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Oldest Newspaper In South Carolina. VOL. 74. EDGEFIELD, S. C., WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 3rd, 1909. NO. 1. General ] Essay by Mas the Prize ii field C Robert E. Lee was born at Strat ford, in Westmoreland County, Vir" ' ginia, on tlhe nineteenth of January, 1807. B?8 father was General Hen ry Lee (called "Light Horse Harry") of Revolution?r *f ame. His. father dies when Robert was a boy, and. therefore- bis training . was left--to his mut her. She was a good woman and/raised her son to be a devout Ch ist ian man. She was -a memb?r-of the Carter family, and both the Lees and. Carters had long been among the foremost V families of Virginia in social standing and influence. When? Robert was not / at school he spent his leisure time with his mother. He obeyed her eve.y wish, and from her received the true prin ciples of truth, morality, and relig ion. . At eighteen he received an ap pointment as a cadet to the United States Military Academy at West Point,and after four years graduated second in a class of forty-six, with f a commission as second lieutenant in .??B#?brps of Engineers. While at "West^olnt his conduct was perfect .his habits were excellent, and he did not receive a demerit in the whole four years. It is said, . He was a model cadet. His clothes always looked nice ' and new. His cross belts, collars and summer trousers' were^as wbite as the driven snow mounting guard upon the mountain, top, and his breast and waist plates were a mirror to reflect the image of the inspector". Daring all this period, in all that be did, he was characterized by thor oughness, and a great capacity for work. . - "X*t ee married Mary Curtis, ??gtou's wife. On the death of Mr. Curtis, Mrs. Lee inherited that mag nificent estate, Arlington, which du ring the war, was taken from the Lees by the Federal government* During the Mexican war Lae did excellent service as an engineer, for which he received high praise and promotion. Probably no sub-ordinate officer came out of the war with a reputa tion sa greatly enhanced; from that time he was regarded as one of the ablest, and by many regarded as the ablest ot' the younger officers of the United States Army. Soon after til * Mexican war he w?*mide Super intendent of the United States Mili tary Academy at West Point which he held for three years; (l85:i to 18 5?). He was made a Lietiteuamt Colonel March, 18?5, and was sta-?( tioue.i in Texas from IS?O-'?l, after' $ "February 18G0, as the commander of the department of Texas, being call ed upon to protect; the settlers agaiust the Indians,; aud in 18 bu, vaitly attempting for five mouths to capture the notorious brigand Cortinas. .vWhile at Arlington, on a leave of absence, in 1850, he commanded the tillite.] States troops, which over came and captured John Brown at Harper's Ferry. Shortly after this the Southern States Seceded. Lee was opposed ti? secession, and therefore it was a great blow to him when his native Stite, Virginia, decided to leave the Union; but he did not hesitate, about! obeying her call. 1 For 82 years Lee had served in the army of th s United States, and it was a struggle for him to leave its service; but he never failed tb di? what he thought was his duty. Lee's position at this time when war between the North and South seemed certain was a very delicate and trying one. Although he loved the Union, and had the high honors , given- him by the Union, he could not think of fighting against his state and kinsmen. It is true Ley had a hard time answering the above question, because he had spent most, of Iiis time in the Union and in SOTO?-ways was under obligations to HP . . Though himself-a slave holder, he had long believed that slavery was an evil, both for the blacks and the whites. In 1850 he had written, "'There are few, I believe, in this en lightened age, who will not acknow-i ledge that slavery as an institution is a moral and political evil in any country. I think it a greater evil to the white than to the black race". He regarded the freeing of slaves a? certain to come in time, but believed that it would sooner result from the mild ?n?\melting ways of Christian Robert Ed\ ter WvW. Ada i the Bontest bj hap*ter of the U ity, than from the storms and bair ties of war. Lee did not like the reading of such books as, ''Uncle Tom's Cabin" and in that way Jhe thoroughly agreed with the. South. On April .16. 