Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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A CON FEDER; I low a German M ii si? I Hs Co /.Vom thc Abbi The following letters will afford a gre McGowan's Brigade and to old soldier.1 a German musician with added zest win and tender recollections of his Confcdei absent from this country for so many y ful, equal to the ii mst writing masters AjtiiKVH.l.K. S. C.. .Sept. lil, 1S!?7. The writer of lite loller below is dehn <. ubriel Christopher Kruse, who wa.- born Aug. L'.">. in the etty of Wi-i.i ir. in Mecklenburg Schwerin, in (iermaiiy. Ile came lu America in 1 s."?:*., and lived in Walhalla until IHlil. and from that date until 180?) he wa? in the Confederate army. Alter that he lived in Charleston until 1^7*. and j then in Savannah for a number of years. He is now interpreter for thc j Spanish Consulate in Hamburg, Ger many. After the surrender he was lost to thc sight of his old comrades, who had the impression that he died thirty years ago. Some months ago the editor of the Mattum wrote an in cident about thc Second Manassas, and brought in thc name of Prof. Kruse. That issue of thc paper was I mailed to him by his friend, Maj. j Kran/. Melcher*, of Charleston. I'pon ! this I'rof. Kruse sent us a message, j and wc wrote another article about the ? Second Manassas incident. Then came the letter be wrote us. We have ; read it to several veterans, who were so much pleased with it that we give it to the public. I'rof. Kruse i. a , man ol'learning and his old comrades were delighted tu hear about him. When wc told, at the Greenville Con federate reunion a few weeks ago, that he was still living, scores of the sur vivors, including officers and men, ex pressed the greatest delighi to hear of his good health and prosperity. I'rof. Kruse has a remarkable mem ory, as will appear from the letter. The parties named are well known to many of our people. Rothschild nt Second Manassas told the boys that he would show them that he was not afraid and then went into the'battle and came out mortally wounded. He was known all over this section as a great musician and his death was much regretted. Every old soldier will enjoy thin letter. It is written in excellent style, and shows that the men and events of war times are fresh in his mind. I'rof. Kruse has an elder brother who lives in Kiel, in Schleswig Hol stein, of which place he is an honor ary citizen. A younger brother, aged 74 years, lives in Australia. His on ly sister lives in Hamburg, at the age of 71 years. Tho combined age of the four amounis to 300 years, and no uno of them has ever been sick. Hour. lt. HEMPIIII.I., Editor Abbeville Medium. HAMBTRO, August 1, 18i>7. j (.'m. R. U.HemjihiU, Abbeville, S. C. DEAR SIR: With a hearty greeting from an old participant in the memor able war, lSGl-'GF), the undersigned now takes tho liberty to ask you to acecpt his photograph, which was taken a few days ago. My sincere friend aud well-wisher, Maj. Franz Melchers, had the kind ness io send me your interesting "jVeuiumy' in which you mentioned an incident of "the little old German of Walhalla, running the seale on a elarionctte, etc., etc." I am indeed happy to state, it will surprise you aud also my surviving friends when I assure you that I do not feel this day much older than the time alluded to ia the Met I ?mu." I pride myself in the thought that so much interest is evinced in my behalf by my old com rades. It will please them to learn from these lines that I have enjoyed almost uninterrupted good health since the last fifty years-less than ten dollers would defray all my ex penses for drugs, medicines, cosmet ics, etc. I devoutly thank the Lord for his divine blessing and protection. I have met with many afflictions in my long and checkered life, but 1 over came all its vicissitudes byan implicit hope that all would be for the best Since several weeks T am in pos ssion of another copy of your vaina ble gazette of June li 1th, mailed tome from Abbeville, for which 1 am grate ful to the kind sender. I beg to ten der you my warmest thanks for your kindness in having, by mention of the "little incident," caused uiy friends and 'comrades in war" to receive thc information that 1 am still ou the list of thc quick, and I expect to hear from them. Itemcmboring vividly the incidents touched ti pou io your ''Mall?n,:,'' ? beg to say a few words concerning one ol' them. At thc time when the late Lieutenant-Colonel Lcdbctter and n?y friend, thc violinist and virtuoso Ko th sch lbl, both, wounded mortally, were borne to the rear, I met them on my w&y as 1 was returning from the house that was utilized for a field hospital, whither