The watchman and southron. (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, September 03, 1910, Image 3
<br ??Rattbman IM Soutbnm
hltnJ ?4 the Powtodk w mt. Saaater. 8.
C mm Heroid Claus flatter.
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PERSON AI*
Mr. and Mrs. C. W. McGrew and
children have returned from a short
visit to relatives at Columbia.
Mr. 1 M l. >\rea has returned from
Manning.
Mr. C. C. Peck has returned to the
city from New York
Mr. 8. I. Till has returned from
Manning.
Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell Levl and
Mr. Wendell I^evl have returned home
after an extended visit to relatives in
Chicago.
Miss Etta Axh?>n. mi Charleston, Is
visiting Mrs. O. M Zelgler.
Mrs. R. K. Wilder returned Tues?
day from several weeks stay at
Glenn Springs.
Mrs. L. E. White Is visiting rela?
tives at Brogdon.
Miss Louise Plowden, of Manning,
la visiting Miss Fannie White on
North Main street.
Mr. and Mrs. W. J. Grlggs. of
Wadesboro. N. C. who have been
visiting Mr. and Mrs. R. B. Ken?
nedy have returned ?o their home.
Miss Mabell Condon, the attractive
gueat of Capt. and Mrs. J. F. Kirk
land, on Oakland avenue, has with
her. Misses Leila Peatle and Maymle
Matthews, of Charleston.
Rev. and Mrs. David Klein have
arrived in this city from Petersburg,
Va. and will make their home here.
Rev. Klein taking charge of Congre?
gation Sinai.
Rev Watson B. Dur.can and daugh
terer, Miss Leeste, formerly of this
city but now of Charleston, are visit?
ing friends In the city.
Mr. O. C. Nesmlth. of Summerton,
was in town Thursday.
Mlsa Ethel Gaudelocks. of George?
town, spent Wednesday in the city
en route to visit relatives at Oaffney.
Mrs. J. R. Way and daughters.
Mlasea Ruth and Atha, who have
been visiting relatives in the city have
returned to their home at Manning.
Mrs. W. Lor In* Lee has returned
to the city after several weeks stay
at Sullivan's Island.
Mr. E. B. Muldrow. of Mayesvllle.
spent Thursday In town.
Mr. W. L. Saunders. of Stateburg,
was In the city Thursday.
Miss Mabel Bowman, who has been
visiting her sister In Clarkevllle, Ga.,
for several weeks. has returned
Miss Willi? Martin, of Pinewood, is
the attractive guest of Miss Marie
DuRant at h*r home on Hampton
avenue.
Mrs. M. A. Flowers has returned
from a visit to her sons Messrs. A.
O and T. R Flowers at Washington.
D. C.
I.ucIuh < Sylvester Demi.
The Columbia Record of August
29. published the following notice of
a well known citizen of that city. Mr.
Sylvesters family formerly lived in
the Providence section of Sumter
county, but removed to Columbia a
number of vears before the war. Ills
mother was a Dlnkins. sister of the
late Tyre Dlnkins of this place:
Mr. Lucius C. Sylvester, for 15
years teacher and 18 years superin?
tendent of education for Rlchland
county, died at his residence. 142?
Park street. Sunday afternoon, Aug?
ust 21th
Mr. Sylvester always manifested
greet interest In the growth and de?
velopment of the county schools, es?
pecially In the rural sections. He
was graduated at the Fnlverslty of
South Carolina before the War of the
? ons He was born In Sumter
county, but removing to Columbia at
an early age, he considered Rlchland
his home county. He began his most
conspicuous work as a teacher after
th# war and during 'he period of re?
construction his efforts to rehabilitate
the h?m. * o< ' urrlng to the s ?hools
during the w ir w.-r?> notable. Many
Columhian* who were his pupils are
saddened to b arn of his death which
occurred at ihe advanced age of SO
year*
I 'i Lahor I?.? n Kaiis
The Judges for th?- hley< le races on
labor day are as follows:
Mennrs. Arthur Wilder. J II. Guth?
rie and 8. Y. Delgar.
