The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, May 14, 1886, Image 1
THE WEEKLY IW OHIOH TIMES.
f Ipqcotcd to Agriculture, horticulture, domestic (Sconomg, polite literature, politics, and the Current $cujs of the Dag.
VOI,. XVII.?New Series. UNION 0. II., SOUTH CAROLINA. MAY, 14, 1880. NUMBER 19.
UEMISCENCBS
OF Til K
MACBETH LIGHT ARTILLERY.
1JT ONE OF THEM.
No. 3.
After the spirited assault on our works at Seccssionville,
the Federal soldiers ou James
Island were more likolauibs and less like lions.
They were neither as demonstrative along the
picket line nor so musical in camp. Their bands
no longer discoursed Yankee doodle to tease, or
Dixie to please us. ludeed, they were so passive
that our government concluded to withdraw
some of our troops from the Island. It
was, especially, decided that this could now
be safely done, siuce it was quite apparent that
the fight at Sccessionville had been mado more
for tho purpooo oX screening some plan of Ocu.
McClellan than with any solid hope of carrying
our works. So Gen. Evans' brigade to which
the Macbeth had been attached, was ordered to
report at Richmond, Virginia. Gen. Lee had
already anticipated the uioveofGcu. McClellau,
"took tho initiative and struck the first
blow." And it was well known to tho troops
uu the Island that Gou. McClellau's army had
been badly cut to pieces, hurled back on the
James River aud was now cowering under the
protection of their gun-boats. The wise men
of tho camp began to guess at Ueu. l ee's purpose
in re-enforcing his victorious army, before
tho prostrate form his of antagonist showed any
sign of recuperative strength.
Wo reached Richland only to bo hurried on to
joiu Gen. Lee's army, then in camp near Malvern
s Hill. Confederate soldiers had great
fears of gun-boats, and we were a little apprehonaivc,
less Gen. Lee designed driving Gen.
Clellnu's army further South, in spite of his
gun-boats.
Tho cartel for exchange of prisoners had been
effected, aud in a day or two aftor we wcut into
our first Virginia-bump aud tho Federal and
the Confederate prisoners began to pass by, returning
to renew their allegiances to their re
spective governments. 1 looked into the faces
of our mauy thousand returning prisoners aud
did not sec one whom I recognized. One of
them said, in passing, "boys if you had our ex
pcricucc you would never Hurreuder." They
looked dirty, uud bagard, aud boro other
murks of a hard prison life. Late one evening,
just after the last ^exchanged prisoner hud
passed by, Gen. Leo's army was drawn up in
line of battle, aud as we, with the long column i
of soldiers to the right aud lefi of our posiliou i
in the road, moved forward towards tho cno- i
inie's stropg-hold, I was impressed with tho ]
_*! .rLrl' a??out to be fought i
that would decide for all time the fate of the
United .Stales aud the Confederacy. Gen. Lee
had hurried troops lroin the South and m&do a
demonstration towards tho Federal line, to
throw Gen. McClellan and his government otf i
their guard. How well he succeeded, was at- j
tested by the evcuts that immediately followed
ach other in rapid succession. Gen. Lee had ,
thoroughly analyzed Gen, McCIellen a character,
and seeing how well developed his bump of
caution was, coucluded that the Washington ,
Government would have to nurse him a long
time before he would be uuflicicntly convalescent
to tako the offensive again. Gen. Lee
could not sit down aud wait for Gen. McClellan
to becoiuo bcligereut, while his own army was
wasting away hclbro the insidious attack of the
malarious fever. Necessity with him, was tho
mother of a grand conception. The plan lie
adopted to relieve ltichuiond from the attack of
a strong menacing army and at the same time
protect his men aguinat the malaria of the Chicahominy
swamps, was eclipsed in boldness only
by thcdariiig ol'its execution. It wa-, perhaps,
thonext inoruiuir after (ion. li.-nl r l> m-,r1
Ocu. McClelluu's position, that wc moved
toward Richmond, and in I he afternoon of the
same ilay found ourselves north of Richmond,
marching towards Washington and in the direction
that Jackson had gone the previous
vreek. We were moving on as ignorautly of
Lee's objective point as the heathen is of the
attributes ot his (Sod. Hut what of that. His
men idolized hint ami were willing to follow
blindly where lie led.