I had been assisting the then Sergeant-Major Wm. Mar shall and another soldier to carry onr wounded Colonel Marshall. Whilst we were transporting the dying colo / <\TE'S STORY. Ctttm Waw I -lt morer I hy mr; i ties. .ville Meditan at deal of interest to the veterans of ; generally, who will read the story of MI they know that he cherishes warm rate experience, although he has been ears. His penmanship is very beauti of this day. ucl, Sergeant-Major Win. M. wept and exclaimed: "I thank (?od my father dies a Christian!11 <>li, tins noble ex pression of the brave and devout young Christian soldier, who beheld for the last tim? mi earth the pale countenance ?d' his dying lather ! AH said words nf lament were uttered by the dying hero's son. I said to the dis tressed Wm. M.: "Oh, Mr. Marshall! Kiss bim, kis> him for your mother !" If the then Sergeant-Major Wm. Mar shall should be alive now, he could tell you that be did kiss his dying father, for he would undoubtedly re member it. I should like to be in formed whether Mr. Wm. Marshall has passed through thc war unhurt; and, if so, where he resides. It may seem strange that I ask this informa tion, because t returned after thc capitulation of our so-called rebel ar my at Appomattox on April 10, 1865, with General McGowan to his house in Abbeville, where was also the loone of the late Capt. Marshall: but having (for about thirty-two years) been with out any communication with myoid comrades in war, it seems tn me like one that has read history, and in the turmoil of life has forgotten some part of it. It is a marve] to me, that 1 should be in doubt about the existence or non-existence of Sergeant-Major Win. Marshall. I now beg to say a few words about the late Lieutenant-Colonel Lcdbet ter, whom I have known at Walhalla. When I was returning from thc im provised hospital, in order to rejoin my regiment, I met Lieutenant-Colo nel, L., who was being borne ou a litter by some of our soldiers. Ile said to mc: "My dear Kruse, as you arc re turning to our regiment, please get my sword and also my leather pouch with two lemons in it: these things must lie near the spo^ where -I fell." I answered, "Yes, sir, I Bhall try my best to get what you wish." I ob served no marks or signs that might indicate how and in what part of his body bc had been wounded. Alas ! I did not know whither to wend my way in order to fulfill my given promise. I pursued a path which I thought would carry me to the desired spot. It was au unlucky hour for us. In less than thirty minutes there were killed moro than thirty men and officors. I did not find my regiment at the place where 1 had left it; for, having re ceived reinforcements, our troops were forcing back the enemy. I went in a direction that I guessed would leadme *,o our brigade. As it was growing dark and 1 felt much fatigued I laid myself down and soon fell asleep. When I had awoke very carly on thc next morning, I found that I had coiled myself down in the midst of many dead. Within a few steps of mo there were lying about ten or more corpses in blue uniforms, which, hew over did not frighten me in any way; for around me all was serene, no deto nation or cracking of guns and reports of cannon could be heard. I thanked Almighty Ged for His divine protec tion. Being, like many of my com rades, deprived of the luxury of soap, towel, hair brush and other toilet stuff, and being minus water to moist en my parching lips, and nothing in sight to bite or chew for breakfast, the thought that I was not able to find Lieutenant-Colonel Lcdbctter's sword, pouch and lemons troubled my mind. Whilst I was thus cogitating and walking in a direction unknown tome, I was at last surprised to find my way to my comrades, who hailed ray re turn into their midst with great joy, as I was considered by them'one of iiie jolliest of thc jolly boys in gray. lt may bc that I was now on thc identical spot described by the "Ab beville Meit ?inn" as the place where a little wren (known in the German [language as z?un konig, which, trans lated literally int?? Kn gi i sh, means kiug ol' the fonce, or fence king), and where across the way "the little old German man, of Walhalla, was run ning through the scales on a clarionet, etc.. etc. ' lt may be that 1 then played the, at that time ir, our regi ment, favorite tune. "Let Mc Kiss Him for His Mother," or some kin dred plaintive air. 1 was well acquainted with Mr. Rothschild (pronounced llotc-shilt). lt was generally mispronounced llos child. Said unfortunate musician was a great favorite with Col. Perrin and likewise with Col. Marshall, Col. Cothran. and our first Col. James L. Orr, later Judge Orr. and then cm bassador or