Mr Eugene Wlhb r will get ai
starter
The bicycle rares. whl< h take pi o ?
on Labor Day ?night to attract large
crowds ->f Loth sp?M tat?>r* and rarer*
as the races are well w?>rth gfalag
and th* prise* are well worth win?
ning
The big hlevi-le races will begin at
f-rn'r ??f Main nn.l Calboun stre?>t
at 4 ??' lo k sharp Monday evening.
September 5th. F.v.?ry lady turn
out an?! see the fun. The g?ihl watch
thfct will he glv n f?.r first prize in
the 1-2 mile race can he M?'#>n In L.
W P^afgOJS'l Whsdow,
A CITADEL CADET'S MEMORIES
OF THE WAR. I
The Trail of Sherman's Devastating
llost?How the liar Koom at Ches?
ter was lioonted?A Bellicose Com?
panion?WUIi Cien. Kershuw In
Virginia?The Evacuation of Rich?
mond by the Confederate Forces.
( By the Rev. John Kershaw in Sun?
day News.)
VIII.
In sweeping across the State, Sher?
man's army had practically destroy?
ed railway communication wherever
his line of march touched the rail?
roads. It was so with the road from
Canulen to Columbia, In one direction
and Sumter in another. Owing to
tho fact that Sherman was threat
cuing the line of the Wilmington and
Waldos Railway, the only open
route to Richmond was by Charlotte,
N. C.i and Greensboro to Danville,
Va.. thence to Richmond. The near?
est point on the railway from Cam
gag that I could reach, going to Char?
lotte, was Chester, S. C. An old sol?
dier, a captain in Whet ler's cavalry,
was also anxious to regain his com?
mand, and together we set out in a
buggy for Chester. Our route took
us over that part of Sherman's march
which lay between Liberty Hill and
Camden.
No one who has not followed In the
wake of an invading army can im?
agine the reality and completeness of
the devastation. The roads themselves
were rendered hardly passable by
reason of being cut up by the artillery
and the wagon train, especially as in
this case where heavy reans aided the
work of road destruction. Our pace
was very slow.?we drove at a
walk most of the way? and all along
tho road were strewn the carcasses of
horses and cattle, o'.d vehicles in
which the negroes had sought to
keep up with the army, and castaway
clothing that had become too heavy
to be carried further. Wherever the
army had encamped, fences had whol?
ly disappeared, and except in those
few instances in which their owners
had run them off to places of safety,
all the cattle and sheep had been tak?
en to feed the army. Most of the
negroes also had followed Sherman,
and this left the country depopulat?
ed except of women and children.
Stacks of chimneys all along showed
where houses had been burned eith?
er by "bummers" or the negroes In a
spirit of revenge, and altogether the
desolation was extreme and most dis?
heartening The passage of a friend?
ly army Is bad enough, but that of
a hostile force Is doubly bad, especial?
ly where it means, as here, the car?
rying away of the laborers from the
fields, leaving only the wives and
children, whose husbands and father*
were gone to the war.
After three days of this slow travel?
ling we reached Chester. The town
was full of soldiers?some trying to
rejoin their commands, some return?
ed prisoners Just exchanged, and some
who could have, j^lven no very clear
account of why they were there or
what they were doing. Among oth?
ers were numbers of Wheeler's cav?
alry, with whom my friend soon
fraternized. There was a provost
marshal In charge of the town, but
a very lawless state of things existed,
and after several bloody rows had
occurred between drunken sollders,
orders were issued to close the bar
rooms. This created great excite?
ment and was fiercely resented by
many of the soldiers. Some of Wheel?
er's men prepared to smash the doors
of the bar rooms and get what they
wanted In spite of the orders to the
Contrary, My friend who seemed
thirsty, fell Into this scheme, and be?
ing a captain, was put In command of
the lawless horde seeking a drink. I
u is foolish enough to go along also.
I did not wish to leave him, and I
wanted also to see the fun. The cap?
tain marched his gang up to the
nearest bar room, kicked down the
door, and we all surged In, the men
helping themselves to all tho liquor
they wanted, While so employed I
v through the window a large force
evidently coming to arrest the rioters,
and I so reported to the men inside
While they hesitate,1 what to do, 1
succeeded in persuading my friend to
<nt ami run" for it. We escaped
throng* the back door, ran through
the garden, eltnihed ? fence and mak
i detour of more than half the town,
got hack to our hotel on the rail
road. We thus escaped) out we learn"
ed afterwards that after a stout re
Istance the Whole raiding party bad
been bagged and Imprisoned,
I got my friend to bed, where he
? on fell asleep, while I Joined a
I idy in the parlor. We were at SUP
per together when i heard ? loud
voice in altercation in the lobby of
?n? hotel, and excused myself that i
might go and ascertain the cause,
having recognised the voice as that
of my friend. When i reached the
lohby i found him lowering above a
little man in a threatening attitude
while he declaimed: MTes!M when
Sherman's army was passing through
the Mate Where was its chivalry?
