University of South Carolina Libraries
(f~(4y~ Ut~. Is trtrrwMar~ift.rft$~r.~Ar~r. *f~~4~*~ , ~ ~. . ~ . -J K . a2 k~' '4 'Q>' ~ '9 <7.t *'9J~'~'.f Ut.~ A ' .4 4* .Nt; ~ i'*~. ~ . Yt1>Q1~.,' ~...................... ,. .' $t.Th<*.'CY",\ Ythffi1~6.A I' ~ -# .$Lpy~Qftt~~ ' . ,.< -. , . .4. 4 ' 4')) Sc ~ nu6errp 4j~ efl STABLISHED 1865. S. C., TUESDAY,_APRIL ID, 1898. eus. _______ -. ~ - -- - -rz- -- - - - - --- -' -- . - -- -* -- NEWBERRY, _____ ____ TWICE A WEEK, $1.50 A YEAR PERSONAL RECOLLECTIONS OF Till WAR. An Excellent Paper Rad Bofore the Janet D. Nanico Camp by M1r. Jno. A. Chapman. Some months, or perhaps years ago, a committee on history was ap. pointed by your commander, of which committee I was made a member. That committee, as far as I know, has never yet made any report, nor is it well prepared to make any now. I can do this, however, in place of any elaborate history of the company or of the regiment of which the most of you were members during the war between the States, I can give you a brief sketch of my own personal ex perience during those eventful four years which were so disastrous to many of us. It is not necessary at this time to speak of the causes which led to the act of secession of December 20th, 1800. It is enough to note that those causes had existed from the first and that the Union had, in fact, never been perfect. The right to secede had always been held as essential and inalienable by all the original thirteen States that formed the Union. New England more than once had throatoned to leave, and declared that tho annexa tion of Texas was sufficient cause for withdrawal. But New England vas never quite so foolish as actually to withdraw. I am inclined to think that we, of this State, are always a little too hasty and inconsiderate in our ways and mUnnuor of doing things. Speaking for myself, if I could have controlled the action of the State in 1860, we would not have acceded-not that the State did not have the Iight to secede, but that it was not wiso to assert that right, because war would surely fol low and our success in the event of war was doubtful. I believed, how ever, that by acting entirely on the defensive and protracting the war for ton y'ars, that we could achieve our independenco-that success would require ten years and r.ot less. When I joined the Confederate army, in winter quarters at Dalton, Ga., February, 1804, my comrados asked me JoW long the war would last./ "Well," I replied, "ton years." They were appalled at the prospect. "0." I toldI them, "not ten years from this time, but ton years from the beginning." "But," I added, '.you can end the war any time you wish by surrender." "We can't do that," they said. "Very well," I re plied, "you will have to fight it out then and do the best you can."' My career as a soldier began in September, 1863, and I was a soldier of the Confederacy until the surren der at Appomnattox in April, 1805, so that the whole term of my service was a little over 18 months-fully as much as I wanted, but not half the time that some of you had. The exigencies of the Confederacy required the services of all who were able to beak arms, without regard to age, and in the latter part of sum mer, 1863, a levy was made of those who had heoretofore been considered as over age for military- service. Wo of Newberry wvere enrolled in Coin pany F, commanded by Capt. Geor-ge H. Chapman, in the Second Regi ment, State Troops, commanded by Col. William Fort, of Lexington. Our regiment was attached to the com-. mand of Brigadier General Walker, who, as Col. Walker, had so success fully repulsed the odomy at Pocotali go a short time before, for which gallant repulse be was promoted to brigadier. The b)ombardment of Charleston wvas in progress wvhile we were in the city waiting for transportation tc Pocotaligo Station on the Charloston and Savannah Railroad. The heavy boom of the cannons was beard al inteivals day and night, and hert first I was brought into the actual presence of wvar, though I was noi conscious of any danger to mysell personally. When wve arrived at Pocotalig< Station we were marched about fivi miles out into the pine woods to place kcnown as McPhersonville where we remained until the weathe: became cooler, when it was though that we might safely b6 moved dow, between the railroad and the coast near Old Poctaligo-not safe frou af attack of the enemy (from that w were safe at McPhersonvillo), bu safe frotn an attack of fever. Bu we were attacked at McPhorsonvill by an enemy that camo very nea putting the wholo regiment to flight An army of fleas invaded us from th( Northeast, swept through our camp carrying all before it and bearing down opposition