minister, who died in St. Petersburg, Kassia. Col. Cothran said of my friend lt. (who was an Is raelite), that he (R.) was a very intel ligent man, and that he (R.) was the noblest of his race. M?y he rest in petes ! I have for many years not heard ?roin Gen. S. McGowan, at whose bri-1 gadc headquarters I a> ted as clerk un der Adjutant-General A*. C. Haskell, and IuBpector-Ceneral L. C. Haskell was also in McGowan's brigade. Said adjutant-general waH later colonel of cavalry, and in an encounter with the (Inion cavalry lie lost one of his eyes. I met this gentleman after the war once in thc Charleston Hotel, and later in Havannah, wb.ere a relative of his is living, from whom I heard in the year 1891 or 2 that Major L. C. Haskell had died on his plantation at or near Little Hock, Arkansas. ? en close a letter dated Abbeville C. H., S. C. ?iOth Nov.1, 1805. You may see how kindly I was remembered hy this noble moldier, that lie sent money to his old eoinradc at a time when funds were scarce in the Southern Stales, that he would entrust me with busi ness, etc. Said letter is dear to me, but I am <|uh? willing to let you have it. Col. A. C. Haskell also made me a kind offer when he met mc in Savan nah. Mut the first who made me a kind otfer when wc returned to our homes after the war, was my beloved Sen. S. McGowan, who took me to his rcsideuec. took me with him to the Episcopal Church in Abbeville, intro duced me to Mrs. (Jen. McGowan, as also to his daughter, Miss McGowan, who declaimed to me a poem, "Hingen on thc Rhine." Before I left the general's house to goto my old home, Walhalla, ho offered mc a position in his law office, complimenting me on ni) punctuality and the keeping of his paper.-. Cen. McGowan wished that I should live at his residence and be a permanent guest at his table. Thus you see how kindly I was treated by these noble families. I must also mention the late Col. Marshall, Col. Cothran, Lieutenant Colonel ?I. Townes Robertson, who subscribed my parole (as paroled pris oner of thc army of Northern Vir ginia, having permission to go to his home and there remain undisturbed). This was after cur capitulation at Ap pomattox Court House, Va., April 10, 18?5. I then went with (Jon. McGowau to Abbeville, where I delivered to him at his house all the brigade papers and books, aud also a piece of the colors of thc 14th Regiment, of which General Met Jowan had fcbeen colonel, (if I. do not err) before he was brigade general. The day on which the agreements and the terms of the capitulation were signed (i. e., effected) beveral of our soldiers and non-commissioned officers began to destroy their regimental col ors, flag-staffs, etc. I snatched from the hands of a soldier (who was tear ing into pieces aud cutting ' up the beautiful blue silken flag with a beau tiful wreath, or palmetto tree, em broidered on said flag in white silk) a piece of said flag and hid it under my uniform, abd as soon as I saw a chance I hid it under my shirt, and after hav ing arrived at General McGowan's house, I delivered, together with all our archives, this remnant of the said blue flag of the 14th Regiment. I should like to kuow if the general is still in possession of this relic of the war. What else could he do with it than to keep it? To surrender it to the State of South Carolina was shame ful, as it would have brought to light the miserable conduct of thc destroy ers of the beautiful colors. It was a shameful act of the soldier to commit such an outrageous deed of insubordi sation. It was against all usages of warfare. As I keep on writing I remember a certificate whioh was written by G. MeD. Miller, Captain commanding Orr's Regiment Rifles, S. C. V. It was in camp on the Rappahannock,'iu Virginia, on January 12th, 1863, soon after thc battle of Fredricksburg. I was, at my request, and endorsed by the different commanding officers of regiment, brigade, division, army corps, tranferred from tho army of the Confederate States to tho navy of the Confederate States by command of Gen.' Robert E. Lee, and signed: "By command of Gen. Lee, W. II. Taylor, A. A. General.'' I took this transfer, because I considered myself utterly unfit for further service in the field on account of irreducible double hernia. 1 felt unable to stand the marching, and believed I would be better able to serve on a Confederate gunboat or some other vessel stationed on one of the rivers or on the coast *of Confederate States, as 1 had been in service of the German, Belgian and IT. S. merchant ships for at least 10 years of which I could show the best cer tificates, as a practical seaman and navigator. After having received my paper of transfer. ? left thc Confeder uto army and reported at Confederate navy headquarters to Commodore For rest, in Richmond. After an exami nation by a surgeon I was declared un lit for any service, and ordered to go home to Walhalla, there to remain. 