1861, President Lincoln offered to put Lee in com mand of the active army of the Uni ted States, but he declined the high compliment and sent in his resigna tion to the war department of the United States. At the same time he wrote a letter to General Wingfield Scott, then commanderrin-chief of the army, in which he said, "Save^in the defense of my native state, I never, desire again to draw my sword." He also wrote his sister a GE3fE~l.'X ?bZz?.? E. LEE, FI etter on that same day in which ie said, "With all my devotion to ;he Union and the feeling of loyal ty and duty of au American citizen, [ have not been able to make up my mihd to raise my hand against my relatives, my chUdren,and ray home." Although Lee was not expecting to be called on so soon, he answered the call of hi? state, and at once was nade commander-in-chief of the. Vir ginia farces. In obedience, to the jail of his state, he went to Rich nond to take command of the Vir ginia forces. The State Convention, which pass id the ordinance of s?cession was in ?essionl A committee was sont to ovite u.ie to appear-before the con rention. H? Avas ushered into, the ?all and welcomed by the ''presiding >fticer, ~t?r. .Tanney, wlic; said: "Sir, ve have'expressed our convictions .hat youareat this time among the mug citizens of Virginia-first iii var. Wo pray to God most'f erven t y tliat you may so . conduct the /pera'iipiis committed to your charge ;hat it, AV i 11 soon ba said of you, that pou are the.'first, in peace,'and when ;hac time comes you will have earn ?d th? still prouder distinction- of jiiu\v: 'first in the hearts of his coun trymen." It luid been said of Wash ington that he was first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of Ids countrymen," and truly did Mr. Tanney predict that Virginia would iorne day honor and revere t he mem ory of Lee as she did that of Wash ington. Soon war began in real earnest, [n the middle of the summer of 18 jl the Confederates defeated the Federal's at Bull Run", or Manassas Virginia, and the invasion ol' Vir ginia was checked. In August. 1861 Lee took command of the Confede rate forces in the 'mountains of what' ater became West Virginia, but he ivas hampered by ill-advised orders iud by the inefficiency of his subor linates he met with little success. : Me was then sent to strengthen the lefences of the Southern seaboard, ? md in March 1862 General George 3. McClellan with a strong Union irmx undertook j to advance from ? forktown against Richmond, but ( bund himself opposed by General i Ibseph E. Johnston. General John ston was wounded and Lee was put n command of army and after s ev- 1 m days of fighting McClellan was Iriven back. < i Operations around Richmond were riven up for tli^time being, and the , south became jubilant and the North lespondent^Lee marched Noith and * I yard Lee ms That Won ' the Edge ; D. C. defeated the Federals under Genera* Pope at the! second battle of Manas sas,pushed into Maryland,and fought the battle of Antietam, or Sharps burg, and then retired to Virginia. In December of the same year he terribly defeated Burnside at Fred ericksburg,. Virginia. In May 1863, Lee inflicted even a worse defeat on Hooker at Chancel lorsville, a short distance from Fred ericksburg. The battle of Chancel lorsville was a costly one to tbe Con federates ;General "Stonewall" Jack son was killed and Lee lost "his right arm" as Jackson was called. After this battle Lee pushed into the North; crossed Maryland and en tered Pennsylvania; but at Gettys 10M HIS LAST PHOTOGRAPH. i burg he was stopped by the Feder als under General Meade. Here was fought a three days battle. On the last day the Confcd rates under General Pickett made a heroic charge against the Federals, but were conipelled to withdraw. As they came back, Lee rode out to meet them. He encouraged the men and said to them: "all this has been my fault and it is I who have lost this fight. You must help me out as best you can." Ile was brave in victory, but brav-; er in defeat. He never tried to place the responsibility of defeat upon another, but took it all on him self. In the spring of 1864, General Grant was put in charge of the,Fed eral troops with instructions to at tack Lee and to advance upon Rich mond. Grant had vron a great reputation for himself. He had fought and won battles, dud