Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

After riding soie iles across fields and pine arrens we had got in a great belt of pine forest, and I grew very faint and sick, so much so that we were compelled to halt so that I might lie down and recover myself. I was in no talkative mood, and neither was Dixon. Both seemed to wish to be alone. Our nerves were some what shattered. Not that either of us had any great doubt as to the success of our last undertaking; for each had thrown his life too often in the balance to be now worried about a little thing like that. The best of men, when under extreme excitement or great stress of feeling, are apt to have their nerves relax and to g-row faint. No man ever took the life aother but that he regretted so doing, it matters not what the provocation or the circumstances not so much the killing, but the necessity for it-even if a man knows that which he does unto others. others would do unto him eagerly and quickly. We gave and took the same chances. I tried to sleep, but could not even doze. Dixon railed at me about my weakness. iIe was a better man than I in every respect, and he never knew despondency. We drifted about for days, guided alone by the sun, for in all those days we saw not a single man. The women could not give us any information, and would not, if they could. We began to worry at their insolent talk and everlasting abuse. We could not have been any more censured had we alone been guilty of all-the rascal itv in Sherman's army. Dixon, being a more patient man, took it good naturedly, but I had grown tired of being forever accused of and dogged at for doing that which others were guilty of, and I often fired back at the women. I felt at times about the women as Nero felt about the Romans-that if all the women had but one neck I 'd like the wringing of it. In the pine forest it seemed as if there were a thousand roads and none led anywhere. After traveling and retracing our steps nearly one whole day in those accursed, deceitful piney woods roads, we came to a wood chopper's cabin, in which there were four great stalwart girls. After a lot of chaff and good-natured badger ing, we got them gentle enough to talk, but they knew nothing but that Uncle Louis lived about five miles towards the clearing. Now, it is trying enough to get directions from the best of women, but these girls certainly were the limit. Some would tell us to turn to our right at certain points, and the others would say, "No, you don't-to the left." owing to the way they were standing while talking. We were forced to make a virtue of necessity, and we made two of the spinsters trudge along with us the five miles to Uncle Louis'. And when we reached that worthy-a great pot bellied. pudding-headed gawk--,he knew less .than the girls. Those two girls jawed us unmercifully. After leaving Uncle Louis' we traveled on and on. We ca-ne out at last--struck a clearing on one side, alorg which ran a settle ment road, there being a fence between us and the clearing. We were in a good humor now, and we trotted along briskly .to reach a habitation before nightfall. It was late in the evening th-en. I neglected to state that we had not grown entirely uncivilized, as we were~ still gallant .enough to dismount and lead our horses while these belles of the pine forest showed us the way to their much-Lonored kinsman. We were kind enough, -too, to offer them our horses to ride, while we walked at their side. This they an grily refused. While we were going along the road of the clearing, not dream ing there was a man nearer than Sherman's army, save possibly U.ncle Louis, we were startled by the stern command, ''Halt!'' and found ourselves looking down the muzzles of a half dozen don ble-barrelled shot guns on either side of the road. These were in the hands of as many old citizens. With threatening looks and an gry voices, they ordered us to dismount and surrender. Three kept us covered with their guns, while the others took our arms and hitched our horses. We took the situation as a great joke at first, and laughed at our untimely butting into the citizens' meeting, but the old gentlemen were .highly wrought up. One of the men, a youngish looking old man, seemed to be leader. As we gathered from their -talk, he liv ed some ten or fifteen miles below, and had been burned out a few days before, and his horses and cattle taken, and he now was in an ugly humor. He .had nearly been caught himself, so he said, and he vowed if such had been the case his neck would have been broken. Oh! he was in a fearful mood, and he was right in for hanging us on the spot. I saw we were up against anything but a joke, and begged him to hear our story--that we could explain all; that we were Confederates, and not Union soldiers; had been on a secret mission, had accomplished it, and were now on our way to join our command. This seemed to make him, if anything, more angry than before. I will always believe these old citizens would have shot us down without warning, 'but none had the heart to be the first to pull the trigger on two unsuspecting boys. If they hanged