Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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BY CLINKSCALES & LANGSTON. ANDERSON, S. C., WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13.1908. VOLUME Xiii-NO. 52 WAR SI Hanks Thi Since thc last rennion many of thc veterans have answered the last roll call, and they will bc greatly missed. Their places cannot bc filled by sub stitutes, even though their sons rep resent them and cherish and venerate thc memories of the lamented dead. These valiant men of the sixties arc rapidly passing from among those who are dear to them, and each re union tells of voices that are silent; it tells of names on the roll which will never be answered on this earth again; it tells of courageous sons of the South who escaped the pestilence of war and tho deadly bullet, and re sponding to thc inevitable fate which awaits all mankind. The sons of these true, brave men are taking their pisos in a measure, but they oan nev er be as close to the hearts of the peo ple and the land as the old veterans themselves. The object of these re? unions is not to villify the North and oensure harshly those who were ene mies of the South at Gettysburg, thc Wilderness, Ghiokamauga, Franklin, Bentonville, Appomattox and on thc countless other fields of battle. A brave man honors courage and ad miroB the valiant even those thes< exalted traits of manliness ma.; be brought against him to bring abou his own destruction. Tho Southeri soldiers fought for a principle involv ing their very existence and the pro teetion of their firesides, but when th end came on April 9, 1866, and Le surrendered bis 9,000 half starve? and tattered little army, strong am resolute manhood asserted itself am these veterans of seores of batt! fields accepted the inevitable am turned their faces homeward with resolve to gather up the remains an? the ashes of desolated homes and be gin lifo anew under the folds of on flag, pledging themselves to protect i with their honor and their livee They have kept the faith, and noi there is a united country tho greatest and best the world ba ever seen.-N. O. Item, April 25 1906. How Confederates Treated a f ederal. (By W. C. Brown, Winchester. Ind. I was a member of the Ninety-Thin rAgiment of the Ohio volunteer io fanty. In the battle of Chiokamanga just at dark on Saturday, the 19th o September, 1863, my leg was brokei by a musket ball sent out by the John nies in pur front. This occurred ii the woods about a half mile to th west of Jay's Mill, and we were fellini back at the time. Soon after ou lines had fallen back, the Con fe der ates established their pickets for th< night. A squad (five, if I remembe correctly) were passing to the fron about fifty yards from where I hat fallen. I called to them. The] halted, and asked wno I was and wha I wanted. I replied that I was t wounded federal soldier, and wantec to be. helped into an easier position as I was suffering from a broken leg They came to me promptly and assist ed me as gently as if I had been ont of their own men or a brother, to c large tree where I could be protectec from the fire of our own men, first taking off my woolen blanket ant] spreading it down for me to lie on, plaoiog my cartridge box under m j head for a pillow and spreading ms oiloloth over me. The tenderness with which they had lifted mo touohed me, and I said; "Boys, an hour or two ago we wer? engaged ir shooting eaoh other, and now you are treating me with thc greatest kindness. I hardly know how to thank you for it, in return.'1 They only replied, "Well, old fellow, we are only doing to you as we. would like to be done by. It may come om turn nest," and they passed on to the front picket line for the night, I was suffering so at the time that I did not notice all of the little details con? neoted with this visit of the John nies that night; but the next morn ing, when I awoke from a half fever ish, dreamy sleep, I found that ona of them had spread half of a home-made calico quilt over me, saying nothing about Iii and doubtless keeping tba other half to shelter him in his night long Wetob;-; oa*f pioket t>0st. Wai there over a more beautiful type of obi valry ot Christian charity than !*!?* ? This !**!