Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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a. ......Jrfa ILfc. i . ,.i . - •’-'rtllJ H*j. c. jefferies'*h GAFFNEY, S. C. | T II A'.t^jrey am! Counifllor »t Law. Practices in • tlie Courts. Collections a Specialty The EDGER To Reach Consumers in this Section Adver tise in The Ledger. A Newspaper in all that the Word Implies and Devoted to the Best Interests of the People of Cherokee County. VOL. IV, NO. GAFFNEY CITY, S. C.. THUKSDAY, JULY S, 1897. #1.00 A YE AIL PERSONAL RECOLLECTIONS OF THE BATTLE OF CHANCEL- LORSVILLE, • Capt. H. P. Griffith c( Company “E," ;4t v > S. C. V., Writes cf the Days that Tried Men’s Souls. Ottr whole line moved forward at daylight and the battle began. The enemy had, during tint night, con structed a strong line of breastworks in our immediate front, of felled tim ber and earth, and a wide and effec tive abattis in front of them, for which they had found ample material all around. The average reader of these peace-1 ] ookir!g in that "direction we saw a •omprehend the , solitary horseman approaching on thick enough, I should have thought, to make it difficult for a wagon to pass through them without a good deal of care on the part of the ori- ver. Vet I noticed a battery of fly ing artillery come down from the left a hundred yards in advance of our in fantry. with the horses at a sweep ing gallop, and when they had wheel- j ed to the left,they hastily unlimbered, | and opened on the enemy with the | most rapid artillery firing that I have I i ever heard. Then, after perhaps a dozen rounds, they limbered up in a trice, and went off at a headlong gal lop in the direction whence they came, if the gun carriages struck a single tree I never saw it. I never saw artillery sally out in front of the infantry before. it looked at the time like they were just indulging in a little practice for sport and to show the infantry what they could do. .fust after this we heard a tremen dous cheering begin up on our left md come rolling down the lines ftis. It is an r jnt of breast- .1, ful times will hardly full meaning of : obstruction plact works for the purpose of delaying the advance of an enemy after coming v. ch si ::t. .e. ami b consists of brush, tree-tops, briars, and whatever promises effectually to retard the ad vance of a charging column. Trees are felled towards the ipiarter of ex pected attack and the ends of the limbs are sharpened to a point and the ground is so thickly covered with obstructions, that men approaching the breastworks must necessarily pro ceed very slowly. At such a june- tur" one minute’s d*day means the slaughter of hundreds of brave men, uni perhaps, repulse and disaster. The abattis of which I am writin © yards when must have been at least thirty in width, and i confess that we came in sight of it and of the grim, frowning breastworks behind it. I felt that we were rushing straight into the jaws of death. A skirmish line of brave men behind those works could have held them against an as saulting column of ten times their number. But there was no time to calculate probabilities. Our men rushed forward yelling like demons and plunged into the abattis and Struggled forward towards tliehrea'kt- c iworks to find that there was not a nuia:) behind them. The enemy had flci! without firing a gun at the first signal of our advance—a strong evi dence that a large portion of J look er’s army was still completely terror ized. Another line of breastworks hail been constructed during the night several hundred yards in rear to which they hud fled, and behind which were now large bodies of men. The new lines were in easy range of each other, with a strip of open woods between them, probably not more than two hundred yards wide, and the artillery kept up a constant roar. I'rolty soon we saw the woods in front of us all aglure as if some unearthly conflagration hud suddenly sprung from the earth, spread its long wings of flame, and was sweep ing towards our line. It was a body of zouave*;, with their red trousers and otherwise fantastic costumes. This was a body of fancy troops—picked men, like Louis the Fourteenth’s Household Troops or Napoleon’s Old Guard, who were not called on to parti- cipaic in battle except in a case of des perate emergency. They had been call ed on now to retake l‘^breastworks, which we were occupying. •. 