7th Battalion of State Troops
Senior Reserves
Company A

Joseph King
Orderly Sergeant

I am guessing that the photgraph is one that was taken at Hillsborough Military uniform, where he attended prior to the War.
Green Pond is located on the Charleston & Savannah RR about 60 miles west of Charleston (i.e., midway to Savannah) and during the war it was a sizeable post and a number of troops were stationed in and around it for defense of the coast and the RR. Not much left of it now, except a post office, a store, and a couple of houses--even the depot is gone.
His death, like many others, was well before his time. The following was sent to his parents regarding his death. He most likely was buried where he died.

"Camp near Cobahee Ferry", Green Pond, South Carolina

February 8, 1865

Mr. Henry King

Dear Sir:
It is with great displeasure that I write to you the painful news of your son's death. He was shot on Sunday morning the 5th inst. about 11 o'clock. The enemy commenced firing on our pickets between nine and ten o'clock and your son, Joseph King, volunteered his services to go down to the river, where the Yanks were shooting out pickets. Captain John Phillips begged him not to go, but he said he wanted to shoot the Yanks and he would go. I was not present at the time he went bur was myself in two hundred yards of the river and was expecting every minute to get hit but by the help of God came out safe. Major Ward and myself went down there to tell the pickets not to expend all their ammunition unless they could do some injury to the enemy. After we had retreated out of reach of the enemy's guns. I suppose half of a mile from the river, we met Joe King and Stephen Owens, both orderly sergeants going down to the river. As soon as I met them I told them they would be risking their lives go to down to the river right in front of the enemy and under their fire, but they told me they were going. So on they went. I stood in the road some time and watched them, for it was an open marsh where I could see for miles around. I could see the Yanks on the other side of the river up on the hill just as plain as if I had been there on the river bank. After I saw they were determined to go I turned round and saw Major Ward some distance up the road going to our battery. I had entirely forgotten everything watching Joe King, for I knew his disposition and when he undertook to do anything. We had just reached the battery when a young gentleman came running in and said Joe King was mortally wounded. I immediatedly made a detail of eight men and sent them after him, Captain Phillips and myself leading the way, but when got in about two hundred yards of the river the Yankee pickets got reinforecements and poured volley after volley of balls right amoung us but we stuck too close to the ground for the balls so they passed over our heards. About this time they opened their cannon on our picket and put them to flight, and now occupy the ground your son was shot on. It may be possible that he is alive, the last man that left him said that he begged him to stay with him and talked very briskly. But he was shot through the body. The ball went in his left side and lodged in his clothes on the right side. By the guidance of Him who watches over the misfortunes of all being, he may yet be alive.

Very Respectfully,

Lieut. W. D. Rollins

Sergeant King's body was never recovered. He answered the last call on the battle field. ( This is the author's post script.)

Contributed by:
Dena Williams Anderson a grand niece.

Captain R. D. F. Rollins - Darlington and Williamsburg District


If you have any information about these troops or these units, please contact contact me at