Gone to the swamps and the bushes"
?this with Intens, acorn, The Httle
man mumbled something in reply
whleh I 4M not <:it<h, hut as soon as
my friend saw me, he said, "Come
hero, Jack, and whip this fellow." I
said I had no rau.se of quarrel with
him, and perusaded my belligerent i
companion to come in to supper.
The next day w?> Went as far an
Charlotte. There my friend and I
met with a mutual acquaintance who
was on his way to Virginia, and we
r. solved to stick together. I went
to bed early that night. 1 do not j
know how long I slept, but I awoke ;
suddenly to find my ?rst friend badly j
cut with a knife and a doctor sew
ing up his hand, while the other
friend looked on and assisted. It
turned out that he had had a fight
at the supper table and while he had
struck his opponent a serious blow I
with his right h^.nd, he had caught
his knife with his left and In the ef?
fort to get it loose his opponent had !
turned the blade in his hand and
sliced off part of a finger and some
of the fieshy part of the palm, mak- j
ing an ugly wound. Fearing arrest I
and detention, we stole away to the
railroad station and taking a troop
train that passed along, with a por?
tion of Hood's army, we went on to I
Salisbury and thence to Greensboro,
where I parted from my quarrelsome
companion, and getting into a box
car full of hay, arrived at Richmond,
on Saturday night, April 1.
I met my father at the Soldiers'
Home?the old Exchange Hotel?and
one of his staff, behind whom 1 rode
out to father's headquarters. I re?
call the fact that the horse's spinal
column was very sharp and I was
inexpressibly pleased when I could
dismount. As we rode along, the
whole Southern sky was punctured
by swift flashes of light that remind?
ed one of summer lightning, but In
realty represented the flashing of the
guns on the lines around Petersburg,
where a night attack was going on,
preparatory to the great final assault
Of the next morning, which led to
the evacuation of both Richmond and
Petersburg by the Confederate forces,
j The wind was blowing from the north
or northwest and while the flash?
ing of the cannon was very distinct,
not a sound of the firing reached our
ears. We knew, however, what it
portended, and there was a very gen?
eral anticipation that the great strug?
gle in that quarter was nearing its
end. On the north side of the James
River, at that time were Kershaw's
division of Liongstreet's corps 'minus
one brigade, sent to South Carolina
to oppose Sherman,) Gary's cavalry
brigade, together with the dismount?
ed men of his command serving as
infantry, and several batteries of
artillery?and perhaps some frag?
ments of other commands doing pro
ost duty in and around Richmond.
All the troops that could possibly be
spared from both armies had been
sent to the south side of the James
In preparation for the great final
test of strength. The lines In places
were very close together and the pick?
ets could easily converse with one
another. There was a tacit agree?
ment between them that there should
he no sharpshootlng, and hence quiet
reigned supreme. To a boy like my?
self with certain preconceived opin?
ions of how opposing armies thus
confronted one another would act,
this peacefulness was very disconcert?
ing.
When I awoke next morning?it
was Sunday?and from the porch of
headquarters saw the enemy's cav?
alry picket so near to our lines and
ours so near to theirs, it seemed very
strange that they did not fire upon
each other. I noticed also that a
hand would march to a certain point
on the line and play a piece or two,
then go on rapidly to another point,
where they would go through with
the samt' performance, and 1 naturally
asked tor an explanation, which was
that this ruse was intended to make
it appear to the enemy that there
was a much larger force present than
was really the case. Whether it had
the effect Is doubtful, hut i thought
it a very fine piece of justifiable de?
ception, war and diplomacy combined.
