Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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EXPERIENCES O! COUNTY < (By Mrs. J. Frost Walker., Member of William Wallace Chapter, U. I). C.) Thinking over this subject and wondering what I should write, I realize that no subject is more fitting than the experiences of some of our Confederate soldiers of Union county, for the Daughters of our Chapter to hear about. Why not write the history of soldiers about us, that live in our county ?get their personal experiences, and uu wiiat ?i; imn in minor iut*ii t'i v n is too late! 1 decided to take some of the most interesting experiences of my father and eight uncles in the War Hot.veer, the States. Seven brothers went from my father's family and my mother's two brothers went. I give this history, not for personal glory but liecause these men were Union county Confederate soldier* and these are facts told me by members of my family who are living today. f ' ^ CAPT. CHARXEK CREEK, (Left) Co. A. 18th Reg. S. C. V. The Only Member of Co. A Who Came Out of the "Crater" Alive. T. JEFFERSON GREEK, (Right) Capt. Co. B, 18th Itegiment. Lost His Leg in the Fight at Bur. gess's Mill. LIEUT. JOHN W. GREER?He volunteered in 18(52 under Gen. Pillow and served till the close of the war. At the battle of Port Hudson, July (5, 18(52, he had his right arm shot off by a cannon ball; grasping the flag with his left hand, he exclaimed, "I've got one more" and rushed onward till he fell exhausted. At the fall of the fort he was carried as a prisoner to New Orleans, where a French family were allowed to nurse him back to health. A young lady in the family presented this hand-made flag to him and he managed to conceal it about his person during his imprisonment, bringing it home with him in Dec., of 18(54 or January of 18(55, for he was sent to Charleston, S. C., with (500 officers and placed as breastworks on John's Island for our own army to kill in place of the enemy. He was a volunteer in the infantry from Helena, Phillips county, Arkansas, belonging to Gen. Kirby Smith's western army. Today he lies buried in Mariana, Lee county, Arkansas. J. M. GREER, One of the 16-Year-Old Boys. ROBERT H. GREER?He volun iceren under < 01. .icriKins. m mc Haiti e of Seven Pines a piece of shell struck him in the face, lie always wore a heavy heard to hide the unsightly scars. He surrendered at Appomattox Court House on April Oth, lfttln. He lies buried in Sardis churchyard about seven miles below Union. WM. WESLEY (HIKER?He lies buried in Sardis churchyard, volunteered with the .Johnson Rifles, commanded by ('apt. J. W. (loss. He served two years and was not wounded. Fie died of tuberculosis contracted by exposure on the battlefield. The following statement is taken from "Progress," one of our county weeklv papers: "LIEUT. CHARNER S. GREER, who was one of the brave soldiers Union county furnished the Confederate army, and who had the distinction of being buried rdive in a bomb nroof nit following the jiwful 'Vr!1tor" explosion at Petersburg on July 30th. 1H64, only escaping with his life by digging his way through many feet of earth with his trusted sword. 'How did I get out?' asked Lieutenant Greer in response to a Progress man's F UNION CONFEDERATES \ query as to how he escaped. 'Well, it was remarkable, and for a while I was the worst scared in my lift. You see it was that first night that i I, in company with Lieutenant Hill of Cross Anchor, spent in the bomb j proof pit. When the Yankees blew un j the mines that made the "crater," it threw great piles of dirt over the month of our bomb proof pit, and we were shut in, it looked for a while like in a living grave, for we were there from before daybreak until about 1 o'clock in the afternoon. Soon after I realized what had happened I i began wondering how I could get out; then I thought of my sword, and began digging away with it at the edge of the roof of the pit, which had been formed of poles with many feet of earth tramped down on it to offer protection from gun fire. It was a slow business, but little by little I dug the earth away, and finally got through about eight feet, so that 1 could see daylight. I?y that time I was terribly thirsty, and climbing up to the top of the hole 1 had made, 1 looked out to see what had happened, and how near the Yankees were, if they should he around. On reaching the top of the hole and looking out I saw the Yankees were almost right at me. 1 wanted water so had I called to one of them and asked for a drink. The Yankee officer heard me, hut hung his head, and made no reply. A negro soldier, who was standing near him, said, "I'll give you water," and