The Bamberg herald. (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, October 24, 1907, Image 2
PEMBROKE'f
U
For The Household by
A Story Based on the Fig
ing the War Bet
The following story is clipped from I
the Household, a story paper. It I
will be noted that the story is based
on the fight at Rivers' bridge near
the close of the war. We are indebted
to Mr. H. J. Brabham for
the copy of the paper containing the
story. As it was no doubt written
by a Northerner, we feel sure our
readers will read it with interest:
I am getting old now, and am
neither so light nor so active as I
was in the spring of '65, when I led
a squadron of Sherman's Illinois cavalry
northward from Fort McAllister.
The rebel cause?do you know
I am coming to avoid that word
rebel; my neighbors here in the south
are good men, and the use of it hurts
them so!?the southern cause I
should have said, was already lost.
Sherman had pierced the Confederacy
through, while to the north Lee
faced the inevitable at the hands of
Grant. A whole civilization was dying
then?dying gloriously, but dying
just the same.
So with us there were no Datties
worthy the name?only some hot
skirmishing on the outposts. But
your southerner dies hard, and we
of the cavalry had no lack of work
nor of experiences.
One little brush I remember particularly.
A body of the enemy's
horse had been annoying us for
days, and we ? three regiments
strong?were ordered to cut them
off at the crossing of the Salkehatchie
swamp. It was a long race
and a hard one, but they beat us,
for we struck their rear guard just
r \ as their main body made passage
over the river. ,
You know these southern swamps,
( cut by sloughs and stagnant ponds,
barred in the center by 200 yards of
.1 sluggish current, their gloomy
avenues Hemmed in by bramble and
shadowed by the feathery plumes of
the giant cypress. As we approached
-I thp Salkehatchie swamp the open
' ground narrowed abruptly and in its
stead there appeared broad stretches
of shallow, motionless water, whose
slimy surface, choked with green
ooze and tendrils of noisome plants,
harbored frogs innumerable and
creeping, bloated watersnakes.
Ahead of us we could hear the
rattle of hurrying wagons and a
trampling as of many hoofs. Clearly,
the enemy had beaten us thus far,
but it was equally clear that we
were hard upon them, so we tightened
girths and rode the faster.
Then a carbine shot rang spitefully
in our front, followed by a scatter.
ing volley. We hadn't expected it
} quite so soon, but we dropped from
our horses, answering shot with shot,
wading through the murky thickets
and forcing them back; foj* we
wanted the bridge, which we lcnew
was but a short half mile beyond.
About sunset we sighted the
bridge, a long, rude structure leading
out across the glittering river.
There was only a squadron holding
it, a sort of forlorn hope left to be
.sacrificed that others might escape.
We knew their program?knew that
the bridge was mined, knew that
- they were to hold us long enough for
the column to cross, then fall back
.and fire the mine?and we were on
them before they could accomplish
it all.
A man sprang forward with a
torch, but a rifleman shot him down;
and then we charged, driving them
back by steady rushes to the cover
on the further side. There, how
ever, they halted and would go no
farther; and concentrating their fire
with marvelous art, they kept the
bridgeway clear. Twice Townley, J
our brigadier, threw a hundred men
in headlong charge against them,
and twice that close-driven fire
pressed us down and back. But it
* could not last, they knew that as
well as we.
x ' Then when, the carbines were
spitting and the shrapnel shells were
flying, the rebels mounted and?fell
back?
No! They charged!
Ye gods! What horsemen they
were! For the moment we were
- /n f l
dumb with amazement, uur iront
files shrank back, not in fear but in
wonder.
"Steady!" called old TowrJey.
, "Steady and forward."
Then the gun spoke?they had no
sense of the dramatic, those artilerymen?and
a shell striking fair on the
careening column tore their front
into fragments.
It was too much. The column,
what was left of them, half circled
and wheeled?all but one, and he a
young man like myself. I saw him
leap to the ground, saw his big white
horse follow the others back across
the bridge, saw his quick stoop and
the flash of his pistol, then?a thunderous
roar, an outburst of stinging
dust, a rending of rotten timbers,
and the end of the bridge was gone!
