The address of D. F. Jamison, President of the Secession Convention was reported on the 17th of December, 1860. Three days thereafter, December 20th, the Ordinance of Secession was passed by the Convention without a dissenting voice. Secession was an accomplished fact; the long talked of dissolution of the Union had taken place. South Carolina having seceded, six other Southern States soon followed her example and passed similar Ordinances, viz: Mississippi, on the 9th of January, 1861; Florida, on the 10th; Alabama, on the 11th; Georgia, on the 19th; Louisiana, on the 26th; and Texas, on the 1st of February. These States met by delegations at Montgomery, Alabama, on the fourth of February, 1861, and immediately formed a Provisional Government for one year, with Jefferson Davis as President and Alexander H. Stephens as ‘Vice-President, for that time. The Constitution of the new Union was almost identical with that of the United States, but the name of the new Union was that of the Confederate States of America. Commissioners were immediately sent to Washington for the purpose, if it were possible, of making a peaceful and amicable adjustrnent of all matters pertaining to the common property and public debt. These Commissioners, Mr. Buchanan, whose term of office as President had not yet expired, refused to receive in any public capacity. In the meantime the seceded States had, before this, taken possession of all Federal forts and arsenals Within their limits respectively, except Fort Sumter, near Charleston; Fort Pickens, of Pensacola, and The Keys on the Southern Coast of Florida, and had granted jurisdiction over them to the Confederate States. Mr. Buchanan’s term of office being about to expire, he made no efforts to adjust the existing difficulties and none to coerce the seceded States. On the 4th of March, 1861, Mr. Lincoln was President of the United States, and the Confederate Commissioners, who were still at Washington, made every effort possible to bring about a peaceful settlement of between the sections, so that a parting might be effect, friendly terms. Evasive replies were always made to all overtures. In the meantime preparations for war were made, but not very energetically made, on both sides. It was very desirable that the evacuation of Fort Sumter should be brought about without a resort to force. Efforts to this made by the Confederate Government and by the of South Carolina; but in vain. All efforts to this end failed, and it being well known that the Government at Washington was intending to re-enforce Fort Sumter as possible, all talk and promises to the contrary not withstanding Gen. Beauregard, who was then in command at with about six thousand Confederate troops, was open fire upon the Fort. Firing commenced at half-past on the morning of April 12th, 1861. After a bombardment of thirty-two hours the Fort. surrendered. On the Sunday morning following the writer of this was at the depot at Newberry waiting for the train to come in. A great crowd was present waiting to hear the news. There was no telegraph here in those days. As the train rolled in at eleven o’clock Major J. M. Baxter, standing on the platform of the passenger car, waved his hat and with a strong, sonorous voice cried out “Fort Sumter is ours.” With eyes moist with tears I then hastened to church.     THE FIRST VOLUNTEER FROM NEWBERRY In the Newberry News, Volume III., a Friend thus writes of the First Volunteer from Newberry: “South Carolina had seceded. A call was made for men to support her action and defend her against the horde of fanatics that every thinking man knew must needs come. This call reached Newberry. Immediately one says, ‘Enroll my name for the war or until death.’ A brother who has since gone to that bourne whence no traveler returns, said, 'I'll go with you,’ but the first, with his usual far-seeing eye and heart, turned upon him ‘with womanly love and prophetic vision. 'No, you shall not; your health, family, business connections, all say no. But I’m in for the war, though I know at its close we will be provety  stricken people, the niggers will be free, and grass will grow in now publce, frequented highways.' “By the energy of a few noble men soon a company was reported for duty. And a gallant one it was, its deeds alone would give to any State a glorious history. It was assigned to Col. Gregg’s Regiment, First South Carolina Volunteers. This first volunteer patiently bore the monotonous life on Morris Island, the marches and labors incident to camp life in Virginia, with its advances and retreats, until came the hard fought battle of Cold Harbor. By this time he had become the pride of the company, the confidential counselor and friend to all. Standing erect, above six feet high, weighing 180 pounds, a model man in physique, old army officers would remark that he was a born soldier. With sword drawn, pressing the enemy in his very trenches, he was struck by a ball between the second and third ribs, which passed entirely through his body, leaving his shoulder blade shattered. Over 100 pieces of bone were afterwards taken, from time to time, from the wound. He was laid with the dying and the dead, all believing that death in a few hours at furthest would relieve him of his sufferings; but he said ‘not yet,’ and alone by superiority of will he lived, though in continual pain, with no use of his left arm, until paralysis set in on his left side and gradually continued to increase till a collapse of the bronchial tubes closed the sufferings of his life. “Thus ended the life of Capt. Basil Manly Blease on the 2nd of January, 1877, in his fifty-first year, having been born at Edgefield Court House on the 11th day of December, 1826.” To the foregoing notice of Captain Blease the compiler of these Annals feels constrained to add: I was frequently with him when he was lying at home with his shoulder shattered, helpless and suffering. And I always found him as patient and uncomplaining, it seemed to me, as it was possible for any one to be suffering so greatly. He was far more patient than I was myself, when afterwards I passed through a similar experience, as I lay in hospital for ten weeks, suffering from a gunshot wound through my right leg. The smaller bone was broken and torn to pieces by the ball. I had no patience; the pain was too acute. But Captain Blease murmured as little as it was possible for man to do. Again I was with him when be came to die. When he felt his last hour approaching he sent for me—I had visited him frequently before during his illness—and be asked me to read the Scriptures and to pray with him. I did so, and it seemed to me that he was at peace, such peace as only those know, or can know, whose hopes are stayed on the eternal God. And so be died. The company thus formed in Newberry, the first company, became part of the First South Carolina Regiment of Volunteers, which Regiment, says Lieutenant J. F. J. Caldwell in his history of McGowan's Brigade, was of various origin; some of them being volunteer militia companies of long standing; some of them being raised by officers commissioned by Governor Pickens for that purpose. It formed part of the six thousand men under Beauregard at the reduction of Fort Sumter. And thus Newberry was represented by brave and gallant men at the very beginning of the war, even as she was at the close. In another place will be found the roll of this company with the list of casualties during the war. There is now lying before me the roll of Company B, Third Regiment South Carolina Volunteers. The whole number of names on the roll is 141. Number living May 1st, 1888, is 41. Some few in this company were not from Newberry, but as they were assigned to a Newberry company, I record their names her with the others of the company.