seeing him raise his gun to shoot I dropped down the hole, and the bullet, hitting where I had been, knocked a lot of dirt down on my head. Not long after that General "Billy" Mo"hun, as brave a Confederate soldier as Virginia sent out, with one brigade charged in an effort to recapture the breastworks. Looking out again, I saw his men lying flat on the ground with the Yankees firing across them two ways. Then Mohun brought up another brigade, and all of them rushed forward and took the breastworks. As they charged, some of them hearing me call, reached down and pulled me out of the pit where I had been so long, and which it seemed would be my grave, and so I was saved from an awful death.'" rru u i i ?i nwu^ii uicuiciiitni virt'ur, who was born on November 22nd, 18:5(5, about seven miles from this city, and who enlisted with the Cross Keys company, Robert J. Betsill commanding, in 18(51, was in many of the big fights, only surrending with Lee at Appomattox, he received but one wound, and that in the shoulder at the battle of Sharpsburg." B. FRANK GREER?He volunteered in December, 1860, with Gadberry's "Minute Men." They volunteered to go in one minute's time. He served in the war three years. He told his mother when he left home for the war, no bullet would ever be moulded by the Yankees that would kill him. He was not wounded once, but during service he swam across the Potomac river, having had measles he contracted pfteumonia and died at Staunton, Virginia, where he is buried, CAPT. THOS. JEFFERSON GREER?Was another brother whc lies buried in Sardis churchyard. He volunteered in December, 18(50, under Col. Gadberry's command?"Minute Men"?who volunteered to go in one minute's time. General Gadberry, then a brilliant young lawyer, made an impassioned speech declaring they could whip the Yankees in six weeks, that he would be willing to drink every drop of blood spilt! Captain Jeff. Greer saw him as he lay mortally mounded on the battlefield: and he said he never saw any soldier bleed so profusely. They had placed the colonel on the hank of a cool stream but the blood flowed so freely from his wounds down into the stream they had to move him further back so as not to spoil the water of the stream. Capt. .Jeff. (Jreer and Capt. Charner were both at the blowing up of Petersburg, each had his company there, one on the right wing of the army, the other on the left. ('apt. .Jeff. Greer had just come off duty (it was early in the morning), and he was waking soldiers diers to cook breakfast, when he noticed in the distance the earth was being blown high in the air. Very soon it was upon him! All about him the earth seemed to be opening like great jaws and swallowing again, opening and then swallowing again. lie - .it/" CTV CAPT. DAN. A. TOWNSEND, Who in 1864 I^d His 16-Year-Old Hoys From the School I loom to , the Battle Field. * was cut off from the Confederate sol diers entirely but ran over thes places, several yards, till he was wit them, his coat tail being riddled wit bullets. (They say a real soldie knows when to run as well as whe to stand). And then the Yankees wer upon them with fixed bayonets! Caj tain Greer and Mr. John McDanie whose widow now lives in the Sardi neighborhood were standing side b side lighting when Captain Greer sa1 a big negro soldier make a lunge s Mr. McDaniel wivh a bayonet, Captai Greer raised the butt of his rifle an struck the negro a killing blow, then by saving Mr. McBaniel's life. Caj tain Greer went on down to the branc to hunt for his brother Captain Chai ner Greer, who that night had bee sleeping in a bomb-proof pit, he foun him washing the mud and clay froi his eyes and hair. Captain Jeff. Grec lost a leg at Burgess Farm the las battle below Petersburg, and ws taken prisoner there. Frank Vaughi Orderly Sergeant, tried to carry hii off the battlefield but Captain Grec told him to put him down and sav his own life, he reluctantly did so an escaped. Captain Greer was a prisonc at Washington, D. C., at the time c f ho uni'i ntiilnr ,J. M. GREER?My father and th youngest of those seven brothers wj just 1(5 years old in 18(54. Not daunl ed in the least by seeing his famil so rapidly diminished, volunteered i the Confederate army in the comnan of 1 (5-year-old Union county boy; commanded by Captain 1"). A. Towr send. There are several men of th: company living today. Think what must have meant to my grandmotht to see her baby and last son out c seven march off with the possibilit of never returning alive. These boj went in box cars to Augusta, froi there to near Savannah, Georgia. The went in front of Sherman to Charles ton, thence to Cheraw, where the guarded 500 Yankee prisoners (caj tured by General Hampton) and too them to Raleigh, N. C., and thei turned them over to the military ai thorities. This company of boys wei 1 sent to Spartanburg, S. C., to resis 1 the coming of Kirkpatrick's raid wl 1 had captured Royce's artillery i I Asheville, N. C., but the news can that iJee had surrendered and the boj ! disbanded to come home, where eac one later had to give up his belovt | gun to the Yankee garrison plac? ; here after a few months. Immediately after the war Majt ' I). A. Townsend began to teach sehoi ' in a building on the same lot whei ' my home is now, at the corner < Church and McReth streets, and the: ' same soldier boys were his pupils. AMOS DAVIS BYERS?Volui teered and served during the entii ' war. He was a courier for Generi ! Wallace (our U. D. C. chapter namesake). He surrendered at App< mattox, and is buried at Skull Shoa in Cherokee county, which was a pa; of Union county 20 years ago. H 1 died October 22rd, 1882. ; WILLIAM BYERS?Who also buried at Skull Shoals was in Con 1 pany "C", 12th Regiment, and w? 1 paroled at Appomattox, April Ot! > 18(55. lie served the entire four yeai ' of the war. J|1WSf Jl^HBlSHldll : B|B| GILMER C. GREER. 4 On n smnll Knf n?-/\/l?w.*i..? / - ? .. ? .'V.v <MUUUIHVC 1 <4 III eight miles west of Union resides tli owner, now 72 years of age. His nam is Gilmer C. Greer. No braver, mot loyal son of South Carolina is anj where to be found. At the age of 17 he enlisted in th i Confederate Army was slight! wounded in the seven days' fig! around Richmond. After recoverin he joined his command at Culpeppt C. H., Virginia. Was in the Battl of Fredericksburg. Was in the t\v days' fight at Gettysburg, July .'5. R< ceived then a serious wound in th right shoulder and was taken prisone He was held on David's Island f< two months; was exchanged and lat< to Richmond hospital. There his ari was reseated, four inches of the bon being removed. After four months h was released, earning home Januar 8, 18(54, at the age of 20 years. II was placed upon the retired list afti reporting at headquarters in Kiel mond. n,in,vingmbwound- ti-c-yacmfwy m i This man came home, and althoug maimed for life, set about building u his broken fortune. He has by har work, by wise planning and by rigi economy, reached an enviable degre of independence. He is one of Unio county's most worthy sons. The Quinlna That Does Not Affact Tha Hai Because of its tonic and laxative effect. I.AX/ T1VH BROMO QU1N1NK Is better than ordinal Quinine and doea not cause nervouanesa nc rinsing in bead. Remember the full name an look for the signature of E. W. GROV8. 23< % t- rpjQX ?>004 ?-row -hoop h * The Real Hon h I L-vum?viim MM innr-M n (Written in 1914) e In talking over the matter of ?- wearing cotton clothes, my mother, 1. Mrs. Carrie McCully, pave such an is interesting1 account of the time y when they wore real homespun gowns w that she was induced to put it in it such form that others might be pern mitted to know conditions which few d realize who did not experience them. If we could all recall the interesting >- things told us by our mothers what h a history we would have, and what r- splendid data would.be preserved! n C. McC. "Patrick, d 11 The complaint of hard times, and I wearing of cotton clothes has set me to ruminating, (as Bill Arp would us have said), or reminiscing, if you please, about times that were hard. II and clothes that were cotton, and ?r .. U T I ? i. u1111ini uci 11.1^ , rrry 1 UU^II. I can [? recall times when flour and rice were I very scarce, and sugar and coffee out ^ of reach, except when an occasional, ' blockade run was made. There were many substitutes for coffee?such as e rye, okra, and sweet potatoes, cut in 's bits and toasted, but there was no smrar to sweeten, nor palatable suby stitute. And the time came when even n salt went out of reach, as well as y soda. That was during the last year 5' of the war between the sections. The dirt in smoke houses, where the thouIs sands of pounds of meat had been cured to feed slaves, was dug up, boiled and strained for the salt to put in our corn bread, hominy and mush, y And when corn was shelled to send to s mill the cobs were carefully saved, n and a fireplace swept and scrubbed y clean to burn them?the ashes cony e it 10 M ie h tO :d H W . j ji y >f 5C t ^ 8 l|| ^^hS&QHC -e bbbwb^^hm 11 iiHMBrai i Ifi 's ^ R991 is rt Ie ^psliil ^^^^ Vy'vv ' " / ||| I V.