Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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A CLOS] .A. thrilling Narrai Below is thc second of tho Jour/Kit's interesting series of war stories onti- j tied "Close Calls," and written ly ', war veterans. The first was published last week, and was from thc pen of Colonel I-. I'. Thomas, the gallant Georgia veteran. ; To-day's story was written by Hon. William T. Smith, State Senator from G wionett : BUFORD, <!A.. Deo. 20, 1000. j Colonel L. 1'. Thomas, Atlanta, (Ja. : My Dear Colonel-Your description ! of ooo of your close calls during our j four year's struggle addressed to me and published in the Atlanta Journal, ha? been read with much iuleresi uy me, not only because it came from a brother officer and comrade, but also i on account of thc fact contained in the | story. Your letter asking mc to give i an account of my closest calls will be f hard to comply with. In the scores of j tight aplaces where thousands of un- j seen rainieballs have passed so near some vital part iu the many battles and smaller lights and skirmishes dur ing that memorable struggle, I cannot j definitely describe which was the closest call, but will undertake to give j you one of thc closest L bad. In doing j so I have selected one where our army was defeated. I would much prefer to j give a history of one of my close calls ; where wo were victorious, but, dear colonel, I know you want me to tell tho public how I got away on thc afternoon of thc second day's battle of Nashville, aud while I would rather write of Southern victory than South ern defeat, out of deference to you and others of Stovall's brigade, I will give a true description of ono close call where we were defeated. After thc bloody battle of Franklin, Tenn., thc most bloody of any during the war, according to thc numbers en gaged, the Confederates doing tho charging, tho enemy occupying per manent breastworks, supported by over fifty pieces of artillery, we moved on to Nashville and drove thc enemy into tho city. Here wc camped in line of battle until the Federal army was reinforced from all over tho Union until they outnumbered us three to one. The remnant of Hood's army, who had escaped slaughter at Frank lin, camped in liuo of battle in tho beautiful country surrounding Nash ville. Thc ground was covered with snow, thc bright camp-fires, the boys singing Annie Laurie, My Home spun Dress" and "Home Sweet Home," was an inspiring scene, and, dear colonel, although you were mar ried, you were in thc zenith of young manhood. You took part in tho sweet j vooal melodics that echoed and re- ? echoed throughout thc valleys about Nashville. It was here that I lost my sweet heart's picture while on picket ?Inly, for I was then single. 1 offered a reward to thc extent of my cash on baud, $22, for tho recovery of thc picture of tho dear, Bwcet girl 1 had left back in good old (Georgia. This j had the desired effect, for oue of my i own company found it and returned the precious image of my darline and spurned the reward offered. Hut writing of "Annie Laurie" and sweetheart is not describing my close call to death or mortal wound. The great battle of Nashville lasted two days. On the morning of tho second day our lino was straightened out to some extent. Our brigade (Stovall's) and Gibson's Louisiana brigade wero on tho Franklin and Nashville turn pike. Ours on the right, Gibson's on thc left. All day thc enemy made charge after charge on our position. They dismounted every piece of artil lery we had. They put two or three ? lines of negro troops in front and one linc of whites behind them, and with j these several columns they assaulted j us time and again, only to bo driven back in utter confusion. The dark negroes, with their dark bluo coats, lying dead iu heaps on thc beautiful snow made a strange contrast and a sceno never to be forgotten. Late in tho afternoon, when wc thought wo had gained one of the greatest victo ries of the war, our line gave way on ?ho left, and the Yankees carno up our line with a linc formed perpendicular ly square to ours and captured many of our men. Many of our own brigade surrendered. I had bought a ham of j meat during tho night before and laid it on a stump in rear of our linc of battle, not having eaten anything for two days. As I started to run out with my regiment my eyes turned toward my ham of meat, and what a tlAafifiJ 1siTrtrt.fr' Pstrtrl farAtvrttl 1 r> r? lr T HlVVEaa, -, ' - "O > * , TT * * gave that sum, while tho Yankees shouted, "Surrender, d-n you!" I ran through a piece of wooded land and struck a oom held, thc shot, shell and -minieballs were plowing up thc scow. It appeared to me I was not making any time; in fact, it scorned to 3 CALL. tive of "War Times. mu that I was only marking time on thc snow, until I looked down thc corn row and Haw I was making it over four or liv?