1 opened a school in Walhalla, and did well. After a *fow months it was claimed by the ?enrolling officer that I had to go back to the Confederate army to my regiment, and that I had not been discharged from service by General Leo, but only transferred, and that Commodore Forrest could not discharge me, but ooiy refuse me, ?ad that I could only be discharged by the Secretary of War. Thus I ?ad to report back to my command, Orr's m,' Rifle Regiment. AB I declared my self unable to marcb, Col. A. C. Has kell kindly caused me to be employed as clerk in the ordnance service. A I few months later. Gen. McGowan's ? clerk, Mr. Norman, died and Gen. Mc- i Gowan then took nie in Mr. Norman's 1 place as clerk of headquarters of Mc- ? Gowan's brigade, under my kind pro- i tector, Adjutant-General, Capt. A. C. < Haskell, under whom I officiated until < Capt. A. C. Haskell became colonel of cavalry. Thc ladt (ive or six mouths I offici ated under Adjutant-General \Y. Rid diek, of Kettle .Springs, N..C, and . also under Major and Inspector^Jen eral Langdon C. Haskell, whose letter I have' mentioned already. There are some other gentlemen of Abbeville whose names I remember at times and then forget them. I remember a nice young man named Houser, who lost a leg in the first year of the war, After the war he lived in a little house on the prem ises of Col. Cothran, where I visited him. He was then a manufacturer of cigars. On this occasion . Col. Coth ran invited mc into his house, where I was introduced by him to his family, and treated very kindly. I have also been at Due West, at Capt. and later Col. (5. McD. Miller's house, who kindly went with me to Maj. Melton's office in Columbia and there claimed me as a soldier of his (Orr's) Regi ment. Through his intercession I was allowed, before going back to my regiment, to remain about a month in Walhalla, and then on the lirst of .July, 18?3, to report at Due West, Ab beville District, S. C., to the said Col. C. McD. Miller, who took me along to Virginia- 1 was very kindly treated and provided for by thc said gentle man, and lind a very agreeable jour ney to my old regiment. Here I must state that Col. M.'s stay at home was on account of a wound re ceived in some battle, and that I met him accidentally in the streets of Columbia, where he then stayed until he recovered from the effects of his wound. Now, I ask to mention a few names of our regimental band, of which I was a member before I was at Mc Gowan's brigade headquarters. There was a Mr. Vandivcr, Mr. Wm. Trib blc, Silas Clinkscales, little Johnny Ansel, of Walhalla, Sergeant' Bul winkle. of McGowan's brigade wagon guard, and others. 1 have now penned down more than I thought I would be able when I be gan this letter. After reading your first paper sent me by Mr. Melehers, I intended to write to you at once. I delayed my writing a few days and studied about my intended letter. Later on I began to write and kept on writing until I saw a very voluminous letter before me. After scaning the contents of it, the tenor did displease .me very much. I put it aside and wanted to compose a more sensible one, because there seemed to me such a confusion and so many repetitions of tho same-occurrences, so that I con cluded to make several changes in ex pressing facts. Instead of doing bet ter, 1 did worse. I almost lost all con fidence in myself. It seemed to me that my honest efforts to write some what like reminiscences of my soldier life were not crowned with the ex pected success, and thus I became dis heartened. I forgot altogether, or lost sight of the fact, that writing a letter about one's daily business and composing something like a novel, resting upon facts or fiction, are dif ferent tasks. It seemed to me that I had better leave "writing like an editor" alone, and that best of all would be to thank you kindly for hav ing saved my name and the insignifi cant doings of your old comrade from oblivion: then to request you to be so kind as to extend my greetings to all friends that may remember Old John thc Piper, and communicating, gby means of printer's ink, to all the world that I ain't dead yet. To-day I made a new attempt and I now assure you that I have done faith fully all I was able to do in my ardent desire to give you a sign of life. In conclusion I would ask you to send me thc piece of paper with the order written on it by me for Gen. McGow an. It will be pleasant to show it to ray brother and sister. With kindest regards, Your obedient servant, JOHN G. C. KRUSE. - According to an old law in St. Louis, a man may be sold at auction to the highest.biddcr for a term of six months' service for deserting his wifo and failing to support her. Tho law ^is" to bc applied in the ease of a con firmed loafer, and an announcement of bis sale is postod on the front door of the City Court House.