By all odds the man should have
been gone too?torn into bits like the
bridge?but when the smoke cleared
away he was there facing us and
smiling. One arm hung limp, with
the other he saluted. Then he reeled
giddily back and forth, turned on his j
r
>
VST BATTLE.
E. Crayton McCants.
ht at Rivers' Bridge Dur
ween the States.
heel, tottered and fell, plungingface
foremost into the dank weeds and
rolling heavily into the foul, loathsome
water that sapped the edge of
the road.
It was already night, the great
owls were hooting in the cypress
brakes and the darkness was gathering.
We left him there with men of
ours to keep him company. When
morning came we were crossing
lower down?reaching northward to
join hands with Grant?but the man
at the river bridge had won his point
and his comrades were far beyond
our reach. '
********
It was two years ago, I think?or
three, perhaps?that I grew weary
of the town and the garrulous same?
? T nrw
IltJSii UJ. <111 uiu moil ? ca_13wciiv*c. ? am
country bred, yon know, and long
for the smell of the ripening fodder,
the far blue stretch of the hills and
ring of my horse's iron shod hoofs on
a hard-beaten, winding road. So I
went forth that autumn, 'with no
companion save my beast, pursuing
an old man's vagrant. fancies and
steeping myself in the mellow, kindly
sunlight.
It was mid-afternoon of my third
day out, I think, when breaking from
the shelter of the forested highland
I entered a more open country. My
horse was tired, and I, too, was tired
and hungry; so when a friendly turn
in the road brought into sight an old
gray house, some barns and a dozen
white-washed cabins, I turned in for
rest and refreshment. The house I
found to be closed, but from the
rear there came out presently an old
negro to receive me.
"Light, boss, 'light^' he said
heartily. "Mas' Lemule he ain't
here, an' Mis' Sally she ain't here
nuther. But I kin 'ten to you-afi
an' ter you hoss. 'Light, boss, and
come right in."
All this time he had been fumbling
with a big brass key, and now, with
a flourish and bow. he swung the
great double door of the house open
before me. Then stepping to the
broad piazza, he called out lustily as
one with authority:
"William Henry! William Henry!
You come yer an* tek dis gemmun's
hoss. An' tell yer maw to fry one er
dem ar chickens. I 'spec de gemmun
hungry."
The place was a 'fine old country
seat, very picturesque and very commanding,
as it looked out over the
broad sweep of rolling farm land.
"Whose is this?" I asked, indicating
the house, as my entertainer
seated himself humbly on the high,
broad stoop.
"Mas' Lemule's,sah?Mas' Lemule
Pembroke's. He in Columby now?
in de legislature. You'se hearn tell
o' him, I reckon,"
"No," said I, "more's the pity.
Tell me about him."
The old man sat silent for a moment.
"Dar'd be a heap to tell,"
he remarked reflectively. "We wuz
boys together, me an' Mas' Lemule
?an7 we wuz sojers togetner. i
hepped 'im whip the Yankees."
"Indeed!" I replied. "You
whipped them, did you? Now, I had
an idea that the thing was a little the
other way?that the Yankees had
rather the best of it."
Again the old fellow was silent.
"Hit mout be, he said presently.
Somebody sot dese trifiin' niggers
free. I don' rightly know how 'hit
did fin'ly turn out. When I fotch
Mas' Lemuel home I kinder lost
track. " But," he added firmly,' 'we
whipped 'em while I wuz dar."
"You brought your master home?
Was he wounded?" I asked.
"He was plumb nigh kilt!" the
negro answered sententiously. "Yas,
sir' nigh 'bout kilt. But I doan'
know whedder he'd a-got Mis' Sally
er not ef it hadn' a-been fer dat.
"Hit wuz dis way, ye see," he continued
after a pause. "Away back
yanaer 'fore freedom come, old Cunnel
Chamblee, he live jes over dar
whar yer see dem tall chimbleys. De
Chamblees was our nighes' neighbors,
an' we waz thick wid dem an'
dey was thick wid us. An Mis' Sally
she was de Cunnel's li'l gal."