Loc left otic or nioro divisions below Richmond
fco scare otT the timid MoClcllau whilo be was
making a boll dash towards Washington.
What a grand opportunity that was for .McClellau
! Ilal he seized ami pursued it with
vigor, he might have speeddy crushed the rebellion.
immortalized himself, kept Ocu. Oraut
out of history an I died himself an ex-l'rcsident
of the United States of America. A Leo or a
lit mewall would have coveted no belter chance
to have marched into the Federal Capital. Hut
Lcc's bol l stratagem and the celerity of his
moves put the Federal generals at sea, all was in
confusion. Our inarch was continued northword
until wc reached Oordonsvillc: where we
bivounccd for a lew days, taking breath am!
making preparations for that memorable campaign
that terminated til the second Manassas
in I'opc s defeat and humiliation. Hen. Jackson
had already fought tho battle of Cedar Run.
worsted hie enemy and, as n decav. as will
ai to prevent overwhelming numbers from being
concentrate 1 on bis Hanks, fell back to
Gordansville to await the arrival and co-opera
fcion oftlcu. Longstroct.
Our soldiers in>w began to hear, for the first
time, of one tlen. I'opc and his braggadocio
speeches. It begat such an antipathy for him,
that even private soldiers wore anxious for an
occasion when they might give expression to
their fcoliugs in battle, lieu, hoc s plan was
to press forward rapidly, get I'ope in a coil and
crush him before Mct'lellau cml l re-iuforco
him from tlio Peninsula. The success depended
on quick and rapid moves. So impressed
was (Jen. I.ec with this fact that he loft (iordantville
with an imperfect commissariat if the
small amount of rations consumed by the .Mac
belli during the ten days that followed is as any
criterion by which it could he judged. (ien.
Longitreet crossed the Uapidan lliver at Mac
coou Ford and Jnckson higher up. The two
commands came together nt the confluence of
the two roads they were traveling, on the top
of the hill just beyon l the Raccoon Ford. There
the road diverged a little north of parallel to
the RapiJau and ran towards the Rappahannock
River. Jackson au.1 Longstreet's men
marched along this route in pnrrnlled columns.
When the Macbeth reached the junction of the
roads on top of the hill, the scene was grand and
imposing beyond de cription. The couutry was
open and comparatively level for some distance,
and as far as the eyes coul 1 reach was a
mighty river of moving men. Longstreet in
the road and Jackson in the field to the left: the
two commands hurrying on in the spirit of rivalry
to overtake den. Pope ocforo he could
escape to tlio north side of the Rappahannock
At the forks of the road some miles south of
fSn vi wow Tnol'cno R'n.1 I. ~ 1 ? ? - ? -1 '
.Uv .. ?>, vu..iwu.. lliVM UJ' HIV ivn I " 11 UMHing
to Beverly Ford and Longstrcet down the
right to Kelly's Ford. Tltc impression that we
were ncaring tho enemy was now quite general
among the soldiers, and stimulated with tho
orospcct of battle, they moved forward with
quickening steps. It was, thcreforo, a matter
of some surprise when wc were suddenly halted
long before dark and orderel into camp
for the night.
The next morning, as wo were inarching out
of camp, a man in a full suit of Confederate gray
was arrested just across tho road from us, in
Col. Uadborry's regiment, as a spy. Not knowing
the particulars that lu.l to hi> arrest, it
was easy enough to imagined that lie might
have fared better bad bo come iuto Longstrcet s
camp strictly iu tho uuiform of Longstrcet's
men. At that time a soldier in rags might
have passed through Lee's army easy enough
while ouo iu good apparel would be the "observed
of all ftbsorvers" and a target for witioism,
criticism and suspicion. Aught 1 know
his good clothes may have led to his arrest,
lie was marched up to head-quarters at a house
in the bond of the road, tried by a drum-bead
court-marshal, condemned, aud sentenced to be
uuug. i uc executioner, a uonie terato soldier,
was not long in adjusting one end of a rope
around his neck nud tho other over the limb of
a tree in front of the house. Just as 1.0 was
about to be executed the lady of the house begged
not to hang hitn at her gale, and her rctnonstrauco
added five or ten minutes more
of time to his life. 1 looked him well in the
face, as lie was carried back just iu rear of
our battery and executed. lie seemed to realize
that his mission was at an end, and I noticed
him shut his eyes and shudder, lie was
a splendid looking specimen of humanity and
he exhibited at least one noble trait of character.
