Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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WAR S'I Saved !1 This i- the story of a woman's cour age and what cam'' .1 it. fa the last year "f t!:?' war, Aber icon. Mi>s.. w:t^ entered by the h'cd irai soldiers under (?eneral Sturgis. Sturgis war- looking for 'ieocral For rest u^d the pretty and aristocratie little city of Aberdeen was in his way. The -oldie:- swarmed through the town. An officer led a few of them Into the suburbs. Ho was attracted by the beauty and homelike appear ance of the houses out there. "The Oak s' ' was the name of one of ' ihc handsomest of those homes. As ' Mi C&plctn entered the great gate and ..?.rircd into the circular drive, the t Mistress of The Oaks prepared to meet Lhc enemy. The officer mounted the ff&eps cad walked across the wide gal tlerf fee th* front door. The mistress - of The ?>akt> met him. "<*oed morning, sir," she said. ** ?rhat will you have?" Tbc o?cer walked in, looked about and '..hen turned his eyes upon 'Ci er. husband, madam?" ?*?W in?uircd. "Ke is in the rebel army," calmly oetydied the lady. Che officer bowed. Then he asked: " 'Have you any sous, madam?" "I havo four sons," was the reply. "'Where are they?" "They arc in the rebel army." The officer bowed again. Then he - .gave the brave woman a look of ad miration. "It seems that this is a rebel &ouse," he remarked. "Oh, yes," was the reply. "We -would not bo anything else; we are -proud of it. If I had a million rioon they would all bo in the rebel army." "Madam," said the Captain, "your Msxndor pleases me. Do you know that oiany of tho women down in this part of tho oountry tell us that they are for tho Union. In fact, they olaim ^.hat they are original I"niQ)a sympa thizers." "They arc afraid of yU,v t?is the tuiet roply. "They 1 Ope tO save their homes from ?pillage oj fanning your favor in that way." The officer smiled. "You do not -itcein to be afraid of us," he remarked. "I am not afraid of you," sho re plied, and her eyes met his unflinch ingly . "As jou came up the steps I saw that you were an officer. ?? a cule, officers are gentlemen. I am not ?fraid of gentlemen." The officer bowed low. Susi then a private soldier entered the hall. Tho lady and her guest wore in the drawing-room by this ttitse. "What are you doing in here?' soared the Captain. "You get out -and stay out!" Then, turning to the lady, he aaid : "I will put guards about your plaoe, and you will not be molested." He gavo orders to that effect and tsoon Tho Oaks was secure from the intrusion of marauders. Tho twelve Txcres which constituted that beautiful place was guarded by a squad of Un ion soldiers. Nothing was taken from Che place except au old saddle and bridle which had been carried off be fore the Captain gave his order. "Un cle Bob,'' the old family servant, had buried the silver in the vineyard when the news came that the "Yan kees were coming." The Captain returned to the parlor and said to the mistress of The Oaks: "Madam, where is Goaeral For rest?" "I have not the slightest idea," was the reply, "but I presume yen will Sad ihira soon enough. In fact, I t&iak he will aid you very materially in the search." Sho smiled as he c: gased at her. * "You think he will resent our pur * ?oit -of htm?" asked the Captain. **YovPiuDDW we outnumber him." VY?s," TOfJied the lady, "but 'Qonts&l ''-Forrest is not used to being whipped. IBesides, this is Forrest's country, ar.-S.'he will take care of it. ?>o not be alarmc.dl- You will find him soon enough." This prophecy was a true one. A - few -miles from Aberdeen, at Brice'a " ?coss TOV&8, Sturgis encountered an ' unexpected obstruction. It was Gen. Forrest and his men. *More than 40 years have passed -since that morning. It may not be ?miss to quote the words of a Con federate soldier who fought under Porrest. James Dinkins has written bis "Recollections of an old Johnnie," ?ad hf describes?tke meeting of Stur mis and Forrest, y j "General Sturgis," writes. Mr. I) /Dinkins, "stated to a lady at whose . ' house u-car Salem ho remained all anight on his down trip, that he was v,:4^rfter Forrest this time, and if he'would < iv I I orne. j stand h), and givca chance, and ne I run away, ho wuuhJ destroy his com? Inland and bring Forrest back a pris oner. Tin lady replied. "Look out. lie may m ad you hack run nine.' "The General laughed and said: 'No danger, and do not he surprised if I stop on my return with Forrest a prisoner." "The proud and confident General moved his army forward in military order, with everything in proper trim. He knew he had three times as many men us Forrest, aod he also had a splendid artillery battalion. "General Forrest struck Sturgis un awares. He rushed at his column and whipped him before he could gather his forces. Our old ragged boys were feeling good that summer moruing." 