Col. A. P. Butler's Place in
History.
To the Editor of The State:
I was charmed to read the delight
S ful traditional narrative of Col. A.
P. Butler by Ambrose E. Gonzales.
His references to Col. Butler by
those who knew the colonel are per
fect in the portrayal of this man's
true character.
I trust PH not be trespassing on
anything my friend Gonzales may
write in the future about Colonel
Butler if I venture to make public a
fact in the history of South Carolina
\that very few of the younger genera
tion know anything about.
Colonel .Butler gained his position
of commissioner of agriculture by his
heroic work in IS76 when the South
' was struggling to throw off the yoke
of .tyranny that was placed upon the
neck of the South by a dominating
and unmerciful party. *';?? i
On July 8, 1876, Colonel Butler
was sitting on his front piazza read
ing a paper, in full view of his exten
sive plantation, when one of his
neighbors rode up and handed him a
note. The neighbor's horse was lather
ed with sweat, having made a tem
pestuous ride from Hamburg, S. C.
This neighbor was Jim Hightower;
a truer man never lived, though poor
and uneducated. Colonel Butler drop
ped his paper, threw out his quid of
tobacco and said, after reading the
note, "Hightower, the hell you say!
Is all this going on in Hamburg?"
The note was from the colonel's
best friend and relative, Gen. M. C.
Butler, then in Hamburg, where he
had gone in the capacity of a lawyer
to try before the trial justice a band
of rioting negroes.
General Butler was hired by Col.
*"Bob" Butler, another relative, to '
come to Hamburg and try a negro,
Dock Adams, captain of a negro
company, armed and equipped by the
dominant party to enforce equal suf
frage and social equality. The lawyer,
Butler, left Edgefield on July 7,
armed with his law books and rode in j
, an open buggy, driving his favorite
horse, Bob.
He spent the night with Col. "Bob" ;
But'.er and went early next morning
to Hamburg to consult the trial jus- :
tice, Prince Rivers, a big black negro,
six feet six inches tall. His honor
said he was helpless, as Dock Adams
and hi? company were beseiged in the
Sibley building, in their armory,
armed with Springfield rifles and
p??nty of amunition and defying the
June 9, 1863, at the battle of Brandy
Station, Va., took a quick view of
the situation and acted on his own
initiative. While standing in front' of
Judge River's office, Jir? Hightower,
having been to Augusta on business,
rode by on his way home, and the
lawyer handed him the note for Col
onel Butler ,who lived seven miles
from Hamburg. General Butler told
Jim the contents of the note and of
the desperate situation. Jim High
tower pulled up his horse and his ride
was a Revere's ride, of old.
After reading the note from Gen
eral Butler who had been authorized
by Judge Rivers to appoint a posse
to arrest the rioting negroes, Colonel
Butler rang his bell or blew his horn,
called in his hands and sent them- out
to round up the Sweetwater Sabre
club of which the colonel was then
-captain. This cavalry troop was made
up of the very flower of that section
and they met every Saturday after
noon and tilted lances and some play- ;
ed cards and had something to drink
and met at dear old Sweetwater
church, standing there now. After
the colonel had detailed his negroes
to round up his company armed with
carbines, sabres and six-shooters, he
put his servants at work preparing
to feed men and horses. Although
the times were troublous and uncer
tain, the colonel was hospitable and
by the time the gentlemen arrived,
about 12, he was prepared to feed
man and horse sumptuously. (Of
course, all who wanted to, took a
?tiff drink, as there was a barrel in
the smoke house.) After dinner, Cap
tain Butler, at the head of the Sweet
water club, formed a file of fours and
marched to Hamburg as a legal
posse to arrest, if possible, the defiant
negroes and to suppress them if it
liad to be done.
That July 8 was a very hot day
and Captain Bittier reached Hamburg
at 4 p. m., ready for the fray. The
negroes in the Sibley building were
more defiant than ever after tile ar
rival of the troop of cavalry. The
leaders decided the best way to sup
press or arrest the negroes was to
fight by skirmish line and Captain
Butler drew up his 'company and
counted fours. Well, the battle began
in earnest, and for a long time the
negroes' beseiged position seemed
invulnerable. At 8 o'clock ( that hot
moonlight night of July 8 the negroes
killed handsome, chivalrous McKie
Meriwether, the very flower of the
young nien of that part of South
Carolina. Captain Butler's -men went
wild then and an ex-union soldier
approached those in command and
suggested bringing over the artillery.
This took like wildfire. First Sergeant
Hugh Shaw, a practicing physician
and a brave gentleman, was detailed
to go to Augusta for the guns. The
cannon came across in quick time,
and one poor fellow, Perdue, was kill
ed on the bridge coming over. I shall
never forget that night when we
heard the booming of the cannon on
the banks of the Savannah as they
shelled most effectively the beseiged
Sibley building. My! what a quieting
effect it had on the negro rioters.