-Chicago Jour nal. - It takes about three seconds for a message to go from one end of the Atlantic cable te the other. - ""Many have said their children would have died of croup, if Cham berlain's Cough Remedy had not been Siven," writes Kellara A Ourran, rnggists, Seaview, Va. "People come from far and near to gat it and speak of it in the highest terms.'' This is equally trna of this remedy itt oiery community were it is known. Buy a bot t?o at the Hill-Orr Drug Co. and test it for yourself. Cora as an Adulterant. A report comes from St. Louis to the effect that corn is extensively used as an adulterant of wheat flour, and also as a substitute for barley malt by brewers. The millers of St. Louis are said to have declared that manu facturers of wheat flour will be either driven out of the market in the course of time, or forced to adulterate their product in order to mest the competi tion that surrounds them. Corn flour is, it seems, bein? produced on a very large scale, and the only mills show ing an increase of business this year are those manufacturing exclusively corn products, all of which show an enormous increase. They are turning jut not only corn flour made from ^rits, but a new flour made from com starch, which is said to bc very white and iiuely ground, so that it lends it self particularly well to use as an adulterant. Corn flour lias bceu sold as low as 70 cents a hundred pounds, so that it is quite an object to bakers and manufacturers to use it. The bakers arc said to be doing the great er part of thc adulterating in order to cheapen the cost of their flour. In the manufacture of crackers and that class of bakery goods, thc adulterated article is said to be most extensively used. The brewers figure as the largest purchasers of corn products. Corn flakes are substituted for barley malt, producing excellent results, while the expense of making beer is lessened, and the process is said to be less trou blesome. Thc beer that is adultera ted with corn is more palatable, but it is not as wholesome as thc pure ar ticle. There is no reason tc doubt the truth of these reports concerning the use of corn as an adulterant. It would be strange if its introduction into the flour and beer trade had been prevent ed, considering the magnitude of the eora crop, and the great effort that has been made to utilize it. It is, however, unfortunate that it cannot find a legitimate field, instead of com ing into trade as aa adulterant. Whatever gain it may show at present from this cause is likely to be tempo rary, for the consumers are clearly entitled to protection from adultera tions, and are bound to receive itt It is no more fair that flour and bread should be bought as made of whole wheat when they are a mixture of corn and wheat, than it is that filled cheese should be bought as full cream cheese. It ?3 best that the purchaser shall be sure that what he is buying is exactly what it purports to be. A law that compels millers and bakers to sell genuine goods wiii undoubtedly be de manded and passed in course of time. A similar law relating to beer will undoubtedly also find its way upon the statute books.-Milwaukee Senti nel. How Uncharitable-How Unjust* Did you ever hear of a man trying to lift an unfortunate woman when she falls from the high pedestal of honor and virtue? We think not. When once she falls from her high and honorable position she lands into a hell from which no human hand will stoop to lift her cut. But on the other hand we have seen men fall as low as it were possible for men to fall, seen the wife pull, her uusband from the gutter and press - h ir./ to her heart as though he was a god; seen the wife follow the husband through life in one constant whirl of misery, and when by the gates of hell they separated, weep because she can go no further. We have seen the mother follow the son and tho. Bister the brother through ?laths man has never been known to oHow woman. Wno is to blame for the downfall of woman? Let the angels in heaven be thc jury and Ged Almighty the Judge. Bl A Ail DAI o An U1UUU i U1DU1?. Contagious Blood Poison has been ap ?