of every kind. W< could not kill them; we coulO nol turn them to one side. If we brokc their ranks they immediately closec up again, and all we could do was t< let them have their way and craw: over us, trample upon us and bito is as much as they pleased. In about three days' I iino they passed through the camp and they troubled us nc more. When the weather becamo cool and bracing we wore moved down south or southeast of the railroad in to the swamp country. Wten we weo first moved there the whole country was dry; tho ditches and ponds for watering the rice fiolds had no water in tiom, and a person could pass almost anywhere. When we left, and for some time before, the whole country was flooded, the ditches were full and you could only pass from field to field by keeping on the raised embankments mado for that purpose. We did no fighting while on the coast, except with the floas already mentioned, but picket and gnard duty had, of course, to be performed. We also did some work raising embankments or breastworks preparing for an advance of the one. my, but he never camo while we were there, for which we were very thankful. Ono night, however, late at night, or just before day, we were called up and out to hasten to the station to meet the enemy, who was supposed to be advancing, but he was mot and his advance cheched some miles below us. One day, whilo on duty at Old Pocotaligo, I was shown a live oak through the body of which thoro was a hole as large as a man's head, and during the fight which I have al. ready mentioned one of the onemy while looking through that hole, ob serving the movements of the Con federates, received a bullet through his head and he dropped at the foot of the tree dead. When I was there I crossed the river and looked through the hole, but there was nc fighting going on at the tim-. During noarly the whole timo of our six months' term of service thc health of Company F was f airly good, but near the close of the term a fartal sicness fell upon us anc speedily carried off several. Drayton Cureton, John Mat his, John Boozei and one or twvo others, whose namer I do not now remember, were vie tims. John Mathis died in less thar 24 hours after lhe was taken. Dray. ton Curoton died on tho way homo John Boozer died at home after lini gering a long time. The diseas< was meningetia. At the expiration of our si months' term of service the Seconi Regiment of State Troops ceased t< exist, and its members wecre seat tered to all parts of the Confederacy mostly to Virginia, some to thre coasi anid some remained at borme. wvent as a volunteer to Company B Nineteenth Regimenmt, S. C. V. which was then in winter quarters a' Dalton, Ga., in Glen. Manigaulth~ brigade. Our regiment was coim manded by Col. T. P. Shaw, o Edlgefiold County. At the first gein eral review held on the Sunday afte my arrival in camp, I went into lin without a gun. I could have han one, as thoro wais one in the mecs tent not used that day, but I did no choose to take it, as it wvas not mini and none had been assigned to mc As General Manigault passed aloni the line inspecting tihe mon and them arms, lie observed at once that I hai no arms, and stopped aind inquirer "How's this, no arms?" I repliec "No, sir, I have just come and h)av 00 arms." "HIows did you come?" h says. I replied with only one wort "Volunteer," and lie passed or 1. That afternoon or the next day a gu wna given me. What ho won1A ham said or done if my reply had been, "Conscript," I do not know. 3 The change from the dreary flat, L watery country about Pocotaligo to t the hilly and mountainous region around and above Dalton was per fectly delightful to me. There was :now on the mountains when I reached camp and for some weeks afterwards. The last snow fight I ever had was in March, 1804, while still in winter quarters at this place. In the morning some time after breakfast the fight began. The weather was not very cold nor the snow very deep-just cold enough and deep enough to make snow balling a perfect sport. No doubt ma.iy of you, or all of you old sol diers, have engaged in tho samo sort of battle. When the fight began I looked on awhile without any wish to join in the fun, but after a little I picked up a ball and throw at some one and then I was in for it. I did not stop until I was completely worn out and taken prisoiwr by the oppo sito party. At a grand reviow one bleak, windy day in March I saw General Joseph E. Johnston as wo passed in roview beforo him, the only time I over saw him, though some cf the others I saw oftel, as Hood and andman), with his loig hair. I do not know what othOrs may think of Gen. Joe Johnston, but I think he was the greatest man