- corn rows at each jump. This relieved me greatly, for 1 knew the corn rows were four or live feet apart iu Tennessee, and that there was no marking time in that gait I was trav eling. The speed I made soon carried mc out of thu reach of the shot and shells of the yankees, and 1 found our corps commander, .Stephen !>. Lee, on the pike with twenty or thirty stand? of colors and two or three hundred men around him. Ile was making a des perate effort lo rally our men. ? re ported to iiiui willi one man. 1 told him we were ready to die if necessary. At this point, many of our men that were not captured came to us, and by morning all of Stovall's brigade that were not killed or captured were in linc. Our division (Clayton's) were selected to carry up the rear of our retreating army, and now I come to my close call. We were retreating by way of Franklin, where wc bad pre viously fought so desperately. Near thc town of Franklin is a good size stream. This stream had a substan tial bridge where tho pike road crossed it. Our anny was trying to form a linc of battle on the same ground where wc had lost so many men a few weeks before. The stream is on thc side of the town next or towards Nash ville. Our army being on the oppo site side of the stream, when tho rear guard, to which I belonged, reached thc bridge, ? was instructed with two other ofiicers, to take 150 men and hold that bridge at all hazards. The staff officer who gave mo these instruc tions told mc I was expected to hold the bridge if every man lost his life in the attempt, that the safety of the entire army depended on holding tho bridge until a linc of battle could be formed. I supposed it waa the only placo that troops could cross thu stream. Wo quickly t ok position and beforo I could tell the men that were expected to die there or hold tho bridge, wight or ten thousand mounted infantry and cavalry came down at full speed along the pike aud through tho field. Tho boys killed them by the score, many riderless horses came dashing across the bridge but we held on like grim death, and in a few mo ments one of my men shouted to me, "Great (?od, look in our rear!"' Wo did nor know tho stream could bo forded. Thousands of yankee cavalry had dashed acrsss the stream at a ford below the town. Franklin was full of yankees in our rear, with many thou sands in our front. Wc were sur rounded on all sides. Amid the dead ly rear of small anns I shouted as best I could to our men to save themselves if they could, or surrender if they de sired to do so. I was going out or try. I ran through houses iii closed lots and gardens to keep tho yankee caval ry which was in every street and alley, from killiug or capturing mo. I ran through a kitchen where sat a very old lady, all the other inmates having iled. Dinner was on thc table. She says: "Honey, stopandeat some dinner." God bless her sainted soul, I never refused an invitation to dine where my stomach was in better con dition to receive it, but it was one of those times where pressing business overcame tho paugs of hunger. I ran on jerking off pickets and dodging through enclosures with hundreds of yankee bullets .'lying p? t my head. Finally 1 came to an alley; thero was no way except to cross it. I pulled off a plank. As I got into the alley a lone horseman dashed up to mc. He had on a gum coat. I could not tell whether ho was Yank or Confed. I was out of breath, tired until I could go no further. Ile glanced at mc, saw I was an officer, ho said, "Put your foot on mine and spring up be hind me," but my springs had worn out. ?lust then bullets came in tor rents. He said, ".Itrop all you have and pull up." I obeyed and throw down all I bad but my sword and pis tol and company papers. 