After breakfast, while engaged In
getting my hearings, T saw a courier
from t'.ie direction of Richmond r'de
UP an.! deliver a dispatch to one of
father's aides. I noticed that as he
read It he looked very anxious, and
presently calling me Inside, told me
that Richmond was to be evacuated
that night that he had Intended to
give in?, a horse and let me join one
id* the cavalry compalnes from Cam
den In the 7th regiment of Gary's
brigade, but that in the face of the
order of evacuation just received and
the gre.il uncertainties that seemed
SO imminent. he would keep me with
himself and assign me to duty ns a
courier, And this is hew I became
entitled to he called, ,is l now am a
"Veteran" of the late I'. B. A.
IX.
Richmond Ki acuated.
Somehow the news of what was
Impending got abroad?had news al
Wayi travels last -and Indications
were soon plentiful that a. great
movement was at hand. Staff otll
cers and couriers were dispatched in
every direction with orden concern?
ing the evacuation of the lines that
night, rations were cooked, knapsacks
packed, blankets rolled and every?
thing made ready against the time
for moving "on to Richmond", The
day Anally ended, but the light from
burning shanties that had she ltered
BAGGING
AND
TIES
' I HE season is near at hand when the producers of the
Tfleecy staple wibe ooking around for the, where?
with to cover it. Farmers are to be congratuated
I , on the fact that bagging and ties wi cost thenT but
l""-*"*4"4 litte more than it did when cotton was seing t
six to eight cents, and there is no rtice of merchandise in which
they invest, that pays them a handsomer return. We carry a
full line in all weights in
New Jute and Sugar Sack Bagging also
New Arrow Ties
We have a veryq choice grade of
second hand Jute bagging put up
thirty yards to the roll. It is the
best of its kind we have ever seen,
full standard 2 pounds.
Price ft cents per Yard.
This is especially suited to glnners
who furnish bagging and tiee and
gin for special price. It will pay
you to get prices on other grades be?
fore placing your order.
OUR GROCERY DEPARTMENT.
Is well stocked with cotton picking
necessities:
600 bags of rice at 2 1-2 cents per
pound up.
350 barrels Flour.
We are selling a good flour at $6.00
per barrel.
25,000 pounds Butts *ad Plates.
Meat is very much cheaper than
it was.
400 Bags Meal and 200 Bags Grits
'TH HOSE who contemplate engaging in the mercantile business
*? during the Fall and Winter months will do well to get our
prices before buying, as there is no larger stock from which to
select, and our prices will always be found as low as the lowest,
O'DONNELL & CO.
the men during the rigors of winter
shed a lurid light upon the sVene. As
I rode down to the picket line with
an order for the officer in command
several times I was greeted from the
other side by cries like this: "Good?
bye, Johnny! We'll take breakfast
at the Spottswood tomorrow morn?
ing." This was the name of a lead?
ing hotel in Richmond. "So they have j
found it out, too," I thought to my-1
self. We did not move as early as
we had intended, however, for we
were obliged to wait for some of our
distant pickets to come up?we did
not wish to leave them behind to
certain capture. Finally, about 4
o'clock A. M., we moved off on the
Richmond road, being joined by the
pickets that we had waited for, and
closely followed, though not pressed
or attacked by the Federals.
All of sudden there was a great
ldaze of light in the sky towards
Drewry'i Bluff, followed by another,
and still another, as the Confederate
gunboats were blown up to avoid cap?
ture. The earth upheaved under the
terrific concussion as In the throes
of an earthquake, and the sound of
the explosion was simply awful. As
we neared Richmond the Government
warehouses loaded with tobacco, and
?hipi In the river were seen to be
burning, railway trains were rumbling
over the river bridge, and an indes?
cribable babel of sounds was floated
to our ears as we marched sullenly
and silently on In the grey dawn. As
we passed up through "The Rockets"
?a part of Richmond inhabited by
factory people?great crowds of
whites and blacks of both sexes and
nil ages lined the sidewalks. Many
Were the fervent and damning fare?
wells we received from this mob.
Plats were shaken, curses were mut?
tered, though here and there a sob
was heard and a heart-broken voice
said "good-bye" to the boys who had
so long stood between their homes
and the dreaded enemy. As we g'>t
further up towards Mayo's bridge,
where we were to cross the river,
this mob again began to display the
true mob spirit. One would hear the
thud of axes falling upon front doors,
a crash as the doors gave way. ami
then the mob would surge Into the
store <.r shop and presently reappear
with dry goods and groceries of ev?
ery description, blankets, tinware,
hats, boots and shoes. As fast as one
place was looted another would be
attacked, until finally an order came
to lire upon the mob and disperse it.