"An' after while, when dey dun
growed up, Mas' Lemule he fall in
love wid Mis' Sally, an' de ol' folks
dev lauerh an' rub dey han's an' say
what a nice match hit gwine to be.
But bime-by, when he ax huh, Mis'
Sally she sorter laff an' say she doan'
know so well 'bout dat; she ain't
ready for to ma'hy yet, an' she doan'
lak' Mas' Lemule nohow. Den Mas'
Lemule git ve'y vex?he been so sho'
Mis' Sally gwine ma'hy 'im?an' go
off way down to Charles'n to see he
cousins.
"Purty soon arter dat, dis yer war
talk come on an' ol' master, dat wuz
Mas' Lemule's pa?he doan' want no
wah, but Cunnel Chamblee he wuz
hot fer it--an' ol' mis' she think Mis'
Sally kinder done Mas' Lemule mean.
So after dat there warn't no mo' vis|
itin' betwixt 'em.
I "Den dey had meetin's to 'cide
who should go to congress to vote
about the wah, an' de cunnel winned;
but him an' ol' master quit speakin'
to one anudder, an' dey had some
kin' of lawsuit jest after dat an' dey
talked some of duels. But dey didn't
fight none, kase de wah come along
an' stopped it. We had fightin,
enuff widout any of dat.
"Lordy! Dem was de times! Does
you-all 'member dem times, boss?"
And I, thinking of the stir in the
level prairie land where I was born,
of the crowded roadside stations, of
my own excitement, of my mother's
tears and the marching of lusty men,
forgot myself and lost for a moment
the thread of the story.
"Yassir! Cunnel Chamblee went
an' I went?kinder to ten' on Mas'
Lemuie?but de ol' master he didn't
go kaze he was lame. An' dat night
afore we started I was over to Cun
nel Chamlee's on 'count of a yaller
gal dat he uster own. An' whiles I
was over dar Mis' Sally see me an'
she call me. She was all trimbly
lak?lak she been cryin?an' she give
me a little note an' a flower for to
give ter Mas' Lemule. Den when I
started off, a-holdin' dat note and dat
flower mighty keerful lak, she call
me back again.
"Tell him dat I'll be waitin' when
he comes back, Dave?yes a-waitin'
for him to come,' she say, an' I say,
'Yas, ma'am,' an' went on.
"Well, sah, dat ar' note did sho'
hearten Mas' Lemule up, but we lef'
nex' mornin' jest de same. Mas'
Lemuel wuz de only one leavin' dat
mornin,' but ol' miss she make mo'
stir dan if it was a whole regiment
dat was gwine erway.
"She didn't cry, that is, not much
?ol' miss warn't none o' de .cryin'
kin'. But whiles young master was
eatin' an' ol' master was tellin' him
how hp mns' 'member who his daddy
is, she tuk me, quiet lak, roun' back
er de house, an' she look at me hard,
lak her eyes gwine look clean through
me.
"Dave,' says she, 'you bring dat
boy back home! Dead er alive, you
bring him back here, to me! Does
you hear me?'
"An' I?I was mighty nigh skeered
kaze huh eyes burn me so, but I
spoke up strong an' answered huh,
'I gwine do dat,' says I, 'I sholy is.'
"You ought to seed the way we
whupped dem Yankees up dar in
Virginny. Yassir, we whupped
Yankees fum de James jriver clean
hands tight, an' his face went white
all in a minute, an' den dey started
for the house.
"But when dey get to de steps
Mas' Lemule stopped and wouldn't
go no further kaze Mis' Sally been
a-tellin' him dat de cunnel was ve'y
vex an' warn't gwine let 'em ma'hy
?never, less'n ol' master 'pologise
to him. An' Mas' Lemule he say ol'
master ain't never gwine to do dat,
and dat he won't 'low it if ol' master
want to, kaze de cunnel he was in de
wrong.
"Den Mis' Sally she get vex an'
say she don't 'low no man to say her
pa was wrong, an' dey quarrel a li'l
bit?den dey say good-bye. An'
Mas' Lemuel he walk off holdin' his
head mighty stiff an' high; but Mis'
Sally she jest watch 'im till he pass
through de gate, den she set down
an' cry. An' it seem to me lak de
win hit cry too, lonesome lak and
mournful, in de tops of de cedars. I
got feared?I sho'ly did.