&tit grows brighter toma aa tbs yeara go by. God biala Trbeys, whereves yos *s*?. kn ? / j would love to have you for my neigh bors. My command waa the Ninety-Thi^d Ohio infantry, MeGook'a corps,Vbtii at that time attached to Thom a?** [ corps, ou, our left' (your right.) -; The [Confederates neat our part Of tl ?ofClearbOurus^divUi ?A^areTth?^veoid, *hf*fi 1 igM?i^m??^^^^M ORIES. inning Out. Arkansas, Ti.ird and Fifth Confeder ate, and Calvert's Arkansas battery. I was kopi prisoner of war most of the time p.t Atlanta, Ga., and on the 17th of February, ldG4, was included in a special exchange of prisoners (twenty eight Yanks for twenty-eight John nies,) all badly wounded. I would be glad to hear from some of the boy6 who treated mc BO kindly on thc occa sion referred to. Conditions of Our Army Near the Close. That terrible all day's battle, em phasized as "the last battle of the war," at West Point, Ga., under oom? mand of Gen. R. C. Tyler, who waB killed that day, will be recalled in oonneotion with the following letter to Maj. W. J. Slatter: "In Bivouac near Augusta, Feb? ruary, 1865. "My Pear Slatter: Seated by a bivouac fire in the piny woods of South Carolina, the blaok smoke from a thousand lightwood fires ascending, the cold, bleak winds blowing heavily from the northwest, the dcviaion (which I now am commanding, Bate's] being inspeoted by brigade inspectior t commanders, are my surroundings, i The army of Tennessee extends be . tween here and Charleston, and et . route tc this and other points then e has been some sk: -uishiog at severa e points recently; .results indefinit? 1 generally. Wheeler fought th< i Twentieth Yankee corpa and som< i oavalry on Saturday and Sunday, re e pulsing them handsomely on bott ? days. The fight was some fifteei a miles from Augusta. I do not havi d any idea how long this (Cheatbam's - corps will be held here. Tho health e of the troops is good; they need rest t very much; discipline lax; reorganiza i. tion wanted. System required, a nev rr vigor instilled, which nothing bu , reBt and discipline can impart. Ye s the old army of Tennessee is a grant ?, organization; am proud to be a membe of it, humble as I- may be. It is bom posed principally of veteran troops battle-scarred heroes, bronze-visaged sturddy-sioewed, ir??-willcu, br_7? and self-sacrificing. They are a nobb band. It will be glory enough whet peace shall onoe again smile upon ni a,;.K ?lt VA. kl-?.*_.. mA tn tal rtmmmm ?... s.w. vlVIUHg .V. rnrnm** ww - my friends that in this revolution 1 was one of that army. You have doubtless heard much ol certain brigades and divisions, o? th? part performed by them in the reoent campaign into Tennessee, of tb? bravery of this or bad ooud"ct ol that, Many reflections have beet oast on -> Division, feat ?rosa all ac coasts I am eonet:eined to the belie! that his division did as well as could ?.?onn?yn V.* a*na.t.J US?ST thc C.? curds tances. In my own brigade, the Tennessee consolidated regimeni, numbering slout threo hundred and fifty rieh, one hundred and eighty threo were oaptuud while in line o? bs.tle (in fi ont of Nashville) before they would'retreat. "The propriety of taking the negro as soldiers is being discussed more or I IOBB by the army; have not yet heard t as yet sufficiently to form an opinion I as to whether it he popular with the army, but am sure that some promi nent officers who were bitterly oppos ed to it eighteen monthB y since are now advocates for the plan. One thing is certain, our army mast be inoreased, the skulkers and deserters must be returned, and every exertion made hy those who cannot o o mo to send them forward. "My health continues good. Am suffering considerably from my limb, but am k hopes will be able io endure. How are ail the good people of Troup? My heart warms when I think of the many kindnesses received at their hands, and hope the ?day is not far distant when I may bo permitted to visit them once again. My .kindest wishes to ml). Tender to your good lady my salutations, and believe me very truly, '/ v ' .....*. ; R,,C. Tyler," ' -?. ' . Vi4f.-twr;i ., ; uftfo . . Csa^erate Sharpshooter. A pathetic incident of Memorial day iriU .(w thej decoration of rn siegte ghxo on t?-tf h??^o7pm ot F, P. Blair, Sr., JGB? boyond Fort Stephens, This lonely grave is thai of aa un known Confederate Bharpshoote?, ihp l*?