in all respects that the war produced on either side, Federal or Confederate. We broke up winter quarters the latter part of March, moved above Dalton and fortified the place so strongly that Sherman, with ten times the men he had, could not have forced our position by any di rect attack, and he did not try it. He felt our position and our strength and made no cirect attack, but lie outnumbered us so greatly that he could easily turn our position, which he did. We had about fifty thousand men. He had three times that num ber under his immediato command. Anfl yet with this great disparity in numbers, Johnston had positive or dors-so, ft least, it was said amongst the men-to make a forward move mont. How it was possible for John ston to go forward otherwise than by opening the way for Sherman to move down through Georgia, as Hood did afterwards when he left Atlanta, a movo equivalent to play ing into the enemy's hand, it is difli. cult to understand. Johnston did not go forward nor try to; he know better. Early in May Sherman was moving on Resaca and Johnston was compelled to abandon his position above Dalton and fall back, which he did in good order. Indeed all his movements were in good order. He fought almost every day, and in every light he punished the enemy severely and never threw away the life of a single man and never lost a barrel of crackers which were worth carrying. Some wore spoiled. John ston's retreat from Dalton to Atlanta is one of the most glorious achieve ments of the war. His men hiad the utmost confidence in him, which they did not have in all, and knew that what he said was right. Whben our position above Dalton -was abandoned I was detailed to go wvithi the wvagons and superintend the cooking, a detail against which I protested, as I felt that it was belit tling to receive any such detail. The captain sent for me and toldl me that he had given me that detail be cause he wanted one who was not very ablebodied, and in whom he could have confidenco. Very well, I told him I wvould go of course, as it I was a soldier's duty to go wherever ordered, but if 1 (10 not like it I am L coming b)ack here. "All right," he 3 says, and I took my detail and left. .General Howard, of the Federal army, says in his report of this cam r paign that it rained almost incessant 1 ly during the month of May. Ir ,this Gen,. Howard is mistaken. II ,rained very little during May, butl a through lune it rained all the time, e day and night. There was, how l, ever, one ma. ' during May, wvhich1 .think wvas the hardest downpour. oi a rain to whlich I have ever been ex * nosed. This was in the arely pari of the night of the 9th of May. I was then with the wagons, and we had gone down to a little plaeo called Tilton, near a small river, 8 or 10 miles from our winter quar ters. In the afternoon, towards sun down, clouds began to gather in the West, with some thunder. About this time orders came to us to re turn toourold winter quarters below Dalton. The rain overtook us about nine o'clock-and it rained. The thunder and the lightning were ap palling, and the darkness was in tense, except when the gloom was dispelled by the lightning. Soon the road was flooded with water and mud. It was impossible for me to keep with the wagons, or even to walk, except by getting behind a wagon and holding on and trusting to that to carry me through safely, which it did. I had a good oilcloth which covered the upper part of my body and my baggage, so that I (lid not got much wet, except my lower limbs. At our old winter quarters we took possession of a shelter which had been used as a place of worship, where we built us good firos, dried ourselves and had a good night's rest and sufCerod no damage from our exposure. The next day and night we went to Resaca. And here I first heard the enemy's guns in this cam paign and saw and hoard the burst ing of a shell. I did not remain with the wagons long. I felt that a weight, a heavy burden, was pressing upon me and that I must gzo back to my place in the ranks. I had an easy time with the wagons, but to me it was not pleasant.. So one delightful after. noon, about tho middle of May, I went to Capt. Sullivan, of Edgefied, quarter-master, under whose orders I was at the time, and told him that I wanted to return to my company. "Well," he says, in the easy, quiet way habitual with him, "I reckon you may as well go." And I went. In an hour's time I reported to Capt. Chatham. "Well," he says, "give your dotail to Mr. Young and take his gun," which I did, and took my place in the ranks. The burden was lifted and I felt bouyant and cheer ful. Soon after this I felt that be fore long I would be wounded, but that