captured forts ia Tennessee. i The sams day that Lee lost at Get tysburg. Grant captured Vicksburg, Mississippi. In thc meantime Ad miral Farragut had entered the? mouth of the Mississippi and taken. New Orleans. ?j The capture of Vicksburg by I Grant added to the success of Far ragut, cut the Confederacy in two-, and opened the Mississippi river to the Federals. After other success es in Tennessee, Lincoln decided that if any man was capable of de-; feating Lee it was Grant. So he callee him from the West and put, him in charge of the active armies of the United States. He took immediate command of I the army of the Potomac, and began to advance against Lee. From .March, 1864, until April, !), 1865, a vigorous campaign was carried on between Lae and Grant. It began with the battle of the, "Wilderness"' Spotsylvania County Virginia, and and ended with the surrender of Lee at Appomattox Courthouse, Vir ginia. Lee did all that could be done to prevent defeat, but Grant's army greatly outnumbered his. Sometimes [?rant had more than five times as nany soldiers as Lee. During the campaign, Lee showed that he was not afraid to expose himself to the fire of tbe enemy. While fighting around Spotsylvania Courthouse; Lee came up to some Texas soldiers, placed 'himself at their heail and, crying, "Hurrah for Texas," ordered the charge. The (Continued to eighth page.) \ THE PARKSVILLE UNION. Initial Meeting cf Third Divis ion One of the Most Suc cessful Ever Held - in The Association. . Notwithstanding the cold wave that struck-Parks ville broadsided Friday night, the new division of the Edgefieid; association, to be known as the third division, was duly organized on Saturday, Jan uary 30th. Mr. L. F. Dorn was called to the chair as temporary chairman and Mr. Dan Bell as tem porary secretary*' After devotional exercises conducted by the venera ble Geo. W. BuBsev, delegates were enrolled and a permanent organiza" tion effected bysthe election of L. F. Dorn, moderator, and John D. McKie of Clara's Hill church, as secretary. -Fiv'e$i-churches compose this division, vo Parksville, Plum Branch, Modock Clark's Hill and Red Oak Gfo^wA constitution was adopted, and ?taong other things defined the HfD4$B or boundaries of the new divisicwas;. follows: "This division shall/^ be composed ^of churches witlug^a radius of nine miles, taking .^r?'ksyille as the cen tre." This of ??rse precludes the idea of a larg?^?W?eldy union, cov ering an area?^&ly accessible by each church j ion! The Holy sins of Omissh ance, Business; churches, were$$ll by- the regula^ enjoyment anii present, Sunday mci were conducted J. M. Bussey. 1 sing said divis t a teacher, the Christian assur methods in the ably discussed appointees, to the '.instruction . of all ping the exercises i by superintendent being so cold, the regular lessonl^ere dispensed with, and talks were ? made by the super intendent and'.Bro. G. \vr. Bussey. At the preaching- hour the mis sionary serm?n' was preached by Rev. Mr. Duron, the new McCor mick pastor, from our "marching orders," the'great commission: "Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel, ete.,5??t;was a- magnificent effort, holding'the closest attention :>? ill the interested listeners, to the close. action was- taken at !heconc^^P?wM?^?by motion the previous day -been given to Ttatt^aaions, amounting to $22.00. rbis ."free ^vlll offering was evi ience bf the. interest and "effect of the sermon, as well as the interest )f the new division in the cause of fissions. The amount collected in November by 2nd division before )urs was organized, was only $14.00, f I remember correctly, which ihows even now, the good work lone when the new was organized. A bountiful dinner was now spread in the church, it being so ;old out of doors, and "we all did jat and were filled." The afternoon session was de moted to young people's work, and ,vas the most interesting part of the )rogram. Mr. D. N. Dorn read a japer on B. Y. P. U. work differ mtiated from other church work hat elicited so much favorable ?omment that a motion was. made .equesting the paper for publication. D. A. J. Bell spoke on the Sun ihine Habit and Rev. Mr. Lee, Rev. j. \V. Bussey, and our pastor all ipoke in encouraging words to mr y?ung people. This closed bur first, and one of he most interesting union meetings ;he writer ever attended. Although ;he weather was severe