'The news of the defect reached Salem before General Sturgis did, and tbe lady was standing at the gate to sec if he had General Forrest. When he left her, his uniform was bright and new, but when ho returned he was covered with mud. His horse was exhausted, and both presented the appearance of defeat and disaster. The lady asked: " 'General, did you find Gen. For rest?' " 'No,' Gen. Sturgis replied, 'but he found me!' " The Aberdeen lady's prophecy to the gallant Captain was not an idle boast. A IIEKO WHO WAS Ml HDEHEl). Shooting of James Miller by Sherman's Army. To the Editor of The Sunday News: I have read with interest the articles of Mr. Ford and others in recent is sues of The Sunday News, in reference to the shooting of James Miller by Sherman's army, in March, 18ti5, in retaliation for the killing of a Federal soldier by supposed bush whackers. Mr. Miller lived near Jef ferson, in Chesterfield County, S. C, and I knew his brother, the late Maj. John S. Miller, and many of his neighbors and friends, among them some of those who participated with him 'in the easting of lots. Some years ago a nowspaper was planed in my hands by a son-in-law of James Miller, in which was an account of the shooting of Mr. Miller, purporting to have been written by an officer connected with the affair and present at his death. I have forgotten the name of the officer, and of the news paper, which I think was published ia Lancaster or Chesterfield, -S. C, and reproduced the artiole from a Western paper. This paper was in my portfolio, whioh was mislaid, lost or stolen about two years ago. EXCUSE FOR MILLER'S MURDER. I) is stated that tho dead body of a Federal soldier, belonging to a West ern cavalry regiment, I think from Michigan, was found where he had evidently been murdered by bush whaokers, that the Federal commander had determined to resort to retaliation to prevent such killings, and General Francis P. Blair, who commanded the 17th army corps, issued orders for the casting of lots for one man to be put to death for the killing of the cavalry man aforesaid. My informants did not know all who participated in the casting of lota, but among them were Mr. B. lt. Glanton now living in Chesterfield County, Mr. Robert Griffith and others who knew James Miller. I have talked with sad corresponded with othei about the oruel tragedy, and from them aod the account by the Federal offioer before mentioned my informs* tion was obtained. DRAWING LOTS TO DIB. One or more of the participants said it oame as a great surprise to all who were made to oast lots, r>ud one of them deolared that he never before or after found it suoh a task to stretch forth his right hand to draw a little piece of paper ont of a hat. James Miller drew tha fatal lot. He was a man between forty-five and fifty ye?rs of age and had been oaptured a day or two before some distance west of Che raw, while on his way home on fur lough from Florence, S. ?., where he had been engaged in guarding prison ers. He protested that, while he sympathized with his State in her struggle, and had given of his means for the support of the Cause, he was over age for aotive service, and had not fired a gun in the war. But he was told that the order was imperative. Ho begged to be allowed to aotnmuni catc wi?h his wife and children, but this privilege was denied him. IJo then asked to confer with such of his neighbors and friends ns were captives with hini-elf. To those he j/;vve di rcclious for Iiis wife, asking that she Le toM that he wa.- not coming home, ami advising lier about his f^rm and about the ehildp-u, just as if he wore goiug off on a journey to be abscut for a time Mil.I.Kit's I a-l It K'lV KSTS. He ilif'n made some requests of those who wen about to shoot him. He asked, in the lir.-t place, that he be ii"t bound either hand or foot, say ing he wa- not going to run, that be was prepared, and not afraid to die. He then asked that he be not blind folded, Haying lie wished to look into the eyes of those- who were to shoot him. And lastly, he begged that he be not shot in the face, declaring that (Jod had given him his faee, and that I in all his life he had never done any thing of which he was ashamed. His last wishes were respected. He was marched on a short distance, the fir ing squad drawn up, the guns dis charged as one and James Miller lay dead, as much a hero as if he had died at the cannon's mouth at Gettysburg, in the charge at Snodgrass Hill at I Chickamauga, or at the bloody angle ' at Spottsylvania. "Don't shoot me in the face, for God gave me that, and in all my life I have done nothing to bo ashamed of." What