And when we went away next
morning dere warnt nobody waiting
at Cunnel Chamblee's gate and we
went by widout stopping.
"Well, we went back to our regiment
and we find dat de Yankees
getting mighty thick down there, and
twant long before our regiment got
put in Cunnel Chamblee's brigade.
" And den Cunnel Chamblee he got
in a desput hurry and call for volunteers
to stop dem Yankees and to
blow up de bridge. And when he
call de fus one out was Mas' Lemule
Pembroke.
"I was worried about dat. But
Cunnel Chamblee was wuss worried
than me. 'Pembroke' he say, 'I
can't let you go back dar. You know
de trouble 'twixt your pa and me.
Folks gwine say I sent you dar.'
"Den Mas' Lemule rar hisself up
straight, and I clare 'fo God he look
jest zackly like old master. It is my
right, <mnnel he say, all stiff and
co'tyous lak, 'and I claims it.'
"Dave, he say, 'ef I doan' get in
tonight, you go home tomorrow.
And Dave?hit seem to me lak he
choked a little bit, 'tell them I warnt
afraid.' Den he tuk me by de hand.
'Good-bye, Dave, he say.'
"And den he went on wid the
others, and I run on and cotch up
with the wagons. But it seemed lak
I couldn't ride with any ease at all,
fer I kept a-listening and a-listening.
And after while I hear de popping of
de guns, and de boom of a cannon,
and way long after that there come
a roar I knowed what that was?it
was de bridge.
Mlliiierv G
On November t
N
I
I will of
MILLINERY
'"** " '
| Large Lot of Ribbon Rem:
?o?
24 Children's Waists, cos
to go at
4
?o?
50 Fascinators, worth 1
to go at
?o?
100 Corsets, worth $1.00,
go at
I ?o?
Coats and Capes from $1
down to Jehosephat. We did dat!
Whupped 'em till we wuz clean wore
outa-whuppin' 'em, an' den we come
back down here for to whup 'em
some more.
"Dat was de time dat me and Mas'
Lemuel an' Cunnel Chamblee," all
three, corned home on a furlough.
We didn' get to stay home but two
or three days, but while we was here
Mas' Lemuel he was over at the cunnel's
more'n half the time. I was
over dar right smart too, takin' on
wid dat yaller gal. I'd a heap better
stayed at home, though, for when I
fotch Mas' Lemuie back, dat gal was
done mah'ied to some no 'count nigger
off'n de Holloway place.
"For de fus' day after we dun got
home, Mis' Sally an' Mas' Lemuie
seem to be gettin' on fine. But de
night 'fore we was gwine away agin
?I was comin' 'long by de big house
yard an' I see dem two walkin' in
dar an' talkin' low an' mighty solemn
like, an' I stopped under some
cedar trees an' watched 'em. For a
long time dey walk dar lookin' at one
an' talkin*. Den dev stoDDed
11 UlXAVAVzJL - ? ? ? s, ?
Mas' T.pmule hoi' Mis' Sally
rare bargain.
A rare oppon
line. They mi
Mrs. E
Ehrhardt - - -
"Den boss, out of dem scrubby
pines whar old miss nebber been in
all her life I hear old mistis' voice.
'Dave,' she say to me, 'you fetch dat
boy back. Dead or alive, you fetch
him home to me! Does you hear?'
And I knowed what hit was I had
to do.
"So I slipped off de wagon and
started back. De white folks was
too busy to miss me?nothing but a
nigger nohow. Long after while I
saw de big gray a-coming, a-tearing
through de sand and a-snorting, and
dere warn't nobody a-riding him; but
I knowed how dat would be. So I
went on, cautious lak, for I didn't
want to meet no Yankees. I jest
wanted to go on and git Mas' Lemule
and kyar him home to he maw.
"Boss, wuz you-all ever in the
Saulketeher swamp? Den you know
how it wuz dat night.