% ?aas ?? ?fAy to fall daring Gun.. Jubal Ear?>i ?vano?; upon Wash ington by tr. portion of the Army of Northern Virginia ou July 10, i^. : v GeneralIftifrljv fifa ?oiarcW, ty??usiy-tfcr?^ _ -_ ---.v~^^r-rwj?g>^E IM?Woos on the northero outskirts #-WasMngto%^ ' unteers, District of Columbia Volun- l tecrs, Colonel Alexander; tho Ninth , regiment, Veteran roserT corps, also Captain Gibb's Ohio battery and Capt. Bradbury's Maine battery, with a force of government clerks who were armed for the protection of the city of Washington. These two foroes of blue and gray confronted eaob other at first on tho Piney Branch, midway between Wash iogton and Fort Stephens. Ewell's old corps encamped on the farm of F. P. Blair, Sr. The battlo that followed and the assault on Kort Stevens is a matter of history. It is well known that Presi dent Lincoln ?stood upon tho ramparts of Port Stephens until he was ordered back by the cry of the Union soldiers, "Lincoln to thc rear! Lincoln to the rear!'' j When thc famous Sixth army corps appeared on the scene Karly began his retreat on the night of July 12 and the morning of July 13. The rear of his retreating army was proteoted by I a oloud of Confederate sharpshooters, I most Mississippians, They dodged J from bush to bush and tree to tree I and fired with nnoering aim into the I advancing columns of blue, j The last of thsse sharpshooters to I lose his life during that fsmous epi I sode in history was a boyish Missis j sippian, who had clambered into a I greet tree near the famous Blair man , 1 sion, and was picking off the Union 1 j officers. He remained too long en I gaged in his game of death and a yoi I ley from one of the advancing Union r I companies brought him to the award. , I His body remained there until the II echoes of battle had died away in the . ! distance. Then it was that the re , I mains of this fair-haired Mississippi . I boy were discovered by members of ' 11 the Blair family. There wa9 nothing j j j about him to indicate his name or j 11 place of residenoe. i j He was buried by tender bauds bc j j neath the tree which had been his i j covert retreat while protecting the . I rear of his commander's army. There i I is not the remotest trace of his sase i j or from whence he came, except in a i I general way that he was a MiBsissip ) j pian, and perhaps for long years this i I unknown soldier in gray has been t I mourned by loving mother, father, and - j relatives, who do not know upon r I what battlefield of the South ho per 11 ished. 11 The lonely grave on the outskirts 11 of Washington has not, however, been r I forgotten by loving hands. -1 A little monument of white marble , j marks the last resting plaoe of this , j boy sharpshooter of the Southland, 5 ! and cn every recurring Memorial day ? j garlands of beautiful flowers are 11 placed upon the mound by tbe mom*, s j bera of one of the most distinguish* 11 ed families of the State of Mary. [ I land. Today members of the Gonfeder&te I sooiety of Washington will add their ) tribute to the unknown marksmau, in t common with the grand family.which j has provided him with snob a piotur* F esque resting plaoe and sttoh a beau i tifttl tribute in marble.-Washington . Post, Ma-f 30. ' ..- g : :. | The Battle of Kino'? Mountain, In the straggle for our Amerloan independence of Great Britain there was no darker period than the sommer and fail of tne year 1780. It was a season of disaster and gloom, of otter weariness and depres sion. . After more than fou? years of bard fighting the hope of victory , seemed lesa than ever. The British arms had triumphed in South Carolina and Georgia and.tne prospects for the independence of the colonies loofesd slim indeed. " :. There was no strong general Gov? eminent. Where such Government shct?d have boen them was a some thing that leemod to work nothing but chaos and confusion. ...\v The finances were ia a deplorable state. "Not wortha ron ti nen tal," was the way tho patriots expressed the utter worthlessness of tbe'monoy of Congress". The army was small, ill fed; poorly armed and clothed, aaa4 wi se heads .knew perfectly well that of mah bad ly equipped and dispirited instru ments great reBults were, not in tho nature of things to bo expected. ''.We have tbs Aserio an s at our f eetl"., pi jd Itoraee Walpole.) m?p?i courtier? about the throne; and even old King George was seen to chuckle ?i'bas-:?Varo'^ lhe: 'desp?rimili^ to whieb ." tbs . Ame???naiwa?S?'" dooedl ?.; SM^m Bight on tho baok of tba *|topt**? depression ?ame tba defs-effl^MaM trsaoberyof Benedict.?)Ar??