1'hey moved in magnificent order afid pre sented a spectacle of wild, weird grandeur in strange contrast with the dull gray lines timt awaited their coming. It was a desperate undertaking—a needless sacrifice—a horrible butchery of brave men, who deserved a better fate. Our men waited until they were 'luite near, when a living sheet of flame flashed niong H e breastworks and a storm of leaden frail hurst forth, before which whole ranks went down in death. >Still the survivors never flinched nor faltered. They rushed forward tip to *he very muz zles of our guns ; some of them seized our battle flags and tried to wrest them from the grasp of the holders, while others mounted the breast works and were killed on top of them. It was not more than fifteen min utes—possibly not more than ten, for minutes at such a time count as hours or days—when it was all over. The brave zouaves were practically annihilated. 1 did not see a dozen get away, though there may have been more. 1 am certain, however, that no organized body escaped. They had been ordered to do a thing which was beyond the compass of human valor, and right nobly did they make the attempt. It waft a strange, sad sight, to see, a few min utes afterwards, the ground covered with their prostrate bodies clad in their bright red trousers and writh ing in agony or lying still in death. It was enough to sicken every benev olent heart and cause it to deplore the horrors of war. 1 think it was just after the charge of the zouaves, that I witnessed a feat of our artille ry which I should have thought im- possible. I have said that the woods wert* open, meaning that there was llttlb or no underbrush. The trees were mostly saplings, and they wzre prancing steed and at times waving his iiat and answering the loud cheers of the men. it was Gen. .7. E. B. Stuart, “the flower of cavaliers,” “the best cavalry officer.” according to the Federal General Sedgewick, ’ ever foaled in America.” it has of ten been a matter of surprise to me that history is so silent over General Stuart at Chancellorsville. In the reports of the day. the fact is merely mentioned that Jackson, after he was wounded, entrusted the com mand of his corps to him, and that .Stuart commanded in the second day of the battle. I can account for such neglect only on the hypothesis that Gen. Lee did not see Stuart’s exploits that day, | i and that Stuart was too modest to j mention them himself, and that the | men who fought under him were not I historians. He made his appearance that morn ing in a brand new uniform of blue broad cloth, richly decorated with gold lace and gilt buttons, while a black and red plume danced from his head, and a bright red sa«h encircled his waist. His richly caparisoned steed, too, wajj worthy of the rider, and the ttvo together constituted the grandest figure of man and horse that I have ever seen. In all that I have read of Murat, of Henry, of Navarre, of dashing Knights ir. tales of chivalry and romance, I have never formed an ideal, even in imagination, that came up to Stuart at Chancel lorsville. He leaped his horse over the breast works near my company, and when be had reached a point about oppo site the center of the brigade, while the men were loudly cheering him, he waved his hand toward the enemy Flaw- he has back water. men For- and shouted, “Forward ward! Just follow me!” The men were wild with enthusi asm. The veriest coward on earth would have felt Ids blood thrill, and his heart leap with courage and reso lution. The men poured over the breastworks after him like a wide rflging torrent overcoming its bar riers. Our officers had been struck"fast. McGowan was wounded, and Ed wards took charge of the brigade. In a few moments he was shot in the shoulder while standing on top of the breastworks, encouraging the men. The wound proved to be mortal. The command of the brigade then devolv ed on Col. 1‘errin, and of our regi ment on Col. Brown. We then be came hotly engaged with the enemy’s second i ! ne entrenched in the farther side of the woods, shells from nu merous batteries stationed on the hill beyond were falling and bursting' all over the woods; the dry leaves took fire and the flames spread in all directions, with no one to check ' them. The clothing of hundreds of | the dead and wounded was burned i from their bodies, t'andemonium reigned and the furies held a wild carnival. The charge had been made in dou- ' hie columns, that is, there was an- j other brigade just behind us. Dur ing the hottest part of the engage- | merit, this brigade began to fire over our heads, from their position some ten steps behind us. We p.otested ! loudly, and some of the company ; officers faced them with pistols and threatened to shoot the next man 1 that raised his gun. But they were almost uncontrollable, and could be restrained only for the moment. They kept on firing for several min utes, and I am certain ! that some of our men were killed by this lire from the rear. The enemy’s line, at length gave way and we moved forward over their breastworks. Along the east ern skirt of the woods there