Orders to bring them in dead or alive
were strictly carried out. Therefore,
it was Captain Butler's troop, at the
suggestion of his relative, General
Butler, that broke the backbone of
radicalism and "nigger" domination
in South Carolina. This should be
said to give these two men their prop
er ?place in the history of South Car
olina.
After the quelling of the negro riot
by the authority of Judge Rivers, the
Sweetwater Sabre club and all oth
ers connected with the Hamburg af
fair were arrested or indictee! and or
dered to court- in Aiken town.
Their appearance in court evident
ly was not very urgent for the Sweet
water Sabre club was ordered by Cap
tain Butler to assemble at Cherokee
pond on his plantation to go to Aiken
and be tried.
The Rev. Mr. Shaw of Edgefield
owned a residence within a few miles
of Aiken and very kindly turned it
over to the. troop. So they camped
here until their lawyers, Col. George
Croft, Gen. Moultrie Gary, Maj. Bill
Gary and others could fix up the pa
pers in the case.
While sojourning in this camp a
great many sympathizers were on
hand to encourage their fellow citi
zens. Among the crowd was George
D. Tillman, who told Captain Butler
how Z. T. George of Mississippi, by
spectacular displays, helped to throw
off negro rule in that state. He, Till
man, had been defeated for congress
by a negro. He also told of how the
politicians of the North were flaunt
ing thc bloody shirt in our faces, .etc.
Mr. Tillman suggested to Captain
Butler the advisability of uniforming
the soldiers and by night the red
shirts were ready to equip the Sweet
water Sabre club. And a flagstaff
with two dough faces of black negro
heads with bullet holes in the fore
heads was hoisted to be carried
through Aiken. The inscriptions got
up by the Tillmans were : "Satan ap
peals to the fallen angels; awake and
arise or be forever fallen," "None
but the guilty need fear."
With the red shirts as uniforms bf
this spectacular demonstration, the
troop mounted and started for the
court house in Aiken. At the head of
the troop was the sheriff of Aiken
county with armed deputies leading
to court a troop of cavalry, with Cap
tain A. P. Butler at the head, all
armed and equipped, going as prison
ers. .
All of this, originated by order of
Captain Butler, created consternation
among the negroes and radicals in
Aiken and the trial was a farce, the
judge on the bench, a radical carper
bagger, was so upset that he nol
prossed the case. He first, however,
when the armed prisoners marched
into the court house, mildly suggest
ed that the arms be left outside, but
he was told in strong language that
the Aiken and Edgefield men would
sacrifice their homes and firesides for
their country's good but would not
give up their arms.
.So we see that A. P. Butler bore a
leading part in putting down the rad
icles who had for two years been
browbeating and tyrannizing over the
white people of South Carolina, but
all this stopped them in their mad
ness. He, too, was the originator of
the red shirt as a '76 uniform, first
suggested by General Ferguson of
Mississippi and put into practical ef
fect at the suggestion of George Till
man and by order of Captain Butler
in command of the Sweetwater Sabre
club.
After this trial in Aiken a new
vision was taken by the Democratic
party of South Carolina. For a long
time there had been a difference of
opinion as to what was the best pol
icy to pursue to right the very de
plorable state of affairs that existed.
The older members of the Democratic
party thought a conciliatory policy
would'brihg relief more normally and
wanted to run Daniel H. Chamber
Iain, a Radical, for governor, but the
younger branch of the party were for
nominating and electing a straight
forward white Democratic ticket.
Well, the great work at Hamburg in
suppressing the negro riot put the
straightout movement in high spirits,
for- they had demonstrated most ef
fectively what they could and would
do.
The next day, July 9, General But
ler drove up to his residence in Edge
field a little before dusk and told in a
very happy and graphic way the true
facts about the Hamburg riot. Next
morning he drove down to town and
one of the first men he met was Gen
Moultrie Gary,, a gallant brigadier in
the Confederate war and a distin
tinguished lawyer, and General Gary
congratulated General Butler on his
great work at Hamburg. General
Gary and General Butler were lead
ers of the branch of party advocating
a straight Democratic ticket, and
General Gary expressed the opinion
that the straightouts would win now
in spite of the Conservative opposi
tion. The times were critical and
there had to be a greater concert of
action.
So the leaders met in Charleston
after a thorough caucas on the ques
tion. It was decided that General
Butler, being closer to General
Hampton than any of the others,
should write to Hampton, who was
out in Mississippi trying to resusci
tate what little the war had left him.
The noble old general like Cincinnat
us of. old, dropped the plow handles
and came at his state's call and led
the fight for the redemption of South
Carolina. F. W. P. Butler.
Columbia. .
Suppose the Farmers Struck.
