteen with water, which he was drinking in large quantities, he kept to his gun. An officer finally noticed him and promptly said:
‘
Sergeant, you ought not to be here; go the rear!’
But the sergeant quietly remarked:
‘If I go to the rear, shaking as I am, people might think I am scared!’
He stayed by his gun until the action was over, late in the evening.
My youthful friend of November 30, 1864, as modest as he was brave, who was then scarcely of military age, is now among the
“Survivors” with streaks of silver in his hair; he will, I hope, excuse
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me for publicly recording how he did his duty to
South Carolina and the
South, under very serious disabilities, in perilous times.
As soon as it was possible after the election of
Governor Hampton, the ‘Lafayettes’ resumed their position in the volunteer military of the
State, and are still in that service.