was a ravine running parallel witli the woods, and ou the hill beyond this there was another intrenched line in an open field, not more than two hundred and fifty yards from the Chancellorftville house, Hooker’s headquarters. This line had been constructed, it seemed mainly for cannon, and wan the position from which the enemy had so long shelled the woods. Our troops rushed out of the woods, crossed the ravine, ascended the hill, and occupied there cannon pits. Wo were now in plain view of Hook er's headquarters, in the Chancellors ville house, with a level open plain between us. In front of the house, there was almost a solid Wall of frowning artillery, all ready to sweep the plain with a storm of iron. When I first saw them my impression was that they would sweep us from the cannon pits like chaff. But the gunners were thoroughly frightened. At one lire they would tear up the eaith not fifty yards in front of them, and at the next, their shells would go screaming and howling through correct*, the air. it seemed to me, a quarter of i a mile above our heads, “Charge i for the guns,” was the instinct of ! every soldier in our ranks, and no | doubt the order would soon have been gjven, but for an unexpected occur rence on our left. The open field , was hounded by woods on the left, i running at right angles with th woods from which we had emerged, and forming with them one angle of a square. In the edge of these woods to our left and rear, appeared a long dark lino of men that immediately opened lire on us. They were at short range, and it was impossible for us to hold our position against such a fire, or to change our front in the face of it, so that we might meet it. Gen. Stuart seeing the emergen cy, performed one of those exploits worthy of the palmiest days of chiv alry or Knighthood. Ho slapped spurs to his horse and sped like an arrow straight into the face of the line, and commanded it in the most peremptory manner to slop that tiring! In a moment he discovered his mistake, and wheeled his horse in flight, and though hundreds of ri fles were fired et him he escaped un touched. His blue uniform and au- thoritive manner had deceived the Federal line, and his order, for the moment, was obeyed. That mouuqit saved many lives among onr men. who were running back across the open space between them and the woods to the rear, every foot of which space was swept by the ene my’s halls. Hundreds of our men saw this daring deed of General iStuurr, yet strange to say, I have never seen an account of it in print. Whether he really thought they were our men, J have never known. I am inclined to think, however, that our lines had extended far enough to take in those woods on the left, but thatour troops had failed to advance, as Gen. Stuart had expected. Hence when the Fed eral wheeled and began to fire on our left and rear, he naturally took them for the forces that he had or dered to advance through those woods. There was a small house standing in the field just in front of the eitfmon pits. Col. Brown, who had crossed the works, just before the event men tioned, stepped into this house to find himself in the midst of a party of Federal soldiers with guns in their hands. His prospects for capture or death were imminent. But lie was equal to the emergency, and present ing a bold front, he culled out. I f one of you shows his head about these doors or windows, our men will burst this house all to.pieces;” and passing out at the other door he quickly re joined his regiment, which by this time had reached tne woods. Other troops charged on the left and clear ed th°se woods, the (annon pits were retaken, and Hooker’s army Was driven into a huddle about the Chan cellorsville house. Now the battle ceased, \ve could not then tell why. We now know that Sedgewick’s corps had crossed the river above Fredericksburg, and was marching up in Gen. Lee’s rear, and he hud been compelled to detbeh a part of our army to go and meet it. The idea was to hold Hooker where he was until Sedgewick was driven hack across the river, and then to renew the battle next day. Col. Brown and I dined together in the woods near the first line of breastworks, on a quarter of fat beef left there by the enemy, supplement ed by the rich contents of a Yankee haversack. Among these contents was a can of coffee, sugar, and cream, all mixed in proper proportions; so, We hud only to put a spoonful into it tin cup full of water, boil over the fire, and we had a most delicious bev erage. The dead and wounded lay thick about us, butjwe were too hun gry to be fastidious, and tiie stack of delicacies was too tempting to admit of delay. The afternoon was devoted to the sad duty of burying the dead, while a strong force watched