Baxter Rollins

Home State: South Carolina
Branch of Service: Artillery
Unit: Pee Dee (SC) Artillery

In the Antietam Campaign:
"... Gen. Hill ordered the Battery forward to support Kemper's VA brigade just south of Sharpsburg. Unlimbering in a field along the Harper's Ferry Road, the men saw Burnside's entire Union corps marching toward their position. Without hesitation, the Battery opened with canister, then double canister, blowing huge gaps into the advancing blue line despite a hail of minie balls and Federal artillery fire. Young Baxter Rollins, the Battery's guidon, rushed to the gun line after seeing the No.4 on the Napoleon go down. Planting the colors between the guns, he took over the position. In the process of firing the piece, he was struck in the back by shrapnel, mortally wounded. As he fell, he discharged the piece and the recoil rolled the gun back, crushing both his feet. As his compatriots bore him off, Baxter pleaded, Don't take me to the rear, boys. I know I got to die. Let me die by my flag. So taken by the bravery and sacrifice of Rollins, the survivors of the unit paid special homage to him at every reunion after the war".

The remainder of the War:
Originally buried on the field at Sharpsburg "in Capt. David Smith's Orchard". Probably reinterred at Hagerstown in about 1874.

References, Sources, and other notes:
Burial information from Pruett1. The Battle quote is from the PeeDee Rifles.

Burial Place: Washington Confederate Cemetery, Hagerstown, MD

Notes

1 Pruett, Samuel, and Poffenberger & Good, Greg Farino and Western Maryland Regional Library (WMRL), Washington Confederate Cemetery, possible burials , Hagerstown (MD): WHILBR, 2010 [AotW citation 4481]

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