a sentiment, what a model! MlLLEtt*8 HUMBLE (IRAVE. At Five Forks' Methodist Church, in Chesterfield County, on the road from Lancaster to Chesterfield Court I House, and half way between the two, is the little mound that marks the last resting place of James Miller. I have passed there a few times, but never without dismounting and going softly with uncovered head to the spot and recalling the manner and cause of his death. Chesterfield County has produced some of the great men of South Carolina, but she never gave birth to a purer patriot or more unos tentatiously brave man than James Miller. HCW A NEURO H ERVE D IIIS MASTER. But the Federal oavalryman, for whose killing Mr. Miller was shot, wub not killed by a Confederate or bush whacker at all. Mr. Gilliam Sowell, of Kershaw County, owned a negro man named Ephraim, and entrusted him to hide his horses and mules from the- enemy while Sherman's army was passing and he was found in Lynches Creek Swamp by a soldier, who seized them and made the negro go with him. After they had gone some distance the sun came out, the first time in quite awhile, the trooper said he was very tired and sleepy and suggested that be would lie down and take a nap, if the negro would keep watch for him, and arouse him if any one approached. He was soon asleep, and Ephraim, not relishing that manner of appropriating his master's property proceeded to repossess it by killing the trooper with a lightwood knot. He carried his master's horses and mules, as well as the soldier's horse, back into the swamp, and they were all rescued. Mr. Soweli, Ephraim's owner, was the father cf Mr. James M. Sowell, the well kc ?wn supervisor of Kershaw County. PATH OP THE AMERICAN ATI I.I, A . Sherman's march from Savannah to Raleigh, and especially through South Carolina, was a belt of absolute deso lation, forty miles wide, where black ened ruins and lone chimneys stood as silent witnesses to show where per.ee and plenty and happy homes had been. The inherent grit and self reliance of the Southern character have reclaimed the desolate fields and largely made them blossom as the rose. The chimneys and blackened ruins may be forgotten by those who are to come after us, but the heroic death of James Miller and of others who perished in the spring of 1865, will be remembered. Wm. D. Trantham. Camdon, S. C, June 1, 1905. Congressman's Joke. "A negro naturally loves a water melon," said Representative Johnson, of South Carolina, while spooking of the melon and peaoh orop, says the Washington Star. ? 'Strange, too, that when a policeman sees a negro with a melon at an unseasonable honr he has it right down that thai eoon has stolen the melon. I heard a story about a policeman who met a eoon in the early morning hours, and he had a big melon on his shoulder. The cop eyed tho burr head and the melon and said: "I see yon have a melon there." "Yes, sah," answered the darkey. "I'so got er melon, bat I'se fixed fer you, sah," and, pulling out a paper, he handed it to the officer, who read: "The bear of the G? A?. He paid me ten cents for the melon, and he is a pillar in tho church. James Elder." " 'You aro fixed,' said the office/. " 'Dat's what I.'lowed/ answered the negro, and he moved on." ? The onls defence that any creed ! needs is the right kind of chancierbe hind ?. ? \ - Don't he a misfortune 'teller. Kon Jap (?uoners ISecume Expert. The secret of the remarkable gun- , nery of the Japanese Navy was re- J vealcd yesterday by a retired oflicer of } the I'nited .States Navy, says the New j York Times. In all of the hotels and ; public resorts where the great victory ! of Admiral Togo was discussed by I groups almost invariably some one i propounded the inquiry: How was it possible for the Japanese to sink such a fleet as the Russians had with a loss to themselves proportionally so small? It was in response to such a query that the retired oflicer of the I'nited ! States Navy, who took part in such a j discussion at the Hoffman House, gave the following interesting expia- j nation : "If the Japanese are not at the present time the most accurate and deadly gunners in the world it is due to the fact that of late the Americans and English have adopted a scheme of target practice which was originated by the Japanese. One day about two years ago a Chinese Admiral reoeived the American and English Command ers on the Asiatic station aboard his ship for a friendly visit. The Chinese commander mentioned that he had observed Japanese war vessels using new tactics. He said that twine he had passed Japanese war ships when the men were being put through drills which had mystified him. Ho had noticed that they went through all the motions of gun crews when about to discharge one of