nn<t was an ind?v of some refinement:
Rather than lu3 family should suffer because of
his igoomiuious death, he refused to give his
nutuo. lie had gone out like Andre the British
spy of revolutionary fanio, on a perrilous mission
for his country, and like Andre when the
inevitable overtook him met his fate heroically,
went down with his colors flying, but uulike Andre
in that his name will never appear in history
The executioner proposed au cxchaugo of raiment,'and
takingthe silence of the spy for consent
left the place wearing tho dead man's
boots before ho was cold in bis grave, rejoicing
in the hick that made him the l'ceipiout of a
needed article of personal comfort.
A man quickly arrested, tried, condemned and
executed is an episode in war that excites
more interest and impresses uioro soldiers than
the dead and wounded on a thousand battlefields.
It was common talk that morning that
a bogus dispatch, brought by him front .lackson
to Longstreet, occasioned the sudden halt of
the prorious evening. We had now reached
tho tivor aud found l'opc in a strong position on
the north side. The original plan of forcing a
crossing at Kellcy's Ford was abandoned as
impracticable, and wo marched towards Brandy
Station, along a road running almost parallel
with the Happahanock. We passed through
Stcvcnsburg alter night and crossed a stream
on what seem to ho a bridge under water. It
was very dark and impossible to take in our
surrotiudings. 1 was impressed with the idea
that the slightest detloction to the right ?>r
left would carry tnc into water of ngreat depth.
I fell more comfortable when we in ivcd out of
that stream and went into camp on top of the
hill just beyond. The enemy tired an occasional
shell at ns during the day, but they exploded
short of their mark and did us no tnore
harm than excite our nervosa little.
The next morning we continued our march
up the river. Wc passed through lJrau ly .Station
and inarched down near to Beverly Ford,
nn?? mii uruu?r; ?uinou was Aircit'ty ill progress.
Leaving the roal to our left, we passed
up through iv yard and halted to the riglit of :v
residence, some three hundred yards in rear of
n battery of the Washington Light .\rlillcry,
then engaged in a spirited artillery duel
with a Federal Lattery across the
river. Many of the shot tired by the enemy
passed over the Lattery iliey were ligh'ing
and went richocholing by u-. We lia i been
watching this inlere-ling duel but n few
minutes, when v\e were ordered to lalte a position
on the crest of a commanding hill, soma
({iiivrtcr of a mile or more to our right, and
engage iv Federal battery that was nniioyir
our infantry slrei hod along ihc hill-side in
expo-'ed position. The charge of tlio .Ma'
through that open field and up to our p
on lop of the hill, no doubt excited ositi
milium of some an 1 the pity of othe* ''l(! "
.!u-t before reaching the poaitior
we had been ordered, a line of 1 10 w'*'
breast works confronted us. 'the semi-circu
wards the selling of the sun ao curve was
tion from which we were apr ',l *'lc ,''1
dirt was fresh mid ha I evid roaching it. 1
Mi row ii o ti 11 v i )n? i'iii'iii v t cull v been 111 en
"""" 1 ' J hi
tack from (Jcii. I.co. n anticipation of
front tiio erct of ilic ' At nn cijual distai
toward.-, the rising o nill, mi the opposite s
line with its curvo ' thu son. was a sim
rection of t lie one to wards- the river in t lie
up hy the or my- It may have bean Hire
.cmy, hut for what purpnsi
could not disern; for it was constructed in anticipation
of an attack from towards Washington.