we had dele gates from Red Oak Grove,. Plum [Branch, Clark's Hill, Modocand Parksville, which evidenced the in erest in the new enterprise. The next meeting will go to Red 3ak Grove, 5th Saturday and Sun lay in May. We hope for better veather, but we could not hope for i better meeting. Besides the delegates to the union ve had with us from McCormick, Elev. Mr. Duren, Mr. J. B. Kel ton, Mr. and Mrs. Dr. Thos. Jen lirigs and their beautiful children. Mr. Fooshe and Mrs. Freeman Taylor from the fork of che creek vere welcome visitors to our meet ng. Misses Burnett and Wilson of Greenwood were also with ns at the inion. Mrs. Mamie Walker and Mrs. Bob White of White Town attend id our union. Mr. and Mrs. Robert Price from Tennessee, make a new accession to ?ur town. Mrs. Price is the daughter >f Mr. W. R. Parks, and her many riends welcome her home after an ibsence of two years. RAMBLER. Votice to Stock Raisers. I have a registered Guernsey Bull i splendid individual from distin guished ancestry; mother 6 gallon :ow, 14 per cent butter fat. JULIAN R. STROTHER; "Onlooker" Makes Some Sug gestions to The Lawmakers Now in Session in Co lumbia. It is a hard matter for us to elect law makers with common sense enough to do anything besides drink whiskey, eat. peanuts, kill time and draw their pay. Now, as to a game law, the trouble is not be cause game is killed out of season or that the present law is not suffi cient to protect it; nor is the scarci ty of game caused by excessive hunting. The truth is the eggs and young are destroyed by the thou sands by half breed dogs that prowl around day and night. "What we need to afford proper protection is just such a law as was introduced in the House the other day, which provided a tax of ten dollars on all female dogs. That is a step in the right direction, for the protection of game, and also to prevent mad dogs to a great extent. Had that law passed it would have been of great benefit in protecting game birds and to the people of South Carolina in many ways, and yet it was killed at once, just for the lack of a little thought and practical common sense, on part of those who are supposed to represent our best interests. . . Now, as to prohibition: The peo ple have never asked for anything else. They have never by their votes or in any other way asked for a dispensary, or even local option. This local option is simply the dy ing grasp of the advocates and ringsters of the old dispensary be cause they know that in some of the connties that there are enough of the ignorant class of people to re tain a dispensary and that this fact would keep prohibition from being a success in those counties that did vote it out. A dry country with a wet one on its borders is at a dis advantage andi does not get the.full* advantage ' of prohibition that it should now. If they do not intend to give the people what they ask for (that is, state-wide prohibition) let them at least fix the local option law. so as to limit the sale of whis key to residents of the county in which said dispensary is situated ind make the law so that a violation of -it would -^?^j^^csaser-. for >feh? removal of the dispensary when proof of such illegal sale should be presented to the governor. As the ^matter now stands the wet counties make a lot of trouble for the dry ones. In a similar way the two laws against deadly weapons ire directly oppose to each other. The law against carrying concealed tveapons was and is a good law and ?hould have remained just as it was. Somebody whose desire to do some ;hing smart got thc better of their ?ommon sense and good judgment md enacted an unlawful, weapon aw .which has practically killed the rood effects of the concealed weap on law and is responsible for the in creased number of murders with the nore deadly shot gun than would lave been had this law not been massed. The record will show this o be a fact. Under the concealed' iveapon law those who carried pis ols did not try to hide them#and rou had an opportunity of knowing vhen a man was armed, while as it s now they use every precaution to lide them and you do not know who s armed or who is not until you ire up against it. This fact forces a rood man to have to go and in de iance of law so as to be able to pro ect himself against bad ones. Trusting that our lawmakers will rive heed to these matters that con ;crn us so much and from which so nuch could be derived and let some >thers alone that are not worthy of ittention. I beg to remain an . ONLOOKER. Washington Once Gave Up. to three doctors; was kept in bed br five weeks. Blood poison from a ipider's bite caused large, deep sores o cover his leg. The doctors failed, hen "Bucklers Arnica Salve com )letely cured me," writes John Washington, of Bosqneville, Tex. Tor eczema, boils, burns and piles ts supreme. 