Hooker’? ar my. Sedgewick was driven back across the river, and by morning onr forces were concentrated again ready to re new the contest. But during the night “the finest army on the planet” decamped noiselessly and swiftly, and by morning was beyond our reach. That Gen. Stuart, a cavalry officer, uaacquainted with a single brigade in the corps, should bo culled to command in the darkness of the night, and should lead it bo success fully and gloriously the next day, stumps him as one of the greatest geniuses of the war, while his superb bearing and knightly gallantry throughout that bloody day, more than vindicated his title of “the flow er of cavaliers.” From the beginning *o the end, he led every charge in person, and wherever the smoke was thickest, and the roar and clash were the loudest, there could be seen the Mashing of his sword and the dancing of ins plume. I have written of things as* I saw them, us 1 now remember them. 1 am aware that memory has played many tricks on me in thirty-four years, and that* others who saw things from another stand-point, have been impressed differently, and may take- issue with me on some mi nor points. 1 believe, however, that what I have written is in the main HOT WEATHER FOR FARMING I! THE THERMOMETER DANCING ABOVE THE HUNDRED. Two Colored Ministers Lock Horns on the Subject of Sanctification. Some Facts About the Incoming Century. FLAW AND THE DEACON. The Former’s Remarkable Apology to the Latter. I I'l'Ki: C< at.in’ Gkoi ni». July (».-For the first time in the history of ole culled on to seems that a take dea con from Lower Coalin’ Ground went up to town and into the paper office, with comets of tire, as it were, stream in’ from his eyes on hisfightin’ colors raised to a height which made the “devil tremble (this is the gineral rumorous talk, you understand.) Now, it came lo pa*s that he was a huntin’ of old rla^v to make him lake back-water in regards to that piece I wrote about the parson an’ two deacons who hud that squab- bla in a game some time ago. As it happened I wern’t in town that day hut a friend of mine tole him that it wern’t him that ole Flaw had reference to, an’ that it wern’t Draytonville church, but no sir, you couldn't make him believe it. Throw a r >ck into a pack of hounds an’ the one that gits hurt worst will holler loudest, an’ when you do git in a good lick on an old hound there is no lot up as long a* he can remem ber it. Ef this Mr. Deacon had bin endow ed with all the precious gifts possi ble for a merciful Father to bestow upon mankind he could tell by read- in’ of Flaw’s squibs that I said Dray tonville community an’ not Drayton ville church, but he seems to think that the shoe was manufactured ex pressly for him. and ef it fits him he’s got as good a right to wear it as anybody else. In the ginneral run of the Picker ginneration there is no fits inherited from either side, an’ I know, as a ginneral rule, what I’m drivin' at, but ef it rains let it rain, and ef a drouth comes let it dry up. Now, Mr. Deacon, ef this aint ex planation enough just hint it to some of my friends an’ I will try to make it u little bit plainer. • Flaw Picker. — -«•». Thickety News. (Corresron'Jtnce of The Ledger.) Thicketv, July 5.—Crops are look ing well here and the farmers are laying by very rapidly. least night a week ago there was a tremendeous storm here. An old gin house was blown down, also some other small buildings. Large trees were uprooted by the terrible storm. Some people were so frightened that night till they trembled like a leaf in the air. I learn that the crops in u portion of North Carolina is destroyed by tlie'hdil storm. There is a family of people who live on J. S. Black’s place who caught a highland terrapin and cook ed it alive. The way they did it. they raked out a hole in the hot em bers and put it in there alive and covered it up. I guess the terrapin did some awful kicking but it was all in vain for it could not retire from it’s destination. J. 8. Black is having lumber pre pared for his fine house at Gaffney. Elbert Henderson went to Clifton yesterday with a load of blackberries. The funeral of Louana Scruggs, col. will be preached at Shady Grove church by Rev. \Y. R. Lipscomb and D. H. Whitenburg on the third Sun day in this month. The Ledger is a charming paper and has a large circulation. Willie Ruppe’s tobacco crop is fine. He has in about an acre. Plough Bov. The Jug Business. We have in this section in a num ber of places an unusually fine quality of clay for making jugs and jars and for fully half a century it has been worked bv a number of people, nota bly among them the Whelehell and Boyles familes who are good work men and first class citizens. Lately this jug business lias assumed pro portions which were not dreamed of a few years ago. Last Friday we saw Mr. Hall Boyles loading a car with his ware for shipment to a neighboring city. With eur fine clays so easy of ac» cess the possibilities in Us manufac ture are scarcely Jimituble. Bucklen's Arnica Salv. The Best Halve in the world for Cuts. Bruises, bores, Ulcer, Halt Rheum, Fever Horea, Tetter, Chapped Hands, Chilblains, Corns, and all Hkin Eruption, and postively cures Piles or no pay requited. It is guar anteed to give perfect satisfaction or money refunded. Price 25 cents per box. For sale by The DuPre Drug Co. J, gutt ng much (Con-ppponilence of The Ledeer.) Etta J ksk. Jn.v 5.