SC Historical Society: southcarolinahistoricalsociety.org Wire -- The Confiscation of Loyalist Property in South Carolina

A Boy Soldier's Art
Written by Karen Stokes

As a youth, Langdon Cheves III of Charleston was an avid naturalist and hunter and kept journals recording the different kinds of wildlife he spotted, shot or caught in various locations in South and North Carolina. Towards the end of this teenage boy's hunting journal, tucked in between lists of fish and gamebirds and paintings of hunting scenes, are several pen and watercolor sketches of Civil War battle scenes, two of which are identified as the "Battle of Newberry, 1864" and the "Battle of Stone Ford, Cedar Run."

Right: Watercolor of a Hunting Scene. 200 dpi

Born in 1848, Cheves was only about 17 years old when he joined the Confederate Army in the last days of the war. He apparently enlisted in the 7th S.C. Cavalry Regiment, a unit commanded by Alexander Cheves Haskell, a relative of his from Abbeville, S.C. The obituary of Langdon Cheves, written in 1940, states that he was "en route to Virginia battlefields when the hostilities ceased." Although probably not a participant, Cheves may have observed some of the action of the war, documenting it in his journal.

The soldiers of blue and gray in his paintings are little more than stick figures, but the sketches nonetheless depict the fighting in a dynamic, detailed, and imaginative manner-an aspiring boy soldier's contemporary view of the war, which, whether eyewitness or not, is fascinating in itself.

Left: A fragment of another of his journals presents a scene identified as "Skirmish on the Branchville Road, between the advance of Colcock's army (Johnstons) & the surgeon cadets." | 200 dpi

Langdon Cheves III was the namesake of his famous paternal grandfather, Langdon Cheves (1776-1857), a judge, planter, politician, and president of the Bank of the United States from 1819 to 1822. His maternal grandfather, Henry Augustus Middleton (1793-1887), was one of the wealthiest of the South Carolina rice planters. Langdon Cheves III inherited large land holdings from both sides of his family and managed properties and investments for various family members. After graduating from the College of Charleston in 1871, he briefly went into railroad construction in Georgia but soon returned to Charleston to study law. He was a member of the South Carolina Historical Society and served the organization in the capacity of librarian and vice-president. Considered an authority on Lowcountry history, he edited the Shaftesbury Papers, a collection of historic documents relating to South Carolina's founding and early settlement. The Shaftesbury Papers were first published in 1897 and reprinted in 2000.

Above:Watercolor of a Calvary Charge. 200 dpi

Cheves lived at 61 South Battery and was a familiar figure downtown, known for his daily walks along the Battery. He passed away in his 92nd year, succumbing to a heart attack at home, and left behind a will in which he bequeathed his valuable papers to the South Carolina Historical Society. Among these papers are the hunting journals and sketchbooks he kept in his boyhood and youth, as well as his wonderful watercolor painting of birds. These were executed on wallpaper, apparently during a time of paper shortage. The pattern of the wallpaper shows through on the reverse sides, which Cheves used as his art paper, creating an unusual effect which does not detract from the beauty of his work.

The South Carolina Historical Society, founded in 1855, is dedicated to the preservation of the history of our state, as well as providing valuable resources to the past for the researchers of today, and of future generations. Our manuscript and photograph archives are built from the generous donations of those who individuals share these same goals. The SCHS can be reached via email info@southcarolinahistoricalsociety.org or by phone (843) 723-3225 or visit our website at www.southcarolinahistoricalsociety.org .

Last modified: 9/18/03/CLN.

URL: http://www.southcarolinahistoricalsociety.org/wire/2003_September/cheves.html