The Lancaster news. (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, June 30, 1906, Page 8, Image 8
Incident of the Civil War.
Member of Wheeler's Cav
airy Tells of the Confine
ment of Eighteen Confed
erates in the Lancaster Jai
by Order of Gen. KilpatricI
and "Condemned to b
Shot at Sunrise"?Interest
ing Correspondence Be
tween Wheeler and Kil
patrick.
Mr. J M. Kiddie, Jr., Bub
ness Manager ol the LtincasU
Pub Company, was in Atlant;
Ga , some time ago, and whil
in the office in that city of Mi
W C. Dodson, president of tii
Dodson Printers Supply Con
pany, Mr. Dodson surprised hit
by asking for information aboi
"Lancaster's old jail." Mr. Dot
9on then proceeded to relate t
Mr. Riddle an incident of tli
civil win in which Lancaster1
j til was the storm centre, so t
speak. Mr. Kiddle requeste
Mr. Dodson to write an accour
of the event for publication i
The News, and the following is
kindly and interesting eotnpl
ance with that request:
Atlanta, Ga., June 28, 1 G0<
Mr. J M. Riddle, Jr.,
Lancaster, S. C.
Dear Sir :
Several weeks ap<
while you were in my olliee,
asked you if the old jail in Lai
caster was still standing, or if i
had been replaced by a new one
The reason lor asking the quei
lion was that the old jail is assc
ciated in my memory with
rather tragic incident ol the civ:
war.
I was, as I believe 1 informe
you, a member of Wheeler's C;r
airy, a command not overpopula
among the citizens ol South Cat
olina at the time ot which I writ*
but, notwithstanding, I wish t
go on record as being more prou
of the record made by my ol
command in the campaigns ?
Georgia and the Carolinaa tha
ol any part ol its history. The
hung on the Hanks and rear c
Sherman's army, and were, <
course, compelled to subsist o
the country. The latter bein
already depleted, made it hard o
the citizens, but where Ihev coi
sumed one dollar's worth of foo
or forage they saved from th
torch of the incendiary one hui
dred dollars' worth, and Uenerf
Sherman more than once sai
that Wheeler and his cavalr
gave him more trouble than a
the rest ot tlie Confederate arm
put fog. tlier, in the famous {c
infamouw) "March to the Sea."
Hut, t lie iijirt ol the record w
madi* that I am most proud ol j
that when our men encounters
vandals, robbing :iik1 I urniii
houses or 1,111rjiiiino woimni, {lie
give i o (jnartor, and asked iimih
('onneeted willi this las' is (I
obi jail at hancastei, and probi
bly it will not be inappropriat
to print 1 (>iewith some oflicij
C'>rrespondrnc" between (Jen era
Wheeler and Kilpatriek, copefrom
Official Iterordsof the W;
oi tbe Rebellion Vol. XIA'I
paue 8(50.
Headquarters Cavalry Command,
Army of Invasion. 1
In the Field, Lancaster, S. C., ?
Feb. 22, 1805. f
- Major?General Wheeler,
Commanding C. S. Cavalry :
_ Genera! :
I Yesterday a lieutenant and
' seven men and a sergeant of ?
' battery were taken prisoners t?.v
c one of your regiments?it I am '
correctly m'orm 'd, a Texas Keg* *
imont?armed with Spencer car- "
bines and commanded by a e
lieutenant-colonel. This oilicer 1
and his men, alter surrendering '
and being disarmed, were inliu- "
manly and cowardly murdered. '
Nine ol my cavalarymen were c
also found murdered yesterday, !l
fivo in a barn yard, three in an '
open liold, and one in the road. 1
,, Two bad I heir throats cut from *
ear to ear. This makes in all 1
eighteen Federal soldiers mur- a
II dered yesterday by your people 1
? Unless some satisfactory explan f
j at ion be made to me bef ore sun- 1
down, February 23rd, 1 will e
cause eighteen of your soldiers, '
,. now my prisoners, to be shot, *
and il this cowardly act be re(j
peated, if my people whenxtaken e
are not treated in all cases as F
prisoners ol war should be, 1 1
will not only retaliate as I have e
already mentioned, but there 1
shall not be a house lolt stand- c
ing within reach of my scouting 1
parties along mv line of march,
' nor will 1 be responsible for the ^
conduct of my soldiers, who will r
not only be allowed but en- 1
couraged to take a fearful re N
I 1 ^ C _ A. 1
i K'n?w in no oilier way
' to intimidate cowards.