- '*% MRS. CARRIE PATRICK, ST taininjr a certain amount of soda, which was used to make bread! We were burdened with money,:?but it was like the Ancient Mariner, who had "Water, water everywhere, and not a drop to drink." There was money, money everywhere, but it could not lift the blockade, nor obtain comforts, much less luxuries. The cotton goods of this day and time is silk and velvet as comnared j to what we had to wear. We had to * spin and weave the cloth?not only that, we had to go to the woods and swamps for our dye-stuffs?the sumac for red, green walnut hulls or roots 11 for brown, and I recall that elder and 10 alder were treasured?both the blooms ll? and the roots?but I do not remember e their uses. There were no cloth mills r~ in this part of the country, and very few thread mills. Every farm had its l(! loom?a crude, cumbersome thingg? -v home-made of course?othing bought for it but the sleys and the shuttles, ^ and every negro cabin had its spinning wheel. They were bought, and nicely (> made. I never knew one of them to ? wear out, and often wonder what became of all of those old things. The 10 warping bars also were heavy and r' rough, being about the size and resem" bling a barn gate. The reels were not so well made as the wheels, but were n awfully "cute." The "swifts" from ie which the thread was wound on the ie bobbins or "quills," as they were J called, were home-made, and crude of e course, and the quills were made of mall canes cut in lengths to fit the l" shuttle, and in size to fit spindle on the wheel, 11 The women slaves were all tfiven "tasks"?to spin so many "cuts" a 'j day, or weave so many yards. Some(j how, I always sympathized, even as a " child, with anyone who labored under e a "task," and while very small learned n to card rolls, t ohelp the spinner, and fill "quills" to help the weaver. Nice pieces of corn shucks were cut to form [J the broaches, which I could always j do, it seemed. They were wet and wrapped on the spindle, and after the o. broach was filled, slipped off, and biff MHM??MM ?M>Mnespun Gown (M?IAIM MWM -MUM ?MH?broom straws slipped in where tl spindle was to make them stay i shape. Then, it seems now, that I wj never too small to turn the reelwhich was so constructed that it pa^ a loud "cluck" when 120 ahreads ht been wound, that beinp a "cut," ar four "cuts' made a hank{ To po hack to the cotton frocks,towards the last of the war we cou not pet buttons, and often resort* to " 'simmon seed"?which I recall j avery neat and durable little brow button?or we would cut moulds 01 of pourds, to cover. We also had 1 knit our own stockinps and plov< and crochet our hair nets?for v could not pet hair pins either, out < wool yard spun with the band crosse which made it stronp and round. Ai after our frocks were made, I di tinctly remember havinp snitched strip off my "Pa's Sunday shirt" f< collar and cuffs. With all of this we were reasoi ably happy, for everyone was in tl same boat, we had our parties, wi ginger cake and persimmon beer, < candy pullings, but best of all ridiover fields, ditches, etc., perhaps ; day, partridge hunting. Of course every farmer had a flo? of sheep, and there was plenty warm things made from their wool and how 1 loved those gentle animal It was always a pleasure, as wel 1 a privilege, to be allowed to salt thei A smooth, hard place in the lot w selected, and a spot for each she( swept clean with a "stumpy" brooj saved for the purpose?and how th< would push and scramble to be servi first! Of course the very first w; ATE HISTORIAN, U. I). C. the old ram ,or a severe "butt" wou he the reminder. This being a bit of personal histo writterr for the benefit of my eh dren, I must allude to one of the clo inp experiences of the close of tl war. The little pirl at the bepinnir of the war had developed into a your lady, and as resources vanished hi necessities increased. Durinp the la year of the war, my mother, by hoc or by crook, managed to obtain son blockade poods from Columbia., vi; some calico for a dress, which I had dapuerrotype taken in?for which si paid $25.00 a yard?in our worthle: mone yof course?and a part of bolt of lonpcloth, to make some mucl needed underclothes. Before mar yards had been cut off, the "Raider; came and such consternation ar alarm as was felt over the news. E' c-yone proceeded to hide what th< most valued. I just knew my pre ious piece of lonpcloth would be toi or cut into strips, so I hi dit b tween the mattresses but soon fe that they would find it there, so doubled it in the middle, pot a stror strir.p, and tied it on my back undi the full skirt, and 'thouerh bustles woi not fashionable them, I totel that bu; die until all the raiders were elesi gone! The sleeves were made vei full, Bishop sleeves, and my few otl er valuables, consisting mostly love-lelters, were deposited in ther My little upright piano?whieh I thir, was the first one ever used in Ande son?having been brought