There are generally from fifty to
several hundred strikes in the indus
trial world every month in the year.
Many of these are only of local sig
nificance and others are nation wide.
All of them interfere with business
and cause suffering even among
those who in no wise are responsible
for conditions which brought about
the difference in opinion between em
ployer and employee. And what dif
ference does it make to the striker?
If the workers in the packing plant
want to walk out, they proceed to do
so without regard to the effect on
others. Whatis it to them if the live
stock men have no market? What do
they care if through a prolonged
--J."vi_???ntl_? nit.
of the plan to arouse a public de
mand for a settlement in form of a
compromise out of which they hope to
gain some new advantage. Of late,
however, the sympathy of the public
has shifted. The public is tired of
constant business' interruptions and
it is history that the' sympathetic co
operation of the public is necessary
to the winning of any strike.
But we are diverting. What would
happen if the farmers of the land
should go on a strike? Suppose the
farmers and the livestock men should
refuse to ship one single animal to
market for a period of one month?
Suppose that they went to even great
er extremes and agreed to live in a
primitive way and grow only enough
food for their own use for one. en
tire season? They would be condemn
ed by the public and by organized la
bor for threatening the life of the
nation. Yet, farmers have just as
much right to strike for better work
ing conditions as have the packing
house workers, the railroad men or
the workers in any other.great indus
try.
Farmers will always produce
enough to feed and clothe the nation.
If they strike, it will be for an equal
chance with other forms of industry
and it will be an orderly strike in
which there will be no picketing; no
slugging and no murder. The public
will be taken into their confidence and
through cooperative organization
they will shorten the distance be
tweeen producers and consumers
whereby both may profit and the na
tion prosper. The only persons to be
hurt in this strike will be the specu
lator and the profiteer, and may both
classes get justice.-Farm & Ranch.
NOTICE.
i _
All persons are hereby warned not
to hunt or trespass in any way what
soever on the land of W. Luther and
Ben Jones, and all hunting privilege
previously given by Dr. B. F. Jones
is hereby withdrawn. The law will
be enforced to the limit against tres
passers.
MARIAN H.. CHILDRESS, :
Guardian..
Jan. 4-4t.
'/
The Old Clock
Maker
By DOROTHY WHITCOMB
f?, 1S21, Western Newspaper Union.)
The old clockmaker was seated In
his office, his head upon his hands, his
elbows on his desk, pondering. He oc
cupied a tiny office in an old-fashioned
part of New York, downtown, and he
sat there for a great part of each day
?Ince he came to America fifty years
before, bringing with him the skill of
twelve generations -of Swiss clock
makers. Walser's clocks never varied
by more than live minutes a year,
??ireat,' old-fashioned grandfather's
clocks they were, and because the
modern fashion is,-for cheap und gaudy
things, he sold only to a few old-fash
ioned customers,- and his whole stock
was stored in the small warehouse and
workshop at the back of his office.
And he had driven Ernst, his only
eon, his only child, out of his home
forever. Ernst was the last of the
.Walsers, and with his action he had
effectively cut himself off from all the
generations that were to come. How
foolish his quarrel had been! It was
about a girl whom Ernst wanted to
marry, and b?cause he had not told
his father all about it old Walser had
taken umbrage.N '
"Who is she7" he asked angrily.
And Ernst answered that she was a
domestic servant. Then the old man's
anger .flared out, for the Wulsers
truced their descent from princes and
Walser lind mixed so little with his
kind that the old traditions lingered,
Old Walser turned to his son.
He pointed to an old clock which
had ticked away the hours minute by
minute ever since he hud brought it
to America.
"Ernst," he said hoarsely, "that
clock was made by my father for his
Serene highness the prince of Lutter
llng. My futher wus once engaged tc
marry the prince's daughter. She died,
but the match was never considered
unequal. The Walsers have been a
proud old family, though they are
clockmakers. And you-you-you are
going'to marry a servant.
"Well, marry her, but from this mo
ment you are no longer a Walser. I
disown you by the memory of my
father." He pointe/l still to the time
piece. "When that clock, which my
father made in 183o\ goes wrong by as
much as ten minutes In a day, I will
ask you to come back to me," he said.
"Now go !"
And Ernst went.
The old -clock never varied by as
much as a minute a' day. Its meian?
choly tick was wearing the old mau'a
heart away. He moaned In hi? -'
as he sat at h-? ?*-"
pened. A sudden whirring sound was
heard, and the hands began racing
furiously. And then they stopped and
the old clock stood still at half past
four.
That was the precise time at which
Ernst put on his hat and left the
house.
The old man fell back In his chair
and stared in astonishment at this
phenomenon.
Presently, when curiosity overcame
his terror, he opened the case and
peered In. And swiftly enough ? the
cause was revealed. Wedged tightly
into the mechanism was a clockwork
mouse.