—All persons who fee! an interest arc requested to meet at Salem Grave-yard, on Tues day morning, :17th instant, at 8 o’clock, for the purpose of cleaning it off. Mr. and Mrs. C. F. Inman have returned from Gaffney, whither they were summoned to the bed-sale of Mrs. Inman’s sister, Miss < >ra Ken drick. Rev. W. R. Owings preached at Salem yesterday. The announce ment was made that the protracted Meeting would begin t.iere on the second Sabbath in August. , Rev. Mr. Burwell will.assist in the meeting. M iss Lillie Hmarr, whose injuries were mentioned in my last letter. J am giad to state, is better. Much inconvenience to the public is caused by the sinking of the flat at Howell’s Ferry. The people hud to cross the river in a batteau yester day to come to church. We had a very heavy rain yester day evening, i’he land was badly | washed in places and terraces broken, doing considerable damage to the land and crops. Tne fanners are 'pushing to get .tlyough work. The extremely warm weather of.last week overcome some of them, and they were ut able to stand it.* Mr. James Proctor has fever, and is bad oil. There are several cases of sickness reported this week. It is an undeniable fact that we are having the hottest weather for many years. The thermometer scarcely ever gets bolow 105 during the heat of the day. and frequently runs up us high as 10b in the shade. Home people think the new centu ry begins with the year P.XKJ. But it’s a mistake—1900 is only the last year of tiie present century and the 20th century begins at midnight of December 31, 1900. The Christian era began with the year 1 and not 0; and as it takes 100 years to consti tute a century, the-first century did not end until the end of the year 100, > on for the other centuries. J n my letter last week I am made to say that “the North Pacolet Hun- day Hchooi Convention at “Wilson’s Chapel,” instead of “Messopotamia,” and that the congregation was large, notwithstanding the “bad’’ instead of “hot” weather. The sinking of the flat at Howell's Ferry has been quite an inconveni ence to the traveling public. Mea sures should be taken at once to have it replaced by a new one. On Thursday of last week I had the pleasure of hearing two of our colored ministers, Whitterburg and Roberts “lock horns.” (to use a homely phrase.) on the subject of “sanctification.” They hurled scrip tural arguments at each other with a dexterity that would have done credit to more advanced theologists. I can’t say that I was so particularly edified with their arguments as l was con vinced that they have both been dili gent bible readers. It’s an old and true saying— ••Convince ;t man ugulnst his will: He’s of the same opinion stiil.’’ It s a hardship on witnesses who were bound over to Court while we were in the old county, and who at tends as many as two terms of the Court at Union, to lose their per diem and mileage, simply because the cases upon which they uKende i were trans ferred to tne new county Court. We know several in this fix, who have been put to a good deal of trouble and expense, for which they cun get nothing. There must be a screw loose somewhere in transferring the business from the old to the new county that somebody should look after. I din t think that the new county ought to pay anything but its proportionate part of this deb . The old county should bvar its propor tion. There expenses should be taken into consideration when the old and new counties settle upon their re sponsibility for the old county’s in debtedness at the time the new coun ty was formed. These witnesses were compelled to attend Court, and not to pay them, is too hard. Home from about Draytonville, and even Gaffney city, went to Union for two terms of tiie Court there, mnj they can’t get a cent for their time and service. I believe in economy but I don't think it right to economize at the expense of private Individuals, either rich or poor. Mrs. Mary Estes has turned out to be a professional dress-maker, and her services are sought for by those who wish to be tidy. Mr. James Garner (big Jim,) has adopted