&,'t?a^ made the ?*0ple feelthat:<ej?? ?keir high officers were, not ^.st^pi^ t?^'^t'Waahingtoa aside, ^tft?| nb ons in wtiom they *ouId place im-1 ^^^tarribls ??pg]?att?l? of King's mountain. Cot3*W??PT hia ***** . ?V?r$a^ eys3 iowsrd North Carolina, BoU ?ifl?:; ?nt? - ;?w"??jw> w*sw? \T??q.' ?v^* ~ main away* ?0 ff? ? lifted ll""*"w"'*"M''*M"^M'"1",'',''l*^M,,a*?M'"?MWM??a?M??WMCT North Carolina border when be found e DUI that his march through the Tar e Heel State was going to be anything but a pionio. ? The news of the British invasion i spread far and wide and the patriotic backwoodsmen began to aesemblo from every point of the o om pas B. From Virginia, from Tennessee, from Norh Carolina, the farmers, hunters and trappers gathered to har rass the lieutenant of the hated Cornwallis. Fretty soon Ferguson made up his, mind that ho would be mighty lucky if he got back to Cornwallis alive. Hard pressed by the patriots, wfco, without order or suggestion from any source, had gathered for tho fight. (Ferguson threw his force upon the top of King'B Mountain, a ridge about half a mile long, approached on three sides by rising ground, the other be ing an unbroken precipice, too steep for assent. Finding himself fairly fixed upon this mountain stronghold, the British commander cried out in-great glee to his men, "Boys! there ain't enough rebels outside of hell to drive us from this place." In the meantime the rebels were preparing to do what he said thej oould not do. It was about 3 o'elook of she after nooo of October 7, 1780., when th* ?mciiG??D reaohed the ravine belo? the mountain. Tying their horsei and dividing their force of one thone andmen into three equal parto,they he gan ascending the three sides of th j mountain simultaneously. There was no shouting or yelling It was a quiet, resolute, determine band that was marching up thoE rooky slopeB. . They were there nt to make a great noise, but to ki Britishers-as voon as they oh oui get the sight of them. And presently they did get sigl of them-and the rifles of the pa tri' hunters and farmers seldom oraok( in vain. The British charged again ai again, but the backwoodsmen took the trunks of the trees until the en my's ranks were broken by the ir reg lari ties of the ground wh^n they wou begin picking them off again. Fired on from all sides, by m who seldom fired amiss, their lead killed, their discipline of no av against thc strange tactics of t rebels, the British hoisted the wh flag. Of the British 389 were killed wounded and the remaining 716 s rendered, with. 1,500 stand of arms The American loss was only killed sud 60 wounded. This battle, for whioh fco o lit mention is made in our histories, i the beginning of the ead -of the Bi isa ?als?ale ?n America. It inspired patriota everywhere w the spirit of confidence ead paved , way for tho series of victories, t led to the crowning triumph at Yo town. ;!'/ v"'; . - The whole nation abould join building a mighty monument upon granito summit of the Carolina mo tains, for there, QD that bro we 9< ber dny, ono hundred sod tfim$ years "??o7 the Southern fara won the victory without whioh United States might never have isteft ? ? ? ? _ ' . ; Last of Th? Buffaloes. Sino? the beginning of tbai wide-spread movement to preserve buffalo ead. particularly oioco the gaaizatioa of tho American Bison eioty, it is intereuting to aonsider discovery of tho animal, its life tory and methods of exterminai Although authorities differ on i subject, the buffalo was probably 1 ;Seen ? by white men in '] Anahaue, Asteo capital of Mexico, ia ll when Cortes and his mea paid t first visi? to tho me&ageri?; )t m Monteauma. Nino years later animal was first seen in a wild stat Southern Texas by '?