the big guns in tar get practice, but instead of the big gun being discharged there was a re port which did not sound any louder than a rifle. He nuked the English and American commanders if they oould enlighten him as to what the new tactics of the Japanese were. They were unable to give him any in formation on the subjeot. "Both the English and the Ameri can commanders decided that 'hey would take the first opportunity of finding out the nature of the perfor mance whioh the Chinese Admiral had witnessed. "Through persistent and cautious inquiry they usraveled the mystery. They learned that on every one of the large calibre guns on the Japanese battleships and cruisers there had been placed a miniature gun. For hours at a time, day after day, the Japanese would engage in target prac tice with these miniature guns. "They would shoot at a target whioh would be placed at distances whioh would be in the same proportion to the carrying power of the miniature gun as one, two, three, four or five miles, we will say, would be to the big gun. The gun orew would go through exaotly the same drill prepar atory to discharging the miniature I V/.UJU.? guu as it would if the big guu of s which the .soiall gun was the counter* i part was to he tired. J "The coat of such target practice j '. *as trifling as compared with the cost j 1 of rsing the big gun, and so expense put no limit to the number of shots that could he fired. The gunners would shoot the small gun on the dip and ri.^c of the vessel, when she list- I cd, in heavy and calm seas, until they 1j became so expert that their percentage I was phenomenal. ' Both the American and the Eng lish commanders were very much im pressed yvith the Japanese idea, and the English commande.- wrote to the Admiralty and the American to the Navy Department to got permission to try the Japanese plan. The English commander got the desired permission, hut it was refused to the American commander. Re was told that in the opinion of the Navy Department it would be better to have the men prao- I tice with the big guns. He would not be stinted in ammunition for all of the target practice which he thought it neoesaary for his orew to have, he was told. "Some months later the American officer was either reoalled or came home on a furlough. One of his first aots was to go to the Navy Department to urge those in charge to reoonsider their deoision not to permit the adop tion of the Japanese plan of target practice. He dwelt enthusiastically on the advantages of the plan, as he saw them. The saving of ammunition, he said, was not the thing that ap pealed to him at all. The great con sideration, he argued, was that the ability to fire the minature gun so much of tener than it was possible to discharge the big gun was bound to mske the gunners more accurate marksmen. Failing to convince the Ordnance department, he went to the Secretary of the Navy. His arguments to that officiai were equally ineffect ual. "Leaving the department discourag ed, the officer said: 'I'll be hanged if I don't go direct to Theodore Roobo velt.' He did so. The Pres ident listened to him with the great est interest. " 'We must try that,' he said. 'How would you like to try that on the Kentucky?' " ' 'The officer said he would be pleased to do so. He was given the authority. A miniature of one of the Kentucky's big guns was made and set up, and a gun orew assigned to it. After three weeks of drill that orew had increased its percentage of hits with the big gun over 20 per oent. The plan of the Japanese had been fully justified. It is now in use on other ships of our navy. "It was tffe deadly accuracy they icuuired by constant uee of their niniature guns which enabled the lapanese to use their big guns against ttojestvensky with Buch terrible ef fect." For Rattler's Poison. Supt. B. T. Daniel, of tho Territor ial prison, who has been in the city for the last three days, says the Ari zona Republican, told while hure of a certain cure for the bite of tho rattle snake. lie had heard of it vruile he had been engaged in mining in Mexico, and since he became superintendent of the prison he has seen two or three Mexican convicts who had been cured and who had been bitten. On the hand of one of them was the trace of a centipede, whose pciaon also yields to the remedy. Its existence, how ever, is not widely known, even in Mexico, and is supposed to be entirely unknown out of that country. There is in every rattlesnake a small sac, about the size of a Mexican bean, attached to the intestines. This is filled with s brownish or blaok fluid, and that fluid is the cure for the bite. If it is applied immediately the pati ent will not even suffer any swelling and will entirely avoid pain. Many Mexicans