It could not have been thrown up in anticipation
of Jackson s move to tlie rear of the
enemy. That would l>e to accredit Gen. l'ope
with more prophetic ken than lie ever possessed,
as Jackson said, demonstrated in more
ways than one. Pope would not have throw n
it up for the protection of Confederate soldiers
It did pro'ect our infantry that hugged the
ground while we were there as closely as if
they had grown there. Perhaps it was thrown
up by Gen. Joe Johnson's troops, when he retreated
from Manassas and went to the
Pencnsula below Richmond. This is the only
reasonable explanation that suggests itself to
my uiiuJ. Tlic works on the west side of the
hill us wc approached it, was on higher ground
than that which our gnus would have occupied
had we halted there. And the enemies position
was on still lower ground. It would have been
necessary to have fired our guns at an elevation
of forty-live degrees in order to have cleared
tho summit of the hill, and any depression suf
ficieut to have trained Ihetu on the enemy,
would have been obstructed by the breastworks.
Capt. Iloyce, who was a littlo in advance of the
company, took in the situation at a glance,
lie saw that the ba tery must occupy the space
between tho two lines in order to engage the
enemy. Lcapiug the brestworks ho ordered
the pieces to pass iu through an opening towards
tho north.
Tho first section, under Lieut. I). A. Jeter
passed in and took position on tho right, the
second crowded in on the first, and then came 1
the third under Lieut. S. W. Porter, and there
was a complete jam. Here were si\ guns and as
many caissons trying to occupy a space not
more than sufficient for the successful manning
of two guns. And in addition to our battery,
a large number of infantry lying on the ground,
and very ranch in our way. They seemed t.?
prefer being trampled to death by our excited
horses aud crushed by the wheels of our pieces,
rather thau expose themselves for a moment to
the deadly arc of tho euciny. The men of tho
first section unlitnbercd, but were not able to
man their guns for the want of room.
The enemy saw the trap iuto which our.reck
lessness and inexperience were impelling us 1
and reserved their tire, in joyful anticipation of 1
our destruction. They opened on us from two, i
some said four, batteries a rapid and murderous '
fire, and with remarkable accuracy of practice. '
Two minutes would cover every moment we '
were there. And in tlint breath of time, Lieut. 1
William Munro was severely wounded, being 1
shot through both hands and both thies, five of 1
the tneu slightly, aud three mortally wounded, 1
even killed rinht^ouL.au^ ten or fifjoerj
slightly, our guns aud caisson c i.rrib^s carrier
from tho hill numerous evidences of the severity
of the enemy's fire. Seeing that we were under i
a murderous fire aud iu no condition to return
it, Capt. Boycc ordered the battery to retire;
and lcapiug the breast works he went out as he
had gone in.
I am quite sure that the Macbeth made <
quite as good time in getting away from grave- v
yard hill?for such was its name?as they did
in going there. The ouly deficiency in the
enemy's practice resulted from tho cutting of 1
their fuse; an error they would have corrected '
if we had given them time. Had their fuse 1
been one-half of a second shorter, the damage, i
great as it was to the battery, would have been j
much more disastrous. Owing to the snr.ll
urea we had to occupy, my section was thrown
yil HIV ICIl UUU Ut'Xt IU UIU I'llllCTy llllil lll'l 1110
execution. I sat on my horse to the left of my
left guu au?l there was not as much as a bush I
to obstruct the view?the bullets ami the daz- (
zliug rays of tho sun as it was reflected Iron 1
their burnished guns. The shells passed over '
my head and exploded just to iny right abovo. t
but so close to the heads of the men that [
noticed them cringe at each explosion, as jf
they were aflected by the concussion. M kl,v
of the balls from the spherical case ' shells
passed into the ground beyond the e xucr.ic
right of the battery. Had the lusc oeen. cut
one half of a second shorter, the sV j], would
have exploded to my left and the ir ijU hnil |-rolll
them would have been poured ? ,||C midst 0f a
crowded un^ of horses ar ^ mou williatn
McNoace was tho lead dri* cr uf my gnn.
When the enciny opened h' 9 tcrr;uic lire on us.
McNcace sprang t > the ; :llid burying
himself as best he could j 'u ijttlc wash in the
ground, looked up and 1 ul.secci,j?g said. "Lieutenant,
jump down or yoU wUl be killed."