% sbipwret Spanish Bailor, who had very Hui say about it beyond remarking tba had oaten the flesh, , ,whighj in judgment, was >iiner and sweeter t tho meat to be had in Spain. ;s;/t?e1^ Crossed Arizona and Kew Mexico i^?;^ihera^ par j t^: J ronado's mau that the.??sfc piltt description c^ the buffalo ?re give f'fn$% ^??j^n^oes.; tpeirajft this time T,O one know?, and pro* shoresLbLtbe 'Oreat SUver ^ tou?hifiit ?he ^nt?e^o?ti otf ?st^dvaoroaathelloeliy &od* er lain times, notably io the breeding esson, the animals gathered in count loss thousands, darkening the earth .s far as the eye could reach, when it rest, and when in motion filling the ?ir with dust and villi the thunder lotos of their galloping hoofs. Even is late as 1871-less than thirty-five pears ago-this animal was present in this country in numbers almost beyond belief, r A faint idea of the vast hordes which made the prairie tremble be neath their tread at thai time may be had from an account gives us by Gol. R. I. Dodge in his "Plains of tho Great West." "In May, 1871," ho says, "I drove in a light wagon from old Fort Zara to Fort Lamed, on the Arkansas, 31 milos. At least 25 miles of tho dis tance was through an immense nord, composed of countless smaller herds of buffalo thou on their journey north. The road ran along the broad level 'botton' or Talley of the river. "The whole, country appeared one great mass of buffalo, moving slowly to the northward; and it was only whoa actually among them that it could be ascertained that the appar ent solid mass was au agglomeration of innumerable email herds of from 50 to 200 animals, separated from tho surrounding herds by greater or leas apace, bot still separated." It is conservatively estimated that Gol. Dodge saw at least 500,000 buf fo! o OB, and tho GO but a frsotion of & great herd of at least 4,000,000, an array greater in pumber than ?ll the men, women and ohildren of greater New York put together. The Indians' of some of the tribes used to think that the buffaloes issued from the earth iu a never failing stream, and indeed it might readily seem difficult j to account for euoh numbers in any other way, Is it any wonder that many men believed that it was quite impossible to exterminate the bison? Tot in the short space of a dozen I years from* tho date on which Coi. Dodge passed through that herd of 4,000,000, the buffalo had oeased to exist as wild animals , in this conn- m try. J, The buffalo was gregarious in Hi sf habits, and at a oertain season tho herds were larger and more compact than at others. Especially was this true of the breeding season, whioh > came chiefly in July and August; then YJiBt hordes gathered on the plains, whioh were the scenes of -the greatest activity for ssveral weeks, daring whioh the roaring of the . bulls was continuons, and could be. heard for miles. There was siso much fighting it.?? Uni!* . At***. V.rr.fiwir.r ouiuuQ suv arie.ftw. <ft*s.?VA UUU OIUOUIIIJ season the herds beeame leas densely mossed. The compact herds dissolv ed into groupa of from twenty to a hnndrad or twOg ?ad the nsnal pasco* ful life-was resumed. There ia no doubt - that buffaloes were migratory, but their migrations were probably net nearly so extensive aa many'people have supposed. In their ordinary wanderings, buffaloes frequently traveledfar M?f Um ; water, but ap they beoamo thirsty the herd woiiloV start in ? Beeron of aome ep???g ot W?Wr course. ? The prinoi f?? Ittiii usually lilfftM u?tu and south, afl? eotme?tfld the fifef? f MflSf in tho main, r?? 'mi ?t? west. Suck trails fllBO led to tho gt?&i ??lb iicfc?i j auch aa the Big Bone Lick in Ken tucky, which waa frequented by buf faloes in great numbera up to the lia ginniog of the la?t century, whoo, of course,; the animal disappeared for everfrom the country east of the Mis sissippi. I Gonaiiering the great' weight of the animal, the gallop of - the buffalo ia a very easy, elastic movement. In tho ' wild, state tb e ; - buffalo was a very-sure footed animal and a good elimbor.' It not only ascended s te Bp mountains, along- carrow ledges, whore it would have boen, impoasibl? for a horas Or jaiaia^^^ have follywad, but was able to lesp ^ownwardi|?? placot wSere there was a ' sheer deaaent ot jseyerai feet and; alight Sn .safety on the rooks below. V-l''. l^.y ;''i:The ' buffalo now in : Corbin Park, ^e^llan^snir^,v wh?;rVl;l'-h^e^l>eea Undying them for the .past twp years, ;oldJ$m??|?i?i Wao^rae of ^ points of i?roy-J do^ mountain, and I have ?een iii leaping^ nimbly do**. ' J^Pl?Hl've feet above ? ; . ,?' . 'VIP ? 'S*" BB I 00. tor a Home, Jd not be ? large _