it would not kill me. Fighting, fighting all the time and the boom ing of the cannon never stopped. But you old soldiers know all about that. I remember one afternoon we stopped to rest, and while resting I wrote a letter to my wife and said to her that I did not then hear the .can non roaring and it might be a day or so hofore I heard them again. It was not two hours before the music began as pleasant as ever. At the battle of New Hope church, which was fought between the 20th and the last of May our company lost one man, killed. Our company was not actually engaged, but was under fire. Here I saw our colonel, T. P. Bbaw, sitting on his horse with his face to the foe, as I had seen him be fore, and as he was afterwards at Franklin, when he wvas shot centrally through the chest and fell from his horse. To let you know and feel how savage men are by nature, I must mention that~ while the batt,le was raging, the cannon roaring and the minnies cracking, I raised myself on my elbow and said,l "By Gleorgo, that's glorious." The enemy suf fered very severely in this engage. meat, though it was by no mecans geneoral. Not long after thuis, I felt that the end of my career as a soldier wvas drawing to a close. The impressior upon my mindl( dleepenedl anmd 'grow~ stronger that I would boe wounde( soon, but that it would not kill ino On the morning of Sunday, May 29 1864I, we were lying in a pileasant pice of wvoods ini the presence o the enemy, where GIranbury's Texas Brig'ade had fought them the (lay be fore. WVhilo lyin.g herre I said to m' brother, Sergeant Chapman, who wa with me: "rThom~as, I'll got it soon but it won't kill mte." I felt that th end was near. That night about hal past 2 o'clock a ball fired from a gui which was very near, came diagonal ly across the line, passed through m; right lao -inat avo tIm ankl,1 *. manuscript togethor, and on my re turn hoino I left the book with him for his final rovibion. Ho read it, ro vised it., loft out some and added somo-very little-and gave it to the printer. Many copies were sold, but whether any are selling now I do not know. There were many and very favorable press notices of it all over tho-country, North as well as South. After a while Dorry's history was published. Of its extent of salo I know nothing. Only recently a his tory of the United States, written by Mrs. Susan Pondloton Leo, with question and summaries for reviews and essays by Miss Louiso Manly, who is herself tho author of "South ern Literature" for the uso of schools, has bon published--1895--by B. F. Johnson, Richmond, Va. What sale the book is lnving, I do not know. It is too largo for the common schools but good for the higher schools; but recently st las had published a smaller book for common schools. And there is Chambers', 11nW used in this State, published by the University Co., New York -wo sizes, 80c , and $1.00. Now, hero aro four school histories of the United States all by Southern wvriters, besides Miss 'A13aly's South erin Literature, which is for ns in schools, niter of which his over bo)etadoptod by the Board of Edu cation of this State, Vxcppt Cham. bors'. To this list of geoneral historios of the United States must be added soveral othors, moro local in their character. In 1866 appeared Cald. well's history of McGowan's Brigade, a small written work, and ono which has been montioned by roadors com peteit, to judge, as a history 1s ac curato and truthful as it is possible for history to bo. How it. was re ceived you know. Then only a few years ago was published MrCarwile's Reminiscences of Newborry, in which tho writer set down his own recollections of persons and ovents in Nowborry. A very ontertaining, valuable and re liablo work, for the tithor was a good writor, and as honest and truth fil as the (lay. In 18S92 wis published the second part of the Annals of Newberry, be. ing a continuation of O'Noall's Annals. In 1893 was published at New berry, by the Newberry Publishing Company, the first edition of Chap man's School History of South Caro lina, now published by the Waddy Co., Richmond, Va. This book wais adop)ted by the State Board of Edu-. cation and has been well received. Just published, in 189~i, by i'. H1. Aull at Newberry, a llistory of Edlgefield County, which is genoraliy wvell received, but its final fate niot yet diecidled. Now, I hope the miembers of the Camp will not 1)0 angry with me when I say that if the people1 of this State, or of any Southern State, per mit the names of (.heir ancestors to go dowvn to posterity under a cloud of infamy and shame as rebels and traitors, tho fault is the(ir owti. They have mamde their own history iandlit is their duty to write