us. all would be equ.ally culpable. I had sense enough to know that it would not do to beg for our lives, for this would be a confession of guilt. ,Our only hope was to reason with them, to seek to con vince them by argument, and this I did with the earnestness of a trained lawyer. I told them they were wrong in their suspicions, that we could convince them we were South Carolinians, and if they took our lives our blood would be forever on their hands. The other old gentlemen seemed to be disposed to listen to us, but th'e leader declared they were only losing time by parleying with us. The old gentlemen asked us many questions about the State gov ernent--who were our sheriffs, who were our representatives. etc. l)ixon knew his county pretty well.but I could not answer one ques tion. any more than if I had heen brought up in Asia. having been away in the army for nearly five years, and caring nothing about the eivil gov.ernmnent. When all argumnent seemed unavaiing, :and no chance left us. I hit upon another key. I said to the leader: ''If you are determined to have our blood. give us a chance for oar lives. No Southern man worthy of the name will kill twc in nocent boys in the discharge of their duty without giving them a showing. Give us back our pistols, and we will fight you for our lives.' "B G-. hoys, that talk rings like Southern talk: no Yankee would make any such offer as that. Say young man. do vo know anything about Jenkins' brigade?'' (They knew little of Kershaw 's). We knew the eastern army like an open book. I told him of Jen kinis, wXhere and how he was killed at the Wilderness, when Gen. Longstreet was wounded. "By. haen they ar all right My son told me just those same word . Theicy are Southerner.jut as jl er:ain az we are mel. Then they shook our hands, and even the youngish man had the manhood to shake and ask our pardon. All that time, while I was pleading for our lives. l)ixon sat as unconce-rned, with a half smile on his countenance. as if listening to moot court. Afterwards. when I twitted him about his indiffer enee and asked him why he did not speak up and help me out, he replied. "Oh, I like to hear you argue with those old cits.' Wzasn't that cool, for a man whose life was trimbling in the bal ance? The old zentleman who "first discoivered us insisted on our ac companying him home, when it was dark enough to be safe, and we gladly accepted the invitation. We enjoyed the hospitality of the jolly old citizen very much. But our hitherto (od forture seemed now ab )out to abandon us. As Dixon said later. "the prayers of the little lady were no long er heard.'' The old gentleman was very intelligent, and gifted with a head full of common sense. He gave us each good and sen sible advice, his talk coming to us as from one inspired. That night the old gentleman caused us to (hange all our plans about going to Hood's army. He advised us to swim the Pee Dee. at a landing to which he promised to direct us. and which we could cross in safety. provided our horses were all they should be: then. with our Federal uniforms, to ride boldly t-hrough Sloum's corps. at that time just beyond the river, make our way to the out-post, and then dash for our lives even if we had to kill a picket or two. If we continued our course to the north-west, he said. we would be certain to encounter Gen. Wheeler's cavalry, which was greatly demoralized and demoralizing the whole country. and if we were caught by them we would be shot without parley or eeremony. The country was bitter thn, he said, wren parties of old men and crip pled Confederate soldiers were lying all over Sherman 's flanks, waiting for just such outfits as we pretended to be. and should we run afoul of them our luck might not be as good as with his party. All this appeared to be sensible and good advice. The good wife urged us to return to our homes and wait till times settled! Dixon and I discussed it all between ourselves that night. and he was strongly in favor of taking our chances right through the Yankee army. I suppose he had wearied of my "arguments with old citizens' meetings.'" We had no fears of passing through the Federal army, but we knew it would be hazardous in passinz the pickets outward. But we agreed upon a plan, and, had not adverse circumstances intervened. there is no doubt there world have been ''something doing" in tre next day or two at some of Shernian's outposts, or two boys would never have lived to tell this story. That night we slept the sleep of the innocent. By morning I had thrown off all despondent feelings and weariness of the life we were leading, and was fresh and eager to take the trail again. The good wife had prepared an excellent breakfast, and our horses were fresh and stood saddled at the gate. The old gentleman was to pilot us to the river afoot, his horses being hid out in the swamp miles away. We were just preparing to sit down to breakfast when the old gentlem-an rushed in with the startling message: "The Yankees are on you! Run for your lives to the woods in rear of the lot!'' We glanced towards the front gate, and there, sure enough, a squadron