It was so iptick ov cr (j,n( | had no time to realize
the impending danger, and therefore realized
no emotions o ,. fcftr unlil , WIW safe be
yoiid the enemy * ^ jruiis. I did no! hear <h?
order to retire, nni{ ,|0 ?ol know how McNcnct
and James Jol JlS011 ,?:,nagcd to get on: of fucI
close ipinrter ^ well, so quick and in pcrfee
safety. M' jl0rgc w.,s always a ftv 1 about tin
whistling ^ au engine and the hooiuing o
cannons bul ou t|l;u occasion lie;was iptiet, a
horscf ,jMia^y MV under fire: but when li t
D.'UU
. . rv began to move lie became un maun gen
hie
p . I dismounted and led him tie in*? sin ope
eld for half n mile, before I out of ih
range ?>f t he Federal guns.
I passed Lieut. Munro's horse at the Ik ttot
? of tho hiil. He followed the battery aero111
the little hranch ami fell as he started up tl
second hill. A little further on 1 parsed Jaini
on Jolly's saddle hor>o. Tho noble nuiinal aidt
ll*' in getting the gun ultno>l out of d inger 1 cf<>
he fell. Here 1 mounted my horse, and pa
ch sing over t he hill into a piece of wool' four
!nr the battery. The men were all seated on tl
to- ground looking serious, discouraged an I <1
ec- moralized. I now begin lo realize the unne
lie cssary danger to which we had been oxpis
tly an<l shared with (lie men (lie bitterness of o
an baptismal experience of the actual meaning
ace war. Wc imngined t lint just what that tight v
ii<le all others would be.
ilar Had ('apt. Iloycc given tiie pine" a pe. >:
li- inspection before attempting t > <-\oeiiie the
nvn tier, the hn/.ardon- experiment wottid nc
c I have been made, lives would have been suv
and tho morale of the company better for the
next fight. But lie was inexperienced, Ambitious
and reckless, ai d thought soldiers were
machines nnd orders were given to be obeyed.
It was afterwards paid that one of the batteries
of Washington Light Artillery was ordorcd
there, but had too much experience to attempt
to occupy a position that was uot tenable.
In our inexperience we attempted to obey the
orders. Whether L'ant. llovec or (Ion. Kvnna
whs to blatne for the blunder I do not know.
Immediately I'oHjving tliis was an indiscretion
for which Ciipt. Uoyce was inexcusable: Five
horses out of six to one caisson had been killed
and the othci left mortally wounded. Sergeants
C. T. Scaife and Junes lluncb, with l'ouv or
live men, were ordered back to bring tho horse
away anl roll the caisson down the hill by
hand, thus subjecting them aud the infantry
to another severe /,* ?. NVhilo wc were drilling
at tho race course, two <>f our hordes made
more use of their heels than was safe for the
meu, and Lieu*.. Jeter expressed the wish that
both might he killed in the first battle. That
was the first, aud both were killed. At the
same time they were killed, .loliu Crow, 1 believe
it was, had the horrible experience of
seeing hi? horso 6hot from tinder him. The
shell passed through his saddle horse aud exploded
inside of his off wheel horse.
Fortunately for the morale of the Macbeth
wo were ordered to joiu two batteries that
were passing by, to take positions in a piece of
woods to the richt of Graveyard Mill and onen
ou the same batteries. Shot ami shell itt the
very midst of them w ero the first notice'that
they had of our hostile intentions. We succeeded
in moving them just about as quick as
they moved us front Graveyard Ilill. Gen.
hougstrect says, it> reference to this last action,
that the enemy were worsted, aud out of spite
set fire to some farm houses. I was of the impression
that the houses referred to were fired
by our shells, and that impression still remains.
It was now dusk and tho ei?cmy beyond
tho range of our guns, so we returned to
tho houso where we left the road in the morihug
Mid parked our guns for the night. Wc fed
our hungry horses that night freely and extravagantly
ou hay apd wheat that litid been cut
tud left in tlx 5 V "UiJ?. The .next morning,
as wo _ lamp 1 saw some South
Carolina 8oldiiv"' '"V.lankct around one of
their comrade?, J * hi the previous day's
fight, and lay liV" \ . i'> his rude resting
place on tho bau|^ little brook. Hi) was
the first Confedl ildicr killed in bw-tlle,
hat I saw durii, ar. That day the .ved
crai. and Confc'J?I / \)ilicrs marched up the
llnppfthunnock s?tj" - u -s; one ou the
*\rniWr'V - ?
tvent into carnu i-X v^XL. cncii oilier
% %
it Waterloo bn v 'n *9 Yn>t.