here by music teacher, Mrs. Dickerson, fro the North?who went broke and hs to sell it. One young sport asked n what it was, and when I told him was a piano, I was peremptorily r quested to play some. Up to this tin I had managed to keep my seat, bi then I felt that the hour of my doo had arrived, for when I ggot up t ro to the piano, he would discover rr, bustle, and When I put my hands c the keyboard my sleeves would har down, and my all be lost. I wi afraid to refuse, especially as he wj toying all the time with a cunning (' H IN SOUTHERN WOMAN'S KEEPH ING. 5 (Dedicated to the Daughters of the Confederacy). }* Peacefully, calmly, our Hero Dead m Beneath the green sod are sleeping; Shoulder to shoulder with steady is tread, ? They marched on to death?our dealh'e less dead? id And left but the women weeping, id Gallantly, bravely, they met the foe, Outnumbered by countless hosts; l(l They died as men die?God willed it ?d so That their sun might set with an afm terglow, And hushed be the sbund of weepto in*' es Ah! surely the peerage of the Brave 'e Is the right of these Southern men; Yet the God of Battles strong to save "? Let them die?our gallant men who 1(' gave s~ Their honor to woman's keeping, a ur Die, did I say? Nay, they have not died, These Sons of the Starry Cross; 1C They were overwhelmed by the surgth inP Me. r,,. And the glory of it spreads far and \ tr wide. | While the women their trust are keeping. Hail! to you mothers of glorious men! '1 All hail to you daughters and wives! ~ Honored were ye among women when s- These noble, these true, these dannt18 less men, " Left their record to your keeping. ls ?Ida Marshall Lining. iP n, 1 m ' ?v "THE LAND WE LOVE." id is Land of the Gentle and the Brave _ Our love is as wide as thy woe, It deepens beside every grave, Where the heart of a hero lies low. Ijand of the brightest of skies Our love glows the more mid thy gloom Our hearts, by the saddest of t:es, Clings closest to thee in thy doom. Land where the desolate weep In a sorrow too deep to console deep Our tears are but streams making The ocean of love in our soul." Land where the victor flag waves .Where only the dead are free Each link of the <^iain that enslaves Shall bind us the closer to thee. Land where the sign of the cross Its shadow of sorrow hath shed We measure our love by thy loss TU.. T U.. iL. .my Liua& uy me graves ui omr Dead. ?Father Abram J. Ryan, 18C7. WADE HAMPTON. "All my people, black and white?God bless them all," | Were the last words that from our Hero's lips did fall. As he lived he died?without one selfish thought, j And dying for his people God's blessing sought. His People, for whose cause he shed his noble blood? His people, for whom he ever, always stood As stalwart as the oak that o'er hangs his grave, For whom his life he would have given theirs to save. Oft in camp he had heard, "Taps; Lights out, to bed!" At his grave each comrade heard, ? "Taps" and bowed his head. I(l And, as each, in tears, his way homeWard wended rv He knew full well a noble life had ; ended. ' L. T. I^evin. Columbia, April 18, 1902. THE UNDAUNTED SPIRIT ?r OF A SOUTHERN WOMAN >k When the city of Nashville, Tenn., ie was overrun by Federal troops, a 5., cousin of mine, a brave, fearless woa man, wanted* to refugee to our home ie in Georgia. ss A Federal general accosted her and a told her that before she could leave h- 'he city she must swear allegiance to iy the Union flag. This she was not go?" ing to do, and she could not allow herid self to swear, she plead with him and v- ton. him that the teachings of a good ;y and pious mother could never allow c- her to take any oath. He still de-n tained her and said she must take the e- oath or remain. It She looked him in the eyes for a I minute, and said. "Will you be respoaig sible for an oath if 1 utter one." He er laughingly said he would, re With a look in the eyds, which well 11- showed the feeling of a Southern worn jnan for such, she replied, "May the y just Cod of all damn such inhuman h- creatures as you." He was much in taken aback, and, lifting his cap, said, n. "Madam, your spunk passes you." ik Mrs. Ix>u Ferryton Sammon. r- Mary Ann Buie Chapter, a Johnston, S. C. m T 1 id ie little pistol, but if he noticed my stufit fing or discomfort he did not mention e- it, ie Imagine my feelings when I saw jt our dear neighbor's, Mrs. Keys, hand m some Rroche shawl being used as to a saddle blankei, and a beaeutiful ty sash, which belonged to her daughter, in as a decoration for a bridle, ig My father hid his money (Confedis erate) in the woods in tin cans?but is never tried to find it after the raid, ?) it being absoltely worthless after that. . (f