it. its it is, and un. p)erver1tedl atid clear anmd clean. You, soliers, may comnrados, are not con scious of llavinig lbeen reb)els and traitoirs at any time ini thme past dutr ing the four years of loody iand (dis. astrous wvar. I know thaimt I wvas nAt either a rebel or a trmitor. It is true that I wvould riot have aecedeQd in I1(0, or anmy t imre, becanso I know thamt wvar wvould followv, andi I hail great doubts of t he final isstuo. But I would gladly havo~ died for thi< success of the Con federate Caniso. It. is our fault, and thle fanult of th< y o-mger genorat ionts, it shamne anm infamy co)ver tihe im'emroriens of t hos wvho fought for the IntdeJpiendece o the Confederacy. Hie deserves shame andt( everlasting infamiy who hias sne(erinlg word, or smnila, or jest whier hie speaks of the men of the oild South unt we cannot keep their memorie green if we put book-i into the hand of our children and1( granid-childrei which meiition their anestors a rebels and traitors, though ever s brave, and excuse tIhe treason and rc be!llion, because forsooth t hey, Mhouglh they wern right. We mniut. gie than tored the stonah of Capt. Chatham, mortally wounding him. I was lying upon my loft side and he upon his right near me. My first, words after the ball struck mc was, "boys I've got it." The rest, "0 Lord, how it hurts." I got up and tried to walk, but could not touch my right foot to the ground. Sergeant Matthews said to me, "Mr. Chapman, lie down." I replied, "take me to the rear." Billy Roose with his litter camo up, placed me carefully upon it and bore me off. I said to him: "Billy, take care of my gun and send it to the arsonal or ammunition wagon." "0," said he, "damn your gun, wo are after taking caro of you now." So my career as a soldio. in the field ended. Then followed the many and agonizing weeks of suffering in the hospital. I was at Atlanta and Forsyth 72 days before I could got a furlough and go home. Seven weeks of the time, or mn-re, the agony was so excruciatig ti hat it soomed to ino death would IVO been a welCom0 visitor. But I livo yet, and iy life since the war has not buon unhappy. On the 10th day of Augustil received a furlough for sixty days, and on the 13th I arrived it. home safo and found all well. This is a briof sketch of my career as a soldier. Much more might be added, but many of you old soldiors who woro out two, three and four years had a much more varied expo rience than mine, and in soin re spects much harder. I never suffered for the want of food as someo of you did. Before I close this report pormnit. me to make a fow remarks on his tories of the United States for use in our common schools. You are aware that there is a great deal of com plaint of the histories on account of their unfairness, or supposed unfair. ness of statements not only in regard to the late war between the States, but also in other matters long pro ceding. It is thought that undue prominence is given to some sections to the neglect of others, even though what is said of the others may I-o fair and true. Since I left off business as a book seller, I havo not taken the pains to read carefully any of the United States histories now used in the coim mon schools. When I was a book seller I think Swinton's United States was the one most generally used. And that, my recollection is, was quite fair. Barnes' I have never read, nor Eggleton's, and cannot pronounce upon their merits. vhen I was in business I sold a good many of Stephens', and also of Derry's; both by Southern writers, though neither was adopted lby the School Board of this State. Stephens' wva" used extensively in other States b)o sides this, though what it is doing now, I am unable to say. Perhaps nothling. Not long after the war Mr. W. J. Duffie, an enterprising bookseller and puIblisher doing business in Co kunWbia requested me to p)reparo' a child's history of the United States, stating that he wvould publish it in conjunction wit.h Mr. Halo, of New York. I set to work immediately andi( prep)ared the book aind sont him the manuscript. lHe at once ;ent the' manuscript to Mr. Stephons at Crawv fordville, Ga., requesting him to father it after a careful revision. Mr. Stephens read it at onco before he slept t hat niight and immediately wrote for me to go to see him for the purpose or hlaving ain interview.I went, stayed with him 010 (lay arid returned hoime. Meanit inmo Mr. Duflie's views as to the size of the book underwent a chanlge, and( 1be concluded to miake a larger work.I set to work agin, rewrote tiho whlolo work, mnaking it sub)stanltially what it was whenl first pullishled im 18372. On my retulrni to Mr. Stephenls, whlichl I did atl his re<iu10st