Lying in \| x" Point ok View.?
Au address b Kansas Bar Assojiatiou
on lil?!r?it ? ir: 9 tho following neat
luuunary of thf?' kin ls of lying :
Do Quiucy, ^nAoI-f^df biffuniquo and
iictnorablo ''ssii /s, I'm treated of inurdor
is a fine art. lipoma brilliant essayist of
;o-day can lind La equal field for his gcuius
u tho wontlcrf ji\ aohievmeuts of tho accomplished
liar. k It must be reuteiubered
:hcro ift a dt v? >sity in fulsohoed ; that one
lie d:ifterct,h :rein another lie in skill, as
well as i' j die uaor and injury. There is
dm cca-.se. ua! odjspoken, untruth of tho unSt'.ucat.od
man vhi knows not the capacity
\angu.age. 'J In.a is tho indirect lie ; tho untrutlj
convoy-4 by him who souses language,
aiul s.-aids it by expression and
I gesture, that vdile each separate clause, and
I even the scnti ?co as a whole, may under
some aspect? oe considered true, yet the
hearer receive only a falsehood. And
then there is .he lie of silence ; keeping
still when obligation requires speech. As
8 mi Jones cp.grammatically expresses it,
"keeping still in a horse trade is tho meanest
kind of Iving."'
? - ? m ?
(Jknekat. Kennedy Off for China.
?tloucral i I). Kennedy took his departure
las(.'<^;2?h?T T?fterr.OOU fut 'Tiiiiia,
lie was accovr^iuicd by his wife and 1 ittlc
daughter, an \ AI ford, his only son, and
? Mr. (\ Wilson Miller. Quite a number oi
j relatives and friends were at the depot t<
1 bid them go-'d-byc. As (jcneral Kennedy
1 stepped into the car, which was thci
f crowded, and began to bid good-bye tc
all, there wa-? ?ot a dry eye to he seen! T
, was one of tho most touching sccue
i- which we h *e over witnessed. We wil
a not attempt to portray further the depth
0 of sorrow ci oibited by all in giving up ou
distinguished and noble-hcsiried friend. II
^ is gone, and wo trust that his voyage wi
ho a sale o- o and his future will prov
[?? happy and prosperous to him ?Canute
r*( nycr. '
ro
;i
;l I.ynciii; ? in Kkksiiavv. ? Camd<
- " * .1
Iic May 5.? Wesley Williams, a negro n<
about ninci'cn years of age, was found t
,,,1 day suspected to ilio limb of a tree, abo
iir | five miles below Camden. Tt is report
of that ho w: * summarily dealt with on i
">s ! count of ao attempted assault on an na
lady in thu vicinity. The coroner's ji
| returned verdict that '!?o deceiiHeil ca
vcr l"Q ',oaf 1 l,y ofp
eJ ru to the jury.
'Si
'ivv.l 1.
A Remedy for Hard Times.?I noticed
au article published in tho March
number of the Cultivator, under tho head
of "A Common Sense View," it strikes
near the right key?what is the cause of
the hard times that wc hear spoken of
every day ? For fear that this important
subject may be dropped just here, I will
give the wheel another turn. This subject
is geuerally brought up by tho very ones
who have caused such a decline in our
couutry by idling away their time. ^(!od
has said that we shall labor six days, and
rest ou the seventh. How can they rest
when they havo not worked any ? Consequently
few ol them keep the Sabbath.