Walser drew out the mouse and
looked at lt. Tears before he had
brought that mouse home for his son
Ernst, In the days when he was a baby,
playing about the floor of the nursery.
The child must have placed his toy
Inside the old clock and forgotten all
about lt.
Walser rose up solemnly and put on
his hat. He turned to the clock and
his voice was choking with emotion.
"I know now," he said, "that this ls
a judgment and a miracle In one."
Ten minutes later he arrived at a
dingy, shabby house, and made his
way up to the top floor and knocked.
A comely young woman came to the
door.
"You are-?" queried Walser.
"I am Mrs. Walser," she answered
In a very sweet voice. "You have
business with my husband?"
"You are my son's wife?" shouted
the old man. | "Why, I thought-I
thought-"
And suddenly he flung his arms
about her und drew her to him and
kissed her. And at the audible sound
Ernst came to the door, looking shab
by and thin, but with fire In his eye
and fists doubled to repel this assault
upon the sanctity of his home. See
ing his father he halted dead.
"Come here, my boy," cried the old
man. "It's all forgotten-the clock
ran down. Come with me and I will
tell you all about it"
Marvels of Modern Music.
"I understand that soma of the
popular ballads of yesterday are com
ing Into favor again.'
"That won't restore us to normalcy."
"No?"
"The average jazz orchestra can
take 'Home Sweet Home' and make) lt
sound like the last stages of a hooch
party In the Congo."-Birmingham
Age-Herald.
Partial Retribution.
MDo you approve of a prize fight?"
"Orilx 50 per cent I always feel
that the one who loses deserved ex
actly what ht got" .. . .
Why Shantung is Such a Prize.
Now that Shantung is so promi
nently before the public, and every
one that reads the newspapers knows
what a fight has been made for its
possession by both China and Japan,
it may interesting,to know why this
province is considered such a prize.
Elmer Benson, an engineer who
has returned to the United States af
ter doing survey wprk in the Philli
pines, has given out a very interesting
statement as to the result of a per
sonal inspection ne made of Shantung
some months ago. He says Shantung
is about as .big as Wisconsin, and is
fabulously rich. "Just how rich it is,
try to imagine Wisconsin with a pop
ulation of 40,000,000 all supported
by Wisconsin products. Crowd a
third of the population of the United
States into Wisconsin, and see how
populous and rich-and how tax pro
ducing-that state would become."
The climate is fine, because high
mountains keep off the winds from
the North, and the Chinese in Shan
tung raise rice and silk, just as if
Shantung were a southern land. They
tell you no one ever heard of a vege
table that couldn't be raised in Shan
tr
We have for
smokers of Ar
With this exjx
"IH"-"M*
-1-" " *ee j
-1
-1
-?
the
?.
Large S
I Jewelr?oS
We invite our Edgefield
g when in Augusta. We h
I DIAMONDS
I WATCHES
? CLOCKS
I JEWELRY
CUT G
of all kinds that we have ever shov.
you through our stock. Every dep;
with the newest designs.
We call especial attention to oui
every improvement. Your watch
Work ready for delivery in a short
A. J. I
I 980 Broad St
ARRINGTON
Wholesale Grocer
Corn, Oats. ]
Kinds o
Gloria Flour and Dai
Our Le
Corner Cumming ai
On Georgia 1
August;
YOUR PATR?RA
See our representativ<
i
tl
script
de-/
province
, and it
both China
playing the
skillfully
Was so de
was a
is easy
and Jap
game of dil
were the prized
sirable.
The question is just at present said
to be the only point at issue that is
delaying the end of the arms parley
at Washington, but Saturday the As
sociated .Press, carried the statement
that the Shantung negotiations had
taken another step forward. So it is
probable that the end is in sight of
the question that has been agitating
China and Japan for some years
past.-Augusta Chronicle.
J. S. BYRD
Dental Surgeon
Office Over Store of
Queries & Timmerman
Office Phone No. 3
Residence Phone 87
eleven
years catered to.the cigarette
ncrica.
:rience, we created One Eleven -
de to Suit Your Taste," of the.
greatest cigarette tobaccos
FURNISH, for Aroma
/IRC I NIA, fer Mildness
iURLEY. for Mellowness
m One Eleven-the address of ear
We are proud of their success.
fou Tried Them?
if ??? FIFTH AVE. I
kock of
elect Frc m
friends to visit our store
ave the largest stock of
rLASS
AND SILVERWARE
m. It will be a pleasure to show
artment is constantly replenished
.. repairing department, which has
or clock made as good as new.
time.
tEINKL
Augusta, Ga? 8
BROS. fe CO.
s and Dealers In
flay and all
f Feeds
i Patch Horse' Feed
aders
id Fenwick Streets
h R. Tracks
a, Ga.
JGE SOLICITED
5, C. E. May.