carry the fluid with them at all times when they are in the mountains or cn the desert. These Mexicans kill all the rattlers they can find, and most of them store the fluid in a bottle made of a rifle cartridge shell which is tightly oorked. In anatomical descriptions of the rattler no mention is made of this particular sac, though air sacs are numerous in the intestines of all mem bers of the snake family. But there is no doubt of ihe existenoe of it, for Mr. Daniel said he had seen Mexicans remove it frequently. It may be that this fluid is the se cret of the Moki Indians, and accounts for the immunity that they enjoy from j the poison of the rattler. Those who have attended their annual snake danoeB and have seen dancers bitten have wondered that the bites were not fatal. At any rate the secret of the immu nity is one of the most carefully guarded secrets of the rites of the Mok'iB and is kept within a select order of the priesthood. Dr. J. Mil ier for years annually attended these dances and made a study of the cere monies. The Indians formally adopt ed him not only into the tribe but ad vanced him at the priesthood. The doctor wanted chiefly to learn the se cret of the poison antidote, and he was told year af*c; year that he would be put in possession of the secret. Bnt he died without it. 9' Widower's Worry. A Kausas man who reoently passed through Georgia and rtopped for a day in the mountainous sections brought this story home with him, says the Kansas City Journal. "Several years ago there was a long dry spell in Georgia. About the be ginning of it the wife of one of the mountaineers died. The disconsolate husband followed her to the grave, and was the la-it to leave the burying ground. His fuot piiuts remained, large and distinct, in the day beside the grave. Sis weeks afterward my friend drove out to see how the widow er was doing. He was found sitting in the door of his cabin staring hope lessly at the cloudless sky. " 'Ef hit would only turn in an* rain,' he said, 'I would ask nothin' of nobody.' " 'The dry weather is bad for tho crops,' the visitor remarked. " 'Tain't crops,' said the widower, 'hit's Miss Seliny Johnson. She swears she won't marry me till it rains.' " 'Why not?' the visitor was asked. " 'She 'lows it wouldn't be showin' proper respect for my first wife to marry before my tracks in the grave yard is washed out. I shore do wish it would turn in an' rain. I been courtin her six weeks. Good Lord, a man kaiu't wait On the weather for ever.' " Easily Managed. A famou? lawyer onco had a singu? lar oase to settle. A dootor oame to him in great distress. Two sisters living in the same bouse had babies of equal age who so resembled eaoh oth er that their own mothers were unablo to distinguish them when they wero together, and it happened that by tho carelessness of nurses the children ! had beoome mixed. How were the I mothers to make sure that they re ceived back their own infants? "But, perhaps," suggested the law yer, "the children weren't changed at all." "Oh, but there's no doubt they were changed!" said the dootor. "Are you sure of it?" "Perfectly." "Well, if that's so, why don't you change them baok again? I don't see any diffculty in the case." ? Keeping others from making money seems to give some people as muoh pleasure as making it them selves. ? When a girl has pretty teeth it is a sign she will let everybody sea them. ? He who makes friends makes fortune. ^RD^er Mark e Common packers and wafers?fingered from the time they leave the bakery until you get them in a paper bag or the Biscuit, Crackers and Wafers baked by the NATIONAL BISCUIT COMPANY and packed in a pack age with all their oven flavor, delicious freshness and high quality? Which foill YOWrh?lm?\ If you want to answer this question onceanSTor all, try a package of either of the threedelights mentioned below: iiii Social Te* Biscuit Just the thing to offer with a afteraooa cup o f tea?or chocolate ?or coffee. In fact, they're good to tit most en y time Just for: the pleasure of it. Sweet and slightly flavored with vaulU*. Butter Thin Biscuit A eriap. light, dessert bis c?i??, rich ood satisfying, ' served a* something out of ; the ordinary. If you really want a biscuit that's partic ularly nice, try a package. Graham Crackers So dif^rcnt from ??e otdl* nary Graham Cracker*? ?l?r.ecut la baking?differ., col is fiavor?dlflarent in packing. Mora palatable ?More satisfying?more nutritious. Wcdte of the purest Graham ?out end . baked la a manner thai } only the National Biacoit l Company know*, Ever after you will be guided by the In-er-seat Trade Mark in red and white, on. each end of a package, whenever ?g^? wherever you buy Biscuit, Crackers^ and Hoofers, NATIONAL BISCUIT COMPANY r.