1 made up my mind. Quick as lightning I was behind him on his horse. If he starts back with rae, I would shoot him out of tho saddle and turn tho horse's head toward our troops. At tho same time I will leap into the saddle and be a cavalryman for a few momsuts. But he puts spurs to his fino horse, got out of gun shot and as soon as we got in sight of our line of battle, he told mo he was ono of Forrest's cavalry and saw mo struggling to get away and thc enemy trying so hard to kill i s capturo me. Ho determined to save me or die in tho attempt. Dear col onel, this was ono of my close calls. I will never forgot it. You participa r? in uil tho struggles ? have men tioned. I cannot dismiss Franklin withaut calling your attention to tho bravo and dauntless Wylie, our adju tant general, whose hoses rest there Thc Future of FJectriclly. Whatever may be said in favor of electricity, one statement must stand paramount in its behalf : It has .. iver tailed in its purpose when properly applied. Its uses are as many as its abuses. It has suffered from tho hands of those who thought they were acquainted with it, but it has also found friends of long standing, to ad vance its cause and increase its popu larity. Time was when it was feared as an enemy-looked upon as a cun ning monster which mankind would never be able io control, much less to understand. To-d?y it is thc friend, the benefactor of humanity. ? have been asked to say just what electricity will accomplish during the coming 50 years. It will do fully as much as it has accomplished during tin: past 50 years. It is not for me to say in what direct lines it will create new functions for itself, nor to pre dict or dream the great things it will accomplish as it goes along its magic way. It i? not for nie, either, to pre sent any pictures of massive electrical affairs that will appeal tothc world-hut rather to remain a plodder in thc elec trical vineyard, to keep toiling for the end that others may see in their dreams. Still, it is not too much to expect decided improvements in many indus trial appliances, now operated by methods other than electrical. I be lieve ?hat the railway traiu will even tually bo operated by electricity, though I have never considered to any great extent this particular phase of electrical power, lt is more advan tageous to the science, I Gnd, to per fect one thing at a time, than to try to effect a score at once. Patience and deliberate, untiring energy arc needed to broaden thc usefulness of t.ic electrical world. How can it bc applied to farming machinery? Very readily and advan tageously. This is a field in which it can ho made to work wonders in the next 50 years. The farmer needs to have his oppressive work made more of a pleasure, for he is indeed au all important factor in tho world's great sphere of usefulness, and his absence from that sphere would be more mark ed thau all the wonders that electricity has created. Thc electrical plow, the electrical thrasher and electrical dairy implements aro not things that only fill the fancy of a dream. I earnestly believe that the next 50 years will find them recorded in thc realm of act. Already electricity has made a no table advance in the mining industry, und its application io tho separation of metals from ores shows that in this respect it has not been misapplied. Indeed, it has done some marvelous work. So it may be with farming imple ments, and with other machinery. As a manifestation of energy it will stand supreme. As science unfolds its phe nomena, it shows it moro and moro to bo the great motivo power of nature. Perhaps in years to come it will bo shown that all thc planets are con trolled and kept in their orbits by electricity. Not only as a motive power for mas sive enterprises will electricity find uses during thc coming half century, but it will also be applied to thc "gentler sciences," if I may use the term. By this I mean surgery, optics and astronomy, but greater minds than minc must dwell on this particular branch of electrical usage. Already we have surgical instruments that are being operaicd by electricity with gratifying success; indeed, they have gone beyond thu experimental stage. It will find a large field in the opera tion of manufacturing machinery, as the Niagara Falls plant shows, and it may oven extend to the airship, but I think it best to confine its uses to the earth until these uses have been ex hausted.