25c at W E Lynch & ?o., Penn & Holstein, successors to T L Penn <fc Son drug stores. The Editor's Lament. The following from a leading ?ewspaper out in North Dakota, will )e appreciated just at this time: "lt s reported that one of the fastidi )U8 ladies in a neighborhood town ;neads bread with her gloves on. rhis incident may be somewhat jeculiar, but there are others. The ;ditor of this paper needs bread vith his shoes on. He needs bread tvitb his shirt on. He also needs jread with his pants on, and unless ;ome of thc delinquent subscribers o this "Old Rag of Freedom" pay ip before long he will need bread without a blamed thing on-and tforth Dakota is no Garden of Eden n the winter time." Judge W. F. Roath. Edgefield county has been ex ceedingly fortunate in having had Mr. William F.-Roath as a member of its official family, in one capacity or another, for more than thirty years. Mr. Roath was born in Or angeburg June 9th, 1841, and came to Edgefield county in 1867, when a young man of only twenty-six years. On December the I7th,1868, he was married to Miss Annie F. Nichol-1 W. F. Roath. son, a daughter of the lamented S. W. Nicholson. Two years later, December 20th, 1870, Mr. and Mrs Roath came to Edgefield village to reside, and have made this their home continuously since that time. In directing these good people to cast their lot in. this community, Providence was exceedingly kind to Edgefield. . A Christ-like influence has gone out from hin life like the perfume from the rose, and though silent and invisible yet it has been powerful and far-reaching. Daring his sojourn her? of nearly forty years many a man has been ennobled and strengthened by the hearty hand shake and earnest, ton ier "God bless you" of Judge Roath. Iadeed his long life of near ly three score and ten years has been cons tantly devoted to seed sow ing.Qne can not enter his; office with out leaving a better man. . Fortunate are the people who b^E?Jucl:._ a public servant. Mr. Roath was elected clerk of the Board of County -Comm issioners in 1878 and served-for four years. The atter part of 1882 he was elected Fudge -of Probate and filled that position very acceptably until re living the appointment as Master n Equity in 1887. For twenty-one rears Judge Roath ha? made the >est Master in South Carolina, and .ecently received the appointment ror another term of four years. May he yet be spared to this com nunity and to the county at large or many, very many, years! \ccount of Trenton Races of List Wednesday. The following is an account of he races held on the track of Mr. r. D. Mathis, being' writ*"- .: by the Augusta Chronicle's Trenton cor espondent: Mr. J. D. Mathis has built a plendid half mile race track in rout of his country home, two niles south of Trenton, and on this rack on Thursday, January 28, ome splendid trotting races w?re ?ulled off before a large anddelight d crowd of spectators. There- were iresent representatives from Tren on, Johnston, Edgefield, Meeting 5treet, Aiken, Ridge Spring and forth Augusta. ^ First Race-Trotting: Dr. Gus Morley's gray mare vs. Mr. B. B. ones' bay horse, best two out three, ?ne mile heats. This race fwas won >y the bay horse. Time, 2:36. Purse 115. Mr. Geo. W. Wise, Jr., drove the ?ay horse and won the purse. Second Race-Trotting: Col. P. ?. Mayson s brown horse vs. Dr. T. . Hunter's bay horse. Best two out if three and one-half. mile heats. 5ay horse won. Time, 2:47. ' Third Race-Trotting: Bryant's >ay horse vs. Stevens' bay mare, rwo out of three, half mile heats. 