I am, general, very respectfully*
your obedient servant,
J. Kilpatrick,
Brevet Major-General, Commanding
Cavalrv.
)- t
a c
jj Headquarters Cavalry Corps, a
Chesterfield, S. C., Feb. 22, N
,1 1865 ,
_ Major-(Jeneral Kilpatrick, U. S. [
,r Army. f
Commanding Cavalry, etc. c
i- General: c
< Your despatch of this date is r
d received, and I am much shock H
d ed at the statements which it I
d contains. I am satisfied that \ ou e
n are mistaken in the matter. I j
y h??v?* no Texas regiments armed i
,f with ISpenci r rifles, and none j
,1 | commanded by ? lieutenant col- <,
ii I unci Tim two Texas regiments t
^ which belong to my command r
i, are commanded by captains, and \
i. and neither were in any engage 1
,1 inent on yesterday. If any of t
e my regiments were engaged with t
i the enemy yesterday that fact e
d h is not yet been reported tome, t
I 111 I .i -
<i i win ikivh mio miiuor | rmiiny : 1
y j invosliiin'o I and see tlial full 1
11 justice is done. Should the re-! ]
I
y port, however, l>y any means i
>rI prove correct, 1 prefer that the <
'retaliation may lie indicted upon c
e the parties irnilty of the misdeeds, i
is; nod not upon innocent persons.'!
d I have no de ire whn'ever lot
e m ike cm] n I nr-f in eat s in response ! '
\ to those which yon have thought ;
c 'proper to address to me, hut <
n- - liouhl yen cause eighteen of my 1
i-jiuen to he shot, hi cause you (
ejehaiu-ed to find that iiutllher of |
il ' vur on n dead, I shall regard I
Is t hem is so many minders commitd
t ! I.y von, and act aceordinglv. I
ir I I riot, however, such n painful i
I necessity will not he forced upon
me.
i
Your threat "to burn ever
iouho as far us your scouts ca
xtend" is of too brutal a cha
ictor lor me, ami 1 think for ni
Jovernment, to reply to.
Respectfully, sir, your obed
nt torvaut,
J. Wheeler,
Major?1General O. S. Arm?
The men about whicb (jleueri
vdpatrick complains were nt
[tiled by a Texas regiment, ti
tated, but by scouts commaiu
d by two lieutenants of in
ognnont, 51st. Ala. L'arlisa
dangers These olficers were an
ire now Iriends of mine, one <
hem opens the proceedings t
>ur Veterans' Camp witb praye
ind the otlior was nn'il recent!
'resident ol a iemale college i
Vlabama. I mention tliis to sbo<
hat they were by no means <lei
loradoes, though men ol despei
ite courage. I have talked wit
hem several times about tb
ipisode mentioned above, an
hough they admit the killing (
nidi teen and more ol Kil pa'rick
nen, they deny cutting the
hroals.
The result of the correspom
nice between Wheeler and Ki
jatrick was that the latter, i
nirsuaiice ol his threat, ha
eighteen Confederates confine
11 the ohl jail at Lancaster, cot
lemned to he shot at sunrise th
text morning Among these wt
i member of my Company, an
io never tires of telling of tli
atlier "close call." This ws
Javid Jennings, the only su
dvor of four brothers, wli
inlisted in the Confederate Ann;
Vs Dave tells the story, after i
iad been announced to tlioi
hat they were to he shot th
lext morning, lie addressed th
est of his comrades in a slioi
alk, telling them thai he, fc
me, did not care to be taken oi;
md shot like a dojr, and since i
vas death any way, he asked a
vho were willing to join him i
n an effort to overpower th
ruard and make a break for lil
;riy, to rise to their feet. As li
[escribes the response, "as i
governed by one muscle1' to?*
ill aros" but one, who announce
hat be was a Mason, and u-^k
>d it there were other Mason
iresent. Evidently ho expecte
ii seme wayjhis masonry woul
>rot?*ct him Irom the late of til
ithers. Naturally, there wan !i
le sleep^for them that night, i<
nen are not likely In sleep we
villi deal ^apparently so near j
land. The next niorniug, true I
heir promise, the men were a
ho door when the guard appea
id, and as the door commence
o swing open, Dave put his loc
n the crack ho that it. could in
>o closed. The guard compri
lending)what this meant, mii
ugly remarked, "There's no u>f
that hoys, you are to he e:
'hanged man for man." Sweet*
nusic, Davo insists, he will nevt
tear this side of Heaven than ?1
,vords "exchanged man f<
nan."