wilen lhe was able to give his attention to thte work, we read a large part of thle mannuscript together, he making some emendations arid I writing some at his dlictation -a feow pages. I b)ronght f tile mannscript hack with me, buit onl i my third visit to hlim, after I had - done all I coulld to comn photo thle work 'at home, during my three weeks stay . at his bouMe we rea th. mat of th t,oiks that will teach themu to believe, nlot t "it they thought they were right, but that they were right. So cession was not treason nor rebellion. It was the act of a sovereign State seeking to break the bonds made by itself that, bound it to other States, and to place itself as it was beforo the union. Perhaps the act. was un wiso and foolish, but it was neitht-r robollion nor troason. It is the duty of the people of the South to sustain their own home writers of history and to buy as few as possiblo writttn by Northern authors. This position -I take, not out of hatrod or disliko towards the people of the North, but as matter Of self-defenso. Wo must do our own thinking, mako our own books aind carvo out our own dIny- . Permit in to add that South Caro lina is the oldest indepondent Stato oti the American cont inent. She had thrown off ill ialegiance to Great Britian, and had in perfect and ac tive operation a wel ortanized gov ermeiit as i naitioi soveral monthis boforo the Doc.laration of I udepend once by the colonicis in 1776. Al ways the first, to assert hor rightr, mil always most tenacious of hor an cieit privileges. Shame to him, eternal sham to hin who would now, il itny way, seek to belittle (ho old South. Respectfully submitted, JoiN A. CHAPMAN, COID. P. S.--Since the foregoing was prepared and written for thoecamp not sinew it was read--thore has been publishod the firit volume of Clon. McCrady'h history of South Carolini, bringing it down to ani1d including t1.0 IVOlution of 17 IV. Also the history of upper Carolina, but more particr larly of Spartanburg, bringing it down to the closo oi tho Revolation ary War. First Volumo by J. 0. B. Landrum. Bot Ii two, large for uso in tho public schools. Me'. ir'e Mbiags4ziieu for t pril. ln tho way of porsonal leiloirs of Ihe Civil Wiar, tIhero has been noth ing more intorosting published than Charlos A. Dana's " and much the most interesting of thoso thus farl is the paper in Mc Clure's Magazino for April, giving Mr. Dana's recollections of Limoin and his Cabinet. Living in tho closest ofli -ial ial . 4wial relations with Lincoln amd tho members of the Cabinot for a considorable tinio, Mr. Daii,s opportunities for knowing thom wero perfect; and lie ias sot forth his impressions of thin with I hat perfet frankness anid that sure sense of the contral characteristic wyhicoh make his p)ortraituires so real and(1 dlefiito. Thof piortraits froma phlot.ograaph' in thle Go~vernmnt Civil WVar collectio ad ld to the in forest of the paper5. Aniothe 1 e1 xtremealy initeresting pa por in tihe April McClure's is a series of heroic stories of thie Gordon Hiugh.. landers, who crowvaed themselves with glory last autumn in charging t.hrough a deadly lire amid captuinig an almost imupregniable positioni at lhe summit of the D)argni cliff. This wvas no nowv fent for (lie Gordlons, and the article tells thle story of a number of the same kind. It is ii lustrated with views of historic charges and1( with othier p)icturos0. Four nowv story writers appear in th,is number of M~cCluro's; anud they atppear, too, wvithI great credlit to themselves, for four better short stories thtan they supply are not to be fonnd in any one number of a miagaztine. And an instailment of Anthloniy H op)e's "Rtupert of Hont zau"' thamt flinigs yet aniother chamrm over Rass mrd3 ll andl Flav ia anid gives yet anot.bor tun and t remt r to t heir icomlplexit ies, anmd we- have, in the fictioni of th num 11 iber', at variiety mand earLainut.y of outtainmount sumT cient far thle needs of almitost aniy publilc. Mr. H-amilin U arland provides "A Itomanico of' Wal Street"'- -a verny apiIt des.-igrmttioni of thle story of the Gr ant and1( Warid fil urt', which I o retells from now material. Mr. Her bort E. Humlon (cone~1'us his chap tor-s froni real railr'o ad Ii fe wvithI an accounmt of his experience as engineer of a passenger locomotive, relat.nag advent.ures wvith traini robbers, oh stinatoi presidents, strikers, andic drunken engineers. The artieo is adnirably ill ust rated wvith mnore of M%r. Stev " s dIrawings from life. T1na S. S. Mc,CLuin Co, a 14 1. 155 E. 25th Street, New York City. A torpid liver robs vou of ambl, ni nital RIuercI4leansoi tee liver, cuai consUL a.to'n ana all stomachi andi liver troubles. W. JE.