>ropriately called the curse of mankind, t is the one disease that physicians can not cur?; their mercurial and potash remedies only bottle up the poison in the system, to surely break forth in d more virulent form, resulting in a total wreck of the system. Mr. Frank B.. Martin, a prominent jeweler at 926 P?nsylvania Ave., Wash ington, D.C., says: I was for. a long time under treat ment of two ol thc best physi cians of this rity, for a severe case of blood poison, but my cr edition Stew norse all to while, not* witii3t?nding the fact that they charged me three ;?? ' bund vet! dollars. My month was filled with eating sores; my tongue was almost eaten away? so that for three months I was unable to taste any solid food. My hair was coming out rapidly, and I was in a horrible fix. I had tried various treatments, and was nearly dis couraged, when a friend recommended S.S.S. After T bod taken four bottles, I began to get better, and when I had finished eighteen .bottles? I was cured sound and wpll, my akin was without a blemish, and X have had no return ol the disease. S.S.S.savcd me from a life of misery." S.S.S. (guaranteed purely vegetable) will cure any case of blood poison. Books on the disease and its treat ment, mailed free by Swift Specific Co., Atlanta, Ga. WE fully realize the fact that when we address the people of Anderson County, either through the press or otherwise, we are addressing * class of highly intelligent and well-informed people. We know there are some people who read the high-sounding advertisements promising great and unreasonable things, and also believe them, but this class of people io Anderson County ia fast becoming extinct. Now, a few words in regard to our business : A few years ago we came to this town with a small capital and unknown, to the business world. Our business has steadily increased, and the year 1897 will show a business of over $00,000.00.* What has been the secret of our success ? To do the Right because it is Bight. Many cay that this rule works well every way except in business ; but we find it more applicable to business than any where else. Now, we know this is out of keeping with the usual way of advertising but nth due regard to our compel kora' methods of doing business we deem it necessary to say what we have, and we commend to the intelligent and right thinking people of our County. We also wish to state that our present facilities for handling goods direct from the manufacturer to the consumer are second to none in the city. We carry almost everything needed by the general trading public, and at as close a price as good, first-class goods can be sold for. Respectfully soliciting a continuance of your highly appreciated patron age, and, if possible, will try and serve you better in the future, we are Yours very respectfully, D. C. BROWN & BRO. 1 BROWNLEE & VANDIVERS, - DEALERS IN ALL KINDS OF General Merchandise, Cotton and Fertilizers, ZIFFER their tremondouH 8tock of Heavy Dry Goods, Boob?, Shoos, Hats and Caps at prices ttiHt ensure salea. In n few days we will have a full line of Williams, Kneelaud's and Geo. G. Snow's Men's Fi S boes. We nave deci-ied to add this, the finest line of Shoes we know, to our already large Stock. We have in stock the Jones Shoe Co's, line of Women's Fine Shoes that we can conscientiously recouimead to any une. In other grades of Shoes wa have them from the cheapest up. See ns before baying a pair of Shoe?. We wUl not allow any one to un dei Bell us io Print?. Ginghams, Outings, Flannels, Blankets, Lap Robes, Jeans, Casslmere, Sheeting, Checks, Drills, etc. Wo mean ex actly what we say in the above remarks. Come seo for yourself. We sell large quant ities of Ballard's and othsr mill's fine Flour, all grades Co e best Hains, Rloe. Sugar, Lard, Molasses, Soap, Soda, Starch, and other Groceries too numerous to mention. Don't forget that we sell the bast Flour, Coffee and Tobacco that we can buy. We want to bay yonr Cotton for (;he bigbest cash price, and sell you your Bag ging and Ties. Yours very truly, BROWNLEE & VAND1VER8. P. 8.-Jost received a lot of Gnano and Add for the small grain crop. And you will find out that you are often deceived hy a very small animal. WE say come at us with your search-light, (so you mean, business,) and you will see which way the cat is jumping. m i^? i BM ? And you will find no danger to your peace nor your purse in buying your- * . From us. Throw but your search-light on us and our Goods. It will save our talk and our time- and save you ?zom pain and loss. INVESTIGATE. - We have,them sn StocK and they Must Go. The bestand cheapest line of Ladies' Oxfords to be found anywhere, and we are going to close them out at Factory prices/ We also have leaders in Men's and Ladies* High Cut Shoes-thc host that can be bought for cash. Call and see us at once and get a bargain. Under ie? Anderson? -g. C.