John Hprouse’s p ! an for keeping cool these I’.igiiis. sprinkling the floor and laying on it. One of Mark Wilkin's boys threw a rock at a chicken of Morgan Cur ry’s and “areidentally” kihid a hog that Morgan wants him to pay for. Morgan may fore the boy pays it. o lo law” be- if the case of luggers is taken as a preivdent it will be best for Marsh to encourage a settlement of the matter. Miss Jessie Htrain spent las* week with her sister, Mrs. Mildred Mc Dowell. of Hickory Grove. We regret to learn of the untimely death of R. W. Harris, •■'Inch hap pened at his home in U .ion, last week. He was the accommodating postmaster of the town, and was to all appearances, getting along as well as iuurt coni 1 wish. 7Us family have our heartfelt sympathies in their bereavement. At the bombardment of Fort Sum ter. April 12th and 13th. IS<»1, Major Robert Anderson had a lieutenant in his command by tiie name of Jeffer son Davis. if the admirers of fir. T a Ini ago will read his sermon of the 27th ult., it will, in a large measure, dissipate their prejudice (If they have any.) Reports are quietly going the rounds that we are to have some weddings in this commutiity before long. This hint is sufficient for the watch dogs to he turned loose at nights. While wife-heaters are disfranchis ed by law and can’t vote, we think the act should he amended so as to include hen-pecked husbands, too. Let the women rule win re they can. I have already given the weights of some of the ladies in this section. There are others still not reported whose “corporosity” will * tip the beam” ut about the same notch—say 90 lbs. Mr. 1’. B. Love, of Hickory Grove, is canvassing for a book—Tne Atlas of the World. It is a valuable book, and contains more information m the same space than any book 1 know of. The extremely hot weather last week caused the top blades of the large corn to die. Our township is renrarkably quiet, only one fight reported during the last month, and that was a small af fair. No blood drawn but a good deal of it shown. “Hambo” spent last night on the York side of tiie river. Will hear from him, perhaps, through The Ledger. I understand the Rev. Mr. Des- champ has been holding a protracted meeting at Flint Hill, with good re sults. Let the work go on! Yesterday was a day sacred to eve ry true American—not only because it was the Holy Sabbath, but because it was tiie one hundred and twenty- first anniversary of American Inde pendence and also the anniversary of the death of three of the nations greatest men, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and James Mon roe. Jefferson and Adams died July 4, 1828, v.itiin a short time of each other, but Jefferson died first. His last words were: “I resign my soul to my God, and my daughter to njy,2 c >untry.” Adams’ last words were: “Jefferson survives.” Jeffer* son does survive. He lives in the hearts of his countrymen. James Monroe died July 4, 1831. He was made conspicuous for having estab lished the Monroe doctrine during his administration. “Uncle Sill” has just finished tax ing up the cost of (2 ue ‘-‘ n Victoria’s jubilee. The fabulous amount ex pended would,’if properiy distributed, tide every poor farmer in .South Ca rolina over tbe hard times and pub him on a cash basis. Mr. Frank McCluney was down last Saturday, looking after his stock farm. Mr. James Woolbright called to see us last Saturday. It is with profound re.rct that we learn of the death of Miss Ora Ken drick. which took place in Gaffney, last Friday. In her death the fam ily have our heartfelt sympathies. She was a young lady of high tone and character. She had many friends in this neighborhood and no enemies, that I know of. Truly death clioosea a shining mark :— "Thou art jiom> to tin* "rave, tmt 'twere wronif to deplore thee. ‘‘When (iod was thy ransom, thy "uardlan and iruide; ‘ lie nave thee, tied took thee, and soon will restore thee. ••Wlnrjdea ii lias no stint;, ntn'c t he Saviour has oieu.” Thou art none to the irrave. we no lonirer be hold thee. Nor treat! the roush pathway of life by thy side: But the wide arms of mercy are spread to enfold thee. And sinners have hope In it Saviour whodiud. J. L. S. A Valuable Prescription. Editor Morrison of Worthington, Ind., “Sun” writes: “You have u val uable prescription in Elotric Bitters, and I can cheerfully recommend it for Constipation and Sick Headache, and as a general system tonic it has no equal.” Mrs. Annie Stehlc. 262f» Ceitage Grove Ave., Chicago, was all run down, could not eat nor digeet food, hud a backache which never left her and felt tired and weary, but six bottles of Electric Bitters r< bton*d her health and renewed her strength. Prices 60 cents aml$l.()0. Get a bot tle at store of Dul'ro Drug Co.