"Well, sir, I got over dar and
right dar, mighty nigh at my very
feet, I seed Mas' Lemule.
' i.i. j J T
"1 tnougnt ne was ueau. ? expected
him to be dead, and sartin he
look like he was?lying dar in dat
poison swamp water wid only he head
a little bit up on de bank?hut when
I touch him he was warm.
"Mas' Lemule! I call, 'Mas
Lemule!' but he didn't answer?only
move hisself a little and groan. I
tek him up and lay him on some of
de old bridge plank, and I wonder
what was I gwine to do next fer one
of he arms wuz broke and he never
open he eyes nor know nothing 'tall.
"Well sir, dar was a Yankee?a
dead one?a-lying clost by, and I
went and took de canteen oif of him.
Hit had some spirits in it, so I gin
some of dat to Mas' Lemule and I
rub him wid it and warm him up.
Den I left him dere and went out in
dat swamp to where I knowed was
some houses for I seed them when
i we pass dat way.
"Tinea T .rovl Hrmp fnrcrivp me. I
iJVOO, UV UV1U ,
[ know, and Mas' Lemule done paid
! dat white man a long time ago, but
j I stole a cart dat night?a care and a
[ little old mule. I tuk them, and I
would fight dat white man dat night
kaze I needed them. How else could
I have got Mas' Lemule back to he
home?back to he maw and Miss
Sally?
"Well, I hauled him by night and
hid him by day, and finally I stopped
right yonder at the old front gate.
But Mas' Lemule mighty weak, and
we all think he gwine to die.
"Dave, he say, agin ana agm, j
good-bye, Dave. Tell them I warn't i
afraid.'
"Den he got whiter and whiter,!
and old miss kneel down at de foot
of de bed and old master turn away I
so not to see him die. And den Miss
Sally come in slow and easy lak and
and raise he head up in her arms.
"Lemule, she say, 'sweetheart!' J
and he open he eyes and answer her. I
"Den she cry and old miss cry, and
hug each other and cry some more.
Den de doctor he git to work, and
oods'Barj!
he 1st, 2nd, 4tl
fer my entire
nnnnc at badga
uuumu n i yniiur
nants. 75 yds. Vet
t 25c, 4 ft Chiffon, wo
18C at
15c, *n - Silk Remna
dlTC go at
to Silk Velve
31TC go at
.50 up. A Large assoi
Feathers,
tunity for all in need o
jst be sold to make rooir
/
. P. Co
s= = = = ss = ss
Massa Lemule he get mighty nigh
well tereckly.
"But de funniest thing happen
about old master. Long after Massa
Lemule done get better I see old
master looking at me hard, so I got
to wondering, kaze I see him at it so
much, what he got agin me, and
whedder he gwine to whip me. So
I kept a-wondering and old master
kept a looking tell at last one day he
call me into de room. .
"Hit will come out dis time I
thought, and I went in dar kin of
dubious lak, and I stood fus on dis
foot and den on dat, tell he pushed
a package intc my hand?a big lot of
papers tied up wid a string.
"Dem your free papers, Dave,
say he. I done sot you free.
"Master, says I, I seed for some
time dat I warn't a-standing in your
regards, and dat you had things laid
up agin me, but I want to tell you you
'Jo +nl1 loir fA mo
can t uu nuuun^ uui icuv uuk w u>v.
Free your own niggers?I belongs to
Massa Lemule!
The old fellow chuckled as at a
pleasant recollection.
"Miss Sally had a heap more sense
dan dat, he added, and so did old
mistis. I remembers yet what old
mistis said. "Dave, she says, as
long as I have a shingle over my
head half of dat shingle is yourn!
"She is up yonder now, he continued,
pointing to the white stones
of the little plantation graveyard,
and Massa Lemule and Miss Sally
dey are in Columby, but I is here
yet, you see?me and my grand
chillun-^-on de same old plantation
where we-all was born.
"Comrade, said I, "as a comrade I
salute you. No more for us will the
bugles blow, nor shots ring out, nor
young love kiss the blossoms. But
the peace of God be with you, old
comrade ? with, you and Massa
Lemule."