I was raised by a good old farmer, who
learned nic to work as he dul his own children
; and when 1 say work, I mean just
what I say. I did not loiter around country
stores, or other places of resort, as I seo
boys and even growu men doing now, somo
playing ball, cards, or indulging in other
vices that are not known to the American
people. This is one great cause of jails,
chaingangs and penitentiaries being
crowded to-day, and it greatly helps to
mako harder, and harder the times. Let
us all go to work with renewed energy, and
also teach our children to work, which will
be a blessing to them as well as to us, which
will protect them as they grow up from the
greatest evils of the day. The people just
after the late war worked tolerably well a
few years, but since that time a large por
tion have almost quit it. I hear people
say, "I have nothing to do, but I have
never seen such a lime as that in my life,
ueithcr has any man who has an houest
inclination to work. If farmers have nothing
more important to do, they can employ
themselves in ditching and terracing their
rolling lauds ; also by getting up manures
of all kinds, such as loamy soils which are
collected around the back yards, barn yards
and every other place that is producing
weeds which are a nuisance generally.
The farmers of our country are letting
their good lands ho o ivoro i up by the clay
from thoir uplands, which will soou causo
a Bolid poor country. I think I have given
you a very poor method for preventing
such, but it takes work to do it.
* Go to work to inuke good iuuus where
they are now poor, and create blesainga out
of things that appear to be cursos; quit
buying so much guano and costly fertilizers
and use more that you make at home, which
will improve permanently your soil. Bear
iu mind that tho farmers nro trying to cultivate
too much land. Preparo your lands
better, cultivate better, make more on less
acreage. Divide your largo farms into
smaller ones and cultivate well. Let us nil
take a greater intorcst in lauds and improve
thorn by degrees, and I think we will not
hear so much of hard times iu future. I
*1 I -- A- nil . A a
am a now suoscriuer 10 i uc ^umvuiur, yvt,
it is a welcome visitor to my home. It
gives the experiments of good farmers, that
I would not get otherwise, and all progressive
farmers should read- .it and profit by
each other's opinions, as it 'is the oheapest
way of obtaiuiug useful agricultural inlormatfob.?J.
W. Lindsay, m Southern
Cultivator.
i . ? - - -r >
"Compliments of Moses."?It has
been rumored in different portions of the
State, aod has been alleged by several of
our exchanges, that the present farmers'
movement is simply a tidal wave originated
by Mr. 13. 11. Tillman upon which, not the
"Agricultural Moses!' himself, bat his
brother, tho Hon. George D. Tillman, it
to rido into tbe Qubernational ' chair.
When wo consider the faot that ho has
ernor, together with somh other circum
! stauecs. tho rumor seems to us founded on
' fact.
1 Wo wore shown some days ago a Con
* grossional document from the Hon. (r. 1)
^ Tillman, sent to one of the delegates elec
1 to 1 from this couuty to the Stato Conven
> tion. which on the hack contained tin
' followng words: -Coinp. of Moses.
3 Tin?, standing uy itsoii, socms a mm
" thing, but tvhcn you connect it with otlic
H facta, which point to the same conclusion
r it amounts to a great deal towards confirm
c ing the rumor that the movement was gol
11 ton up in the interest of some one f<
o Governor of the State, and that the ma
n is the lion. George I). Tillmau. Wli
"frank' it with "Comp. of Mosos unle
it means something ? We can only awa
,n the result of time to sec whether it is
'significant fact or not. We predict th
^ the rumor is true and will be proved I
?" future developments.? Winntboro Xn
u' and Jfcrald.
ed
ic- Convictkdof Murdkk.?Augusta.G
;cd May 1).?Preston Valentine colored, v
try to-day found guilty of murder in the li
uie degree. He was indicted fur killing \\
er- liam Vales. The prisoner was ably del
dod.
A Bread and Meat Convention.?
To the. Editor of The Xeiv* and Courier'
The Couvcnt'on of Farmers which will ni' Ot
at Columbia oil Thursday next will hnvo a
great many questions to consider iu connection
with the material coudition of the
State. It is not likely that much good will
he accomplished, and iu order to prevent a
great deal of unnecessary discussion we
respectlully submit the following paper,
with the suggestion that it be adopted as
soon as the Convention is organiznd, and
that the Convention thcrcupou immediately
adjourn fine die :
Whereas, it is admitted that the farmers
nf |1iIq Ssf f?ti? Pur qovnvnl vditu lot# ?\?cfc
~ "V.V.....