-Thomas A. Edison, in Suc cess. Scrofula, Ulcers, Cancer and Skin Troubles. At Last a Cure-Trial Treatment Free. Is your skin palid, pale or blood thin ? Are you casiley tired or as tired in the morning as when you went to bed ? Is there loss of strength ? Are you all run dowu ? Aches and paius in bones, joints or back V Weak c:;es, or stye on tho eyes ? If so, you havo the poison of scrofula in your blood, and tho least sickness, scratch or blow will bring to thc surface all tho horri ble symptoms of this terrible blood discaso-uloers, swellings, ealing sores, foul breath, bumps or rising boils, abscesses, white swelling, hon ing skin humors, eruptions, aches in bones, joints and muscles, cancer, ca tarrh, cte. If you aro tired of doc toring, takin6 patent medicines and aro not cured, then try B. B. B. (Bo tanic lib.od Balm.) It is made espe cially for obstinate, deep-seated blood troubles, and cures the worst oases after all else fails. B. B. B. makes new, rich blood and builds up the weakened body, stops all tho aohes and pains and heals every sore, giving tho rich glow of health to the skin. Over 3,000 voluntary testimonials of cures of blood and skin diseases by B. B. B. Thoroughly tested for 30 years. Large bottles $1. Trial treat? mont free by addressing Blood Balm Company, Atlanta, Ga. Describo trou ble and free confidential medical .3d vicc gi ?eu. ?l??-Orr Drug Co., wil hito & Wilhite and Evans Pharmacy. - Fidelity to old truths demands hospitality to new ones. litiguen Hanging Railway. "Mr. Eugene Langdon ia not a poor 'n ven tor on thc brink of a fortune, occausc his invention has proved a success. Ile was a sugar manufac turer, and he decided several years ugo to counsel his sugar works in the valley of the Wupper River with thc great industrial centers of Barmen and Elberfeld. Ho began with the purpose of building an electric surface road. Rut thc country is so uncaven that he found thc co.j-t would bc cnor- i mous. Besides, everybody objected to thc building of such a road on ac- j count of thc danger at grade cro^s j ?ogs. " 'If we cannot run cara up and down thc hills,' said thc sugar maker, after a prolonged spell of thinking, 'why not try to run cars above them?' "After two years of experiments and consultations with electrical en gineers, ho decided io try tho plan which has resulted in the system now in practical operation. Unhappily, Mr. Langden died before his inven tion got beyond the experimental lit?im Tlll?. V??o {Anta mora oarrtnA tn - '-O' ? " * *" ~ "- , - * ~ success by the engineering firms that had been building under his instruc tion. Thc road isa trifle o/er eight miles in length. Along five miles thc linc lies above tho Wupper Uiver, re maining three miles follow the coun try road to Vohwinkel. Tho company thus economized on thc heavy expense that usually confronts tue railroad builder when he has to buy up private land. The road cost $50 a foot to build, including stations, all ereotions j and equipment. Thc total cost was ! $2,400,000. j "Looking at a train from the street, i it seems to behanging bottom upward. : The wheels roll above, instead of bc I neath the cars, and the underside of j each looks much like thc top of au American day coach. The machiuery which we are accustomed to see bc j neath an electric oar is located upon j the top and and a remarkable fact is that tho wheels roll along a single rail, instead of two. "The capacity of the cars is For 60 passengers each, and the interiors are divided into first-class, second-class j and smoking compartments, lncan I descent lamps furnish illumination, while electric heaters warm the occu pants io winter. "Inside, the cars resemblo the ordi nary coach with the aisles in centre and plush-lined seats on either side. The passenger buys his ticket, hands it to the gatekeeper and steps from a platform level with tho oar. When the train starts it seems as if he were on a steamer getting underway, exoept that there is no clanging of gongs or jingling of bells. The rumbling and rattling common to travel on a steam railroad is absent. Thc feeling is as if ho were sailing through the -air, for beneath him tue houses, factories, people aud other objects appear to "ue moving silently, but rapidly backward. This is tho only indication that the train has started, except a slight swinging motion, which is increased when going arouud tho curves, of which t?he road has a number. Those troubled with dyspepsia aro liable to become 'seasick,' but they should be willing to suffer this incovenienoe on account of tho novelty of the ride. "In the operation of tho Langdon suspended railway, as it is termed, trains arc made np of tv.