Advertise in Newspapers.
The following is clipped from the
Saluda Standard, and we glory in
the lady who made the remark. We
have thought for a long time of expressing
our opinion as to this printing
of advertisements on wrapping
paper by merchants, but hesitated
1 ^ Of
oecause 01 our cuiuictuuu mw ?*newspaper.
We are glad the ladies
are protesting against it:
"Turn that wrapping paper the
other side out" said a lady in one of
the stores in a neighboring town
some days ago as the clerk was putting
up her purchase in printed wrapping
paper. "I don't want to be a
(walking advertisement for your
store. I read the papers, as all intelligent
people ought to do, and I
think in them is the place to advertise
your business. Instead of asking
your customers to carry your
| sign around with each purchase of
goods, go and tell the people through
the papers what you have to sell and
how you sell it."
??
ain Prices
i and 5th, 1907
*
stock of
ilN PRICES
?
? .:
- rv"
' '4
*4V.
vetteen at ;...2Sc*
? j
?o?
. Y ; 30
rth 75 cents, to sell iA v
. 49c
i .
.-v
?0?
nts, worth $1.25, to n'_ ,
85c
.
t? worth $1.25 to or_ Y
03C
' / *Vv;'
V -''v \
?o?
tment of Plumes, Wings,
Hats, Caps, etc.
' .1
' ' ' ' ^
f goods in this Jl
i for new goods
neland
JE.
=
South Carolina
F__=^_
*
TAX NOTICE.
The county treasurer's office will be
open for the collection of State, county,
school and all other taxes from the 15th
day of October, 1907, until the 15th day
of March, 1908, inclusive.
From the 1st day of January, 1908, until
the 31st day of January, 1908, a penal- .
ty of 1 per cent, will be added to all unpaid
taxes. From the first day of February,
1908, until the^8th day of February,
1908, a penalty of 2 per cent, will be added
to all unpaid taxes. From the 1st
day of March, 1908, until the l&tn day
of March. 1908, a penalty of 5 per cent,
will be aaded to all unpaid taxes.
The following is the levy :
For State purposes, 5 mills.
For county purposes, 3 mills.
Constitutional school tax, 3 mills.
Total, 10i mills. t
SPECIAL SCHOOL LEVIES.
Bamberg, No. 14, 4$ mills. ~ *
Denmark, No. 21, 6 mills.
Olar, No. 8, 4 mills.
Lees, No. 23, 4 mills.
Midway, No. 2, 2 mills.
Cuffie Creek, No. 17, 2 mills.
Colston, No. 18, 2 prills.
Ehrhardt, No. 22, 2 mills.
Oak Grove, No. 20, 2 mills.
11 o ? .Ml*,
Ijrovan, rMO. ?x, o muio.
Binnaker's, No. 12, 3 mills.
Hopewell, No. 1, 3 mills. #
Clear Pond, No. 19, 2 mills.
Hunter's Chapel, No. 16,1 mill.
Hampton, No. 3, 2 mills.
Heyward, No. 24, 2 mills.
All male persons between the ages of
twenty-one and sixty years, except Confederate
soldiers ana sailors, who are
exempt at fifty years of age, are liable
to a poll tax of one dollar.
Capitation dog tax, 50 cents.
I will receive the road commutation tax
($2.00) from October 15th, 1907, until
March 1st, 1908.
All male persons who were 21 years
of age on or before the 1st day of January,
1907, are liable to $1.00 poll tax.
Those who have not made returns to the
auditor will do so on or before 1st day
of January, 1908.
JNO. F. FOLK,
Treasurer Bamberg County.
Bamberg, S. C., September 25th, 1907.
rrrw I
TITLES kwnno
EXAMINED NEGOTIATED
j J. ALDRICH WYMAN
|| ATTORNEY-AT-LAW
' ' . *
Civil and Office upstairs, over
Criminal Practice Bamberg Banking Co.
xiihl SAW MILLS
LATH AND SHIN6LE MACHINES
SAWS AND SUPPLIES. STEAM AND
GASOLINE ENGINES.
Try LOMBARD, AUgf"
' '.*'?
' *