\ battalion of troops was quickly
formed and a volley fired. In the
most Inscrutable manner, "in a mo?
ment, in the twinkling of an eye,"
the mob melted away, but as soon as
the troops were withdrawn the plund
ering wen1, on as before.
Some of the Richmond people were
afraid lest the Federals on entering
would find the stores of liquor and,
becoming intoxicated, would add ra?
pine to the horrors of pillage. They
therefore went about opening the
liquor stores, dragging out the barrels
and knocking in their heads, pour
the contents into the gutter, which
in places ran with whiskey an inch
deep or more. The soldiers dipped
it up in their little tin cups as they
marched along and drank It, but they
were not allowed to halt until safely
over the bridge and into Manchester.
When the great conflagration broke
out this liquor caught fire and doubt?
less aided to spread the flames. A
sloop on fire in the river drifted
against the covered portion of the
bridge nearest the city and set that
on fire also. The Confederate treasury
was entered by many and haversacks
full of the valuless bills were taken.
One man offered me a handful of
hundred dollar bills. I looked at one
and saw it was unsigned. He was
much disgusted by the discovery and
heaved the whole wad into the river.
The Confederate Arsenal was set on
fire or caught, and the bursting of
shells sounded like the roir of a
heavy engagement.
We halted near the bridge until
the rear guard passed, when we also
moved on and halted in the quiet
streets of Manchester. From that
point the view of Richmond was ter
rlble indeed. The whole city seemed
to he doomed to destruction. The
sun rose upon a dense black cloud
of smoke hanging over the Capital of
the Confederacy, while the roar of
flames was audible miles away. A
Hour mill, of seven or eight stories In
height, near the river, was also tired,
and the last sight we had of any ob
jeet in the stricken city was that of
this mill as the flames licked the
skies from its top story. To enheart
en the soldiers the hands were order?
ed to play, and so to lively music we
set out on the retreat. In Manchester
we were joined by a battalion of de?
partmental clerks and others In the
Government's employ, and by the
battalion of naval troops from the
gunboats In the James, brave fel?
lows enough, but unused to march?
ing. The road soon became strewn
with cast-off clothing with which
many of the clerks had burdened
themselves when they first set out,
and many became so footsore that
they marched barefooted, our ob?
jective point was Amelia Court
House, where it was said we would
Join the remnants of the army from
Petersburg.
The men seemed full of life and
spirit glad to get away from the
monotonous duty of the intrench
ments?and they were full of their
jokes as they took the "route step"
and plodded along through dust and
mire. I was sent with a message to
the rear of our column during the
day. After delivering it, as I was
j returning, I passed Gary's dismount?
ed men, some of whom recognised
me and called: "Hello! Jack." I stop?
ped, shook hands and chatted as I
rode along for a few minutes, then
saying good-bye, I pushed on towards
the front of the division. The troops
just in front of Gary's men took up
the cry, "Hello Jack" as I passed,
and seeing it embarrassed me, It was
continued along the line, I respond?
ing as best I could, but finajly, when
about a thousand fellows got? laugh?
ing and shouting "Hello Jack," I
could stand it no longer, and leaping
the horse over a rail fence, took to
the field, pursued by the frantic yells
and shouts until I rode out of hear?
ing.
(To be Continued.)
?"Can be depended upon" is an ex?
pression we all like to hear, and
when it is used in connection with
I Chamberlain's Colic, Cholera and
Diarrhoea Remedy it means that It
never fails to cure dirrhoea, dysen?
tery or bowel complaints. It is pleas?
ant to take and equally valuable for
children and adults. Sold by W. W.
Sibert._
UOUf
Oracle
WE OFFER YOU HERE
100 cents of value for every dol?
lar you spend. You will hnd it
doubly difficult to obtain better,
stronger, more handsome and dur?
able furniture than that we sell al?
so to obtain lower prices than
what we a$k on our goods, "A
square deal*' is our way of doing
businessjts a "Trade'Winner".
Witherspoon Bros.
Furniture Com
' pany.