-o and of four cars. Along the road arc 18 stations. Thc trip from one terminus to another is made in less thau a half au hour, as an average- speed can be attained, including stops, of 18 miles an hour. The superstructure is made unusually heavy, as the system is double track, or, rather, doublo rail; consequently no 'head-end' collisions can occur. To avoid any othor accidents, an auto matic block system is in uso by whioh the motorman is notified whenever an other oar is within 500 feet in front of his car. As soon ss this distance is exceeded a signal is shown allowing him to go ahead full speed, if desired. In addition to this precaution, each oar is fitted with an Amcrioan air brake, also with an auxiliary electrio brake. "Some engineers who have examined thc road call it a 'mechanical mon strosity,' aud say another will never be built liko it. Others believe that it ?fters a solution of tho problem of rapid transit in largo cities, where Bpace is too valuable for building sur face railways. They argue that suoh I a lino built to operate 'up town' trains along one street and 'down-town' trains atong an adjaoent thoroughfare could bo operated without difficulty in tho hoart of New York or London at a safe speed of 50 or 76 ..?.iles au hour, depending merely upon tho size of the motors. The danger of a car becoming derailed is less where it is. suspended from one rail than when it is above the ordinary track. The danger of top heaviness is also entirely eliminated. Tho theory has also been advanoed that the Langdon system oould be applied to an ordinary ale ? - _ . j. . . . Y?v?u T?iiw?y, Gue uuo Ol traiub io DO operated on an ordinary traok by the third rail of trolley system and An other set below the traok, but sup ported by tho DNOJU. structure, using the Langdon system. So it is possi ble wo may yet see not only an upside down, but also a two-story mode of transportation in the world's great 4 citios."-./?. Allen Willey in Ainslee's. Decrease in Black Labor Black labor in the South is increas ing so slowly, according to the state ment of a Southern.planter, that it will soon be impossible to pick the crop of cotton whioh th? ?otton States arc now producing. The ' planter re ferred to is one of the Alexander bro thers, five of whom bail from North Carolina and who now have more th ,n 5,000 acres in Arkansas, about all of which has been producing the great Southern staple Mr. Alexander says that this will hold the nn? increasing acreage in check, the mills now being j- creased all through tho South will consume the product and these two facts induce hin? to predict better prices and a season of prosperity in cotton production. He cites thc won derful growth of tho cotton mill indus try within a radius of one hundred miles of Charlotte, N. C. Mr. Alexander says Chat in a very short time, according to h io ?u??rvs* tions, which have been extended, thcro will not be sufficient pickers to gather the crop. The cottou laborer is the black man aud member? of his family, and the increase of this char acter of population is no where near what it waa in former years. The number of children born to each man and wife is smaller and growing small er each year. There is not enough labor in tho South at this time to piok 12,000,000 bales, and tho pro duction is hovering near that figure. A short time ago something over ll, 000,000 bales were raised, but some of it rotted in tho field; there were not enough hands to pick it. A great deal of the white labor whioh in years back gathered cotton is going to the towns and tho acreage has been grow ing faster than thc labor to harvest the crop. Authorities on ootton in Arkansas say that the cotton crop io this State this year is materially better than last year. The yield is bettor and so is thc grade. The yield of lint cotton per acre there shows an inorease of 25 per cent as compared with last year, whiie the inorease for the entire Stat; will probably equal 10 per cent. As an evidence of an increased yield it may be strted that the receipts at Little Rook to date are 52,141 bale's, compared with 31,080 bales for the same period last year. Regarding the growth of the cotton mill industry in the South since 1890 it is claimed that with the same ratio of inorease for the coming decade New England will have 16,875,000spindles; the South will have 24,000,000 and all other parts of the country 1,700,000. With the same ratio of inorease in con sumption, we would then consume be tween 8,000,000 and 8,500,000 bales or 87 1-2 per cent of the total American crop of 1890-1900. Allowing 12 1-2 per cent of the orop as reserved stock to be held by the mills, the United States would consume and control its entire production. With this condi tion of things would como twofold benefits-first, tho ability to dictate the price of thc raw material; second, the absolute control of thc cotton goods trade of the world.