5ay horse won. Time 2:50. Fourth Race-Running: Swear ngen's gray horse vs. Hitt's sorrel lorse, 500-yard dash. Gray horse ron. Fifth Race-Running: Gibson's >rown horse, 600-yard dash. Brown lorse won. Sixth Race-Bub Claxton's thor .ughbred running horse Telegraph, an one-half mile against time. Was idden by an expert joofcey, Mr. L. )avis, from Aiken, S. C. Time 2:53. Seventh Race-Trotting: Dr. Gus Morley's gray mare vs. Dr. Carm. thad's Drown horse. Best two out ?f three, half mile heats. Gray mare von. Time 2:41. Eighth Race-Trotting: Mr. B. 3. Jones' Kentucky bay norse Bill et vs. Mr. B. Boatwright's fa nous trotting mare Marguerite. Best two out of three, one mile The Colliers W. CT. U. Has In augurated a Red ind Blue . Contest. It is generally conceded by all who know her that Miss Juddie Fanning is one of the foremost teachers in the county. This is her second year as principal of the Col liers school, and besides giving sa*> isfactidnas~a teacher Miss Fannin ? is greatly beloved and honored b y cause of .the very active interest sha has taken in every good work that contributes to the betterment an I development of the community. Miss. Fanning is vice-president of the Woman's Christian Tempo ance Union at Colliers, and in tha following letter to Mrs. J. L. Mimi she tells of the work of their union: Dear Mrs MimsrThe Colliers W. C. T. U. held an interesting and beneficial meeting Thursday, Jan uary 21st. Although, for many rea sons, the union has not mat regu larly for several months, the mem bers have not lost ' interest by any means, but rather seem more eager and determined to redouble their* energy in putting forth efforts for the cause of temperance. We be lieve in progressing and dissemina ting the temperance sentiment in. every way possible, and in the fur therance of this cause, a Red and Blue contest has been inaugurated. It is believed that this plan will be the means of gaining many new members for our union both active and honorary. In fact within a few days, encouraging reports have been given by members of the respective sides. The young people, especially, are interested in this contest, and as each side has enthusiastic workers, it is difficult to conjecture which, will be the winner. We earnestly pray and hope that at the end pf two months, when the contest closes, there will be no little increase in the membership of our union. With the view of instructing the young people and impressing the public mind with the importance of, the great question of -temperance this union has decided to hold a medal contest in the near future. Preparations for this have begun, and we^truBt that this will be in strumental siot only in niaintaining the interest?* of our'g?tiger tnesir bera, but in arousing th? men and women ter the responsibility that rests upon them in the struggle against alcohol. Yours sincerely, Juddie Fanning, : Vice-Pres. Colliers-W. C. T. U. rion. W. H. Nicholson Secures Carnegie Medal For Green wood Citizen. Greenwood county has probably ;he distinction of being the first ;ounty in the state to have one of ts : citizens receive recognition at ;he hands of the ^Carnegie Hero Fund commission. Through the ?fforts of Mr. W. H. Nicholson, low a member of the legislature Tom this county, and a prominent roung attorney here, the attention )f the commission was directed to ;he heroism of Mr. James B. Gold nan, in saving the life of a negro, Warren Finlay, at Waterloo on Tune 29, 1907. The award of the ?ommisuion is that Mr. Goldman is 0 get a silver medal for the sum >f a thousand dollars, to be applied owards the purchase of a farm or ither such worthy purpose, as may >e approved by the executive com nittee. Mr. Goldman is a young vhite farmer, living near Capt. J. I. Brooks' place at Cambridge. He tas a wife and. several small chil Iren, and the money that he is to ret will go a long ways towards etting him up in life and giving lim an opportunity to have a home ?f his own. In this case the reward tf the commission is most merito ious and worthy, and Mr. Gold nan's fiiends are congratulating lim on his great good fortune. Mr. Goldman received notice last Fri lay of the award of the commis ion.-Greenwood Index. Visited Eighteen Schools. In spite of the recent cold weath ir, County Superintendent of Edu ation A. R. Nicholson has bas been ngaged in visiting the scbools in he eastern portion of the county. Jp to this time he has made eighteen isits and js greatly pleased with he work the teachers are doing. He tas found the teachers more capa ,nd doing more etlicient work than ( ie expected. It is Mr. Nicholson's mrpose to continue his visits until ?very school in the county has been cached. teats. Purse 850. Bay horse won he race. Time, 2:33. Mr. Geo. W. Wise, Jr., drove the >ay horse and won the purse. inter the corn growers' contest.