The ollicial records cotita
ither references to the killing
sandals hy our cavalry, aj
juit e ;? lierv correspondence t.oi
i?iwn .(Don! i ho name date h
[ween Generals Sherman at
Hampton, (the latter at the tin
I>oi11ir Senior to (General Wheel
in command of the Cavalry.)
which Sherman complains of tl
killing ol '28 of his forager*, at
[ben hur
Was famous for chariot racing. We sell U
! BEN HUR FLOUR!
)t
is That is more famous. Its quality is superb,
i- its whiteness arid rising quality is great?sur- ||
> passed by none and equaled by few. Don't J
" take our word?try Ben Hur and be satisfied ;
(l better than ever before. One sack settles it.
v. magmuji j
.is still in the ring and asks Ben Ilur what it ; *
was doing in Lancaster. Ben Hur says that
it came to stop Town Talk. Magnolia?Have
( they been talking about me ? Ben Hur?No, !
(1 but I know I am the whitest Flour in Lan- |
,, caster. Magnolia?You may be whiter, but
?s you are not any better when it comes to the !'
ir taste?and you cost more. Ben Hur?Well, 1
stop talking about me and I'll stop Town Talk j
i about you, and we will work with purity, qual- {
i ity and honesty to all of Edwards's customers, ij
n '
j - ;
Don't forget to buy your Ice, Ale, Fountain
Drinks, Sugar, Coffee, Dry Goods, Shoes,
Hats, Notions, etc., from the store that invites ij
you and your trade to make headquarters at j
ip 'l _ ..
is Respectfully yours,
: J. C. EDWARDS I
it
u in Bennett's Old Stand.
,e ? ? - ' ? ? ? - ^ >
rl CIIAS. r>. JONKS, President R K. WYLIK, Vice-President.
K M . CROXTON, Cashier.
>r
"t The First National Bank of Lancaster.
j, LANCASTER, S. C.
II
e A Few Facts for Your Consideration:
L>"
RIltST. That systematic saving pays. A deposit of $&.OC
ie a month for live years, with 4 per o.ent. interest computed semij
annually, will yield you 27. Ten dollars a month for the
same length of time will yield $HH4.GO, while in ten years you
y| won 111 have J> M , f i 4 <f?.
(1 j SHOOS If. The safety of your money. The well knowi
character ami ability of our hoard of directors is a sufficient (
guarantee of honest and capable management.
'I'll I It It. '1 hat we take any amount from $1 Oh upwards
it |
b'OU ItTH. That your money is payable on demand.
(1
Hit Til. That we pay t per cent, interest on Certificate?
ie of Deposit.
SIXTH. That we extend to our patrons every courtesy and
accommodation in our power, consistent with good banking; and
]) SEVKSTU. That we are under Government inspection.
l? W e respectf ully solicit your business.
* E. M. CROXTON, Cashier.
r-i ? : ~ -
(] hi throat lo have 28 Confederate for there wore many hlue-coata
^ prisoner** executed in retaliation- butchered by our men of which y
To this < ieneral Hampton replied, j there never wip any official cojjB.
that his men had done no more nizance, and the current report
I than right in the killing referred among the Federals, that Wheel
e to, as Sherman was violating all jer's Cavalry took no prisoners,
s rules ol civilized warfare in I was well founded where certain
hnriiinir houses. mul uliimiiiir do I crimes were beiinr cnmioii ?.!
:*r ~
fenseless women, and added as | Now, it there still lingers in
ill
ie ail ultimatum, that he had set 'the minds ol any ol your old
,fi apart 56 Federal officers to be I readers any prejudice against my
{shot if his 28 men wore executed. !ohl command, I hope this true V
in Thi* evidently had its effect on story of how, if 'hey could not
0I the decision to exchange prison- prevent, they often avenged loul
i,[ eis ''man for man." I>ut lor tear 1 wrongs committed a^ain-t your
,k ol making my. letter too long, 1 people, will cause Wheeler's
c. would like to quote the Sherman Cavalry to be held in more kindid
i and llamp'on c >rre -pondence, |y rememherance.
ae | for it is "mighty interesting read Faithfully.
I
erl1"- W. C. Dodson,
in: I could mention other inci- 1'rivate.
he dents connected with t he career . . . ~
id of our Cavalry in South Carolina, l)o you take The New*" ^
(