-Chicago Record. The Mother's Favorite. Chamberlain's Cough Remedy is the mother's favorite. It is pleasant and safe for children to take aud always cures. It is intended especially for coughs, colds, croup and whooping cough, and is the best medicine made for these diseases. There is not tho least danger in giving it to children for it contains no opium or other in jurious drug, and map be given as con fidently to a baba as to an adult. For sale by Hill-Orr Drug Co. - If the women made the laws, they would hang a man who asked a woman if her baby had had the dis tCujpcr you. No External Symptoms, The blood may be in bad condition, yet with no external signs, no skin eruption or sores to indicate it. 'Tire Symptoms in such cases being a variable appetite, poor diger.tion, an indescribable weakness and nervousness, loss of. flesh and a general run-down condition of the System-clearly showing the blood has lost its nutritive qualities, hos become thin and watery. It is in just such cases that I S.S. S. has done some of its quickest and I most effective work by building up the blood and supplying the elements lacking to make it strong and vigorous. " My wife used sev eral bottles of S. S. S. as a blood purifier and to tone np a weak and emaciated system, w i th very marked effect by way of improvement. "We regard it a great tonic and blood pjorifier. ' '-J. F. DUFF, x-rinccion, Ho. S&tk ?te b the greatest of all Ok^mT* tonics, and T*? will L%k^^n^ lhc appetite im? proves at once, strength returns, and nervonstKxa vanishes aa new fi?h finm blood OOO S?3?e - ^tyclsiTS through all parts of the system. S. S. S. is the only purely vegetable blood purifier known. It contains no min erals whatever. Send for our free book on blood and akin diseases and write our physicians for any information or advice .wanted. No charge for medical advice, * TUE SWIFT SPECIFIC CO, ATLANTA, GA. ?Vegetable PrcpajaUonfor As ?iuiu?iui-g i?ieF??uahuB?K u?U ?ng ?veSioiaacas oMBovr?s of Promotes Digcstion.Ck-erfur uess and Rest.Con tains neilter Opium,Mor?>hine no: "Mineral. KOT KARC OTIC. /ImVjAm Sard Aa?eStmt ?. t?tmTisd SU{Kr A perfect Remedy for Constipa tion, Sour Stomach,Diarrhoea Worms .Convulsions .Feverish ness and Loss OF SLEEP. Facsimile Signature of NEW YORK._ A I bui <; ii I Kv. o? cl Jj DOS? S - J) % ? N IN EXACT COPY OF WRAPPER. gor Intenta and Children, j Th?' Kind ? You Have s Bears the Signature of In Ose For Over Thirty Years HE (^^^^ Better tban a Savings Bank y?^^^^^^ Is the sheet anchor of Life Insurance It offers the best protection for the family ^^^/?^^L * w^en death claims the husband andfuther. ^?^?^v A A policy in the ^?^??\^- Mm Mutual Beuefit -Life Ins. Co. :?WU1 give you a feeling of security that ?$I$NI? ?IISBPr ^?^^r'0;';' ! your family is provided for and safe from .gj^^PSE^!^r^^^ want? and the'premium is low.. i 'SyM?M^??00^M/L, 1 Le' ?8 insure you. M. ?81. MATTI80N, STATE AGENTS. Po spies' Bank Building, ANDERSON, B. C. D. S. VANDIVER. E. P. VANDIVBR. Vandiver Bros. Only ask a chance at your Fall bill Of SHOES, JEANS, SHEETING, CHECKS, PRINTS, Etc. _.ar?re ana splendid i:ns ot &t wholesale prices. We can and will sell you the best FLOUR made if yon wilt let UB. Your patronage is highly appreciated. Yours truly, VANDIVER BROS. HST P. S.-You don't know how we would appreciate au early settle ment of ev?ry account due us this month. V. B. Anderson is Up-to-Date, so are the D eon es Tbuy have opened up a large and weil^seieeted stock of Furniture, House Furnishings, And everything that belongs to that line of business. Mr. Ben. B. Bleckley and Mr. Noel B. Sharpe are the man agers, and will take pleasure in showing everybody their IMMENSE STOCK and CHEAP PBICES. Their stock was bought in car load lots and from the best factories for Cash? and they feel sure that the most fastidious can be pleased. Go to see them. They also have an elegant HS AHSE, and carry a full lino Caskets and Coffins. Biiist anci berry's. Remember when you go to ?et your Seed to get fresh ones. As this is our first year in the Seed business we have no seed carried over from hist year. Yours, F. B. DRAYTON & CO. Near the Post Office.