Iiavc failed to raise enough supplies lor
themselves and also for those not engaged
in agriculture ;
And whereas the latter classes, at great
inconvenience to themselves, have been
forced to obtain their supplies from other
States ;
And whereas, thi9 failure has not re?
suited from any deficiency in the quantity
of land cultivated, not from a want of the
fertility of the soil, but from improper culture
and management :
And, whereas, it is very important that
a State should he self-sustaining in this respect
;
And whereas, it is believed that sufficient
time, ' patience and endurance have Lcin
exercised towards the farmers in this behali.
Now it is suggested that a convention of
the non-agricultural classcs^bo called to meet
at the Capital of the State on the 4th day
of .Fuly next, for the purponc of taking
steps, cither by the appointment of a receiver,
or otherwise, to turn out all those
now engaged in fanning, 'from thn mountains
to 'ho seaboard with the view of ob
? c r.........;n
itiiiim^ u II* nv;i mi iiiuiiij n ?i? ?? i??
pledge themselves to raise enough producfor
us all?agriculturists and nun. agricul
turists as well. This convention shall not
bo considered political in any respect, but
purely a bread and meat convention.
F All M Kits.
Orangeburg, 8. C., April 2G, 18S0.
TllK FaTK Of Cl.L VKltltJS SKA1.KI).?
lliclunond, Ya., May I).?The Supreme
J^onrt of Appeals of Virginia to-day rendered
a decision in the case ot T.'< J. ;iuvcrius,
couvictod in tho Hustings Court
of this city of tho uiurdor, on March 13,
1885, of Fannio Lilian Madisou. Too oaso
is notoriously known as tho reservoir murder
mystery. The judgment of the lower
Courtis fully sustained. Eight bills of
exception were filed by the prisoner's counsel,
being elaboratoly discussed and successively
overruled.
Tho opinion was delivered by Judge
Fauntcllry, the Court standing 4 to 1 in
favor of sustaining tho judgment of the
lower Court. Judge Ilinton dissented, boing
in favor of a new trial.
Cluvcrius will surely haug, unless Executive
clemency intorposos.- Tho timo first
fixed for his execution has long passed by.
lie will have to be brought before tho Hus^
tings Court for resentence.
A Lynching in Virginia.?Kicbmomi,
Va., May G.?-Yesterday a young negro
named L)iek Walker with tko daughter
of a respectable Charlotte County farmer
in the road near Keysvillo and attempted
to assault her. He drew a knife and told
her if she made any noiso he would kill
her. Sho screamed and an old negro man
1 ran' to her asssistance. Walker, bafllcd in
1 hi* purpose, ran oil'. The old negro then
1 hastened to tho nearest telegraph station
and gave a full description of Walker,
1 who was subsequently captured noar Chase.
""1 rrTtyrTfc idena-ftwl'-by the voung
lady and tho old net?r<". and was committed
1 to jail. Last nigtit mty ctil/.eus nuiruuuded
the jail and demanded the keys f rom
tho jailer. The latter refused, but was
overpowered, and Walker was taken out
and banged to a tree.
? ?
German Mii.i.kt.?I have two acres of
> loamy clay bottom land, third year's cultivation,
sown in oats ; I want to plant in
r German millet after oats are cut in Juno.
Which is best, to sow broadcast or in drills
i and how much seed to the ncre What
( ! will be best to manure it with ? Made fifty
| bushels of corn to acre last year without
| any manure.? I'. i>. .u., jjtiricm e??.
lV Answer.?German millet will make a
K"s largo coarse stalk if not crowded. On the
jt other hand, if sown too thick it does not do
well. Drilling crowds the plants sufficientat
| ly to minify tho stalks and yet gives air and
j light enough to permit healthly growth.
H'< Half bushel of seed is enough for an acre.
; As it is very rapid-growing and maturing
i crop, it calls for a manure that is very quicka.,
I ly available. A good nmmoniatcd guano or
vas a well fermented compost would nrswor.
r>t A mixture of cotton seed menl and acid
'i 1- phosphate, one-third meal and two-thirds
en- phosphate, would givo good results.?
Souhteni Cultivator.