of Federal .eavalry was coming in from out-post, or scouting duty, we took it, as they were not encumbered with forage. The old gentleman was as true as steel, and he went out in the front yard, giving us time to escape to the thicket, saying he would. try to save our horses. What yarn he told them we never knew, nor did he sav~e our horses, for we could see the enemy, from our places of concealment, leading them away. Nor did we ever know how the old gentleman weathered the storm, as we did not go back. Dixon was for tracking them and attempting to secure horses, as we had secured those, but I knew they were returning from out post and riding briskly, and we could never keep up with them on foot. (To be continued.) * * * * * * * **** **r udno fN w rk ld i * *pattthkidatninofnns * THE "UNWRITTEN LAW" *hifred An tatPerH s * THAT WAS. *caebcfrm anltoidov * John. Temple Graves in New York * hsfin,Anshdutryain * American. *'ae n eace i wf,rie * * * * *. . ** ~ * I surrouings f ae You-k west ofth With he jrorsinth aistr art Misisip the kind h ofttenton otoAns worl, apersnalcoment annt ib acqitng.Ada Peter Hath kill criicsedas"tyin te cseintheinmo Wlacfrm ani. t in vr newpaprs. iwhevrict confrmed the rumorthat To a enirelimartaloserer,Has frind, Avei hung firer aisen the stoishig tingin te pese tedt anwee dbutcheteri wife, wuld tria istha th dedat'conse,hi poibl nve brokeneeded life oreer most f thm sother men sholdIo isaniuty i ths othr sectst ofh have chen tuorsea inseaiy ial de-ississippintry suhofteP.oa fsee and tohaerompately inomrte orl the ear our mnatesion ctied unwrtring ahe casiifte ing ofWias nnis.redotesot Teewsp ae bencsstidadadThe est,ic t i so my chredto wo in Newntirk ipnarti oslener Hain tht the eptg ofirel ocia min-e ande dotoihin refernge to tharet i anywhere,o btamper wihaind'sul ousiand lstargtel dscrdatd dctrnel, posibly nvr toalve tode th coraes most of athe sothedien, whould o insehaity inTheohern soctialns censeoned tohe codslefte ioe or all d,ep yas at.ntina pohi "uwritnte dade'' on o fTe otrisene cre of snahesonsi There haee care ried andlerl and bltews.di is geealydicedited no. Whatn eerk inpo(na individlender,tt the eei' and socihal hine tustiany largel dcrteitealoctrie cife,or ito hake lve ton ordern deuteoftalithes tedies hicts av seetirr. There is no scre fis crimsonedte recos, o of he er.ou- e honor, and blodnosoac lis mwitain orher deade ano army of aiT theoin of persnallowspon Thatm has an.anided o ullnesy and an ind no gmet dincredern codes enniaal for this fe dhelf ente to quite him of that harg its mreim Raimns ofnte inosoialeomelntstion mucyi tese instutenatthies. whaotever ofincienas andivutideral onde thene anietced. pBehap wihero Thtmong moyuarr.ie renra eWi- muchd iratehas no pmanca.n derna de n setablidhes hae bee bet t.ies Thre bursnllespnsibilit fr liedymc and lveae byith hyunsband for irremediablres arndth age the baut ife,l wife. was~ sttoed bytgaen- )mi\Mn wrevels his carful teadl Tht s anad lote touless nd ern soial gosi argmn in busiess code enni enoymets.f a himeer Peter~ touithmo.h hreo udr H~ais senteredhist ontrl tnoyevctsn in tuhis tru'er nd maresn etic ithe othirippicers and lefties. ife this danciwent ered. name aretheld ankd chid treated mor omfortblne ae lightl ey and thtu e sared in IF IT'S IjGood to Eat + AND YOU WANT -. e0 THE BEST * YOU WIL FIN IT' AT '~JNS" ROOEYi * 0 + 'PHONE No. 212+ S repute-in ti/a,when the jewelj of :'woman 's honor is stained in the light badinage of clubs, and the prize eNE UNN. of business integrity is too freelf' buffeted in the mart-in this day when rumor .stabs like a highwayman - RC $O~ and slander strikes like a bandit, withI little in social codes to make them afraid, let it be set down as one, at least, among the good things of this abandoned creed that in its age of full expression no man spoke lightly of the Jionor of woman or of the good name of his fellow men. NOTICE or APPLICATION FOR HOMESTEAD.4 Ex parte, Th-Wiin ahn Cleora G. Speers, Leland Coppock Speers, Lucy K. Speers and Hiramj sGo nuho L. Speers, Ayoy Petitioners. In re,IN ST AT IT Estate of L. M. Speers, deceased. Notice is hereby given that the above named petitioners, Cleora G. 6 .RBNO,Aet Speers, widow, and Leland Coppoe.k Speers, Lucy K. Speers and Hiram Idr helas f hisStteinth ralis h Gold Enoughfousrt1 H. . ikrd pesntasth L metingwil Age,f L. ser foireweof Cout. Specilrs,ret the, a _rquiedby aw ten- The-toclde ofte Frers der theOlaT COURT. SttWnteelig inthocor College 1 sadE. A. Sprifns diistizedCHLRSI and ENTANC Matr Dembr Lwser ounty.e Th mn.to o heaado E .Griffin, B. F Admifinistrtnrs stdnswlof'hl tteCut doin busnessunde thefirmnam CutHo19th on Fray uy ,a otice.ASckhol rs are cant ater Juye It s oderd, hatallandsinul resen wil te mredto will e ofk nthe oE stated ee, oneceased, toPeiEXAMINAIon.fr h fand the 2hi own Mayh , 199;anaintifffr,colrsi ia Hatnry Dembe r, rthe &ai ei-n ~ ba s Mortgae enonedan, retied fro ScoA.ip r oth 0 n G frin th eands eriffn, hprte r etiin h etssinwl ItiFree. M.hatmallran singul r ifrainadctlge Jue r bat fo r e erry o. ressPe.n .Jho,Rc il 4-20-r deceased S.an tC.ar