Edgefield County, South Carolina - The whole text, 1897 (part 6 of 11)

On the loth of August I received a furlough for sixty days. The hospital was then at Forsyth. From Fors^'th we had to go to I^.Iacon, at which place we were delayed just 23 hours. At Macon we saw Stoneman and his raiders, who had recently been captured and were then about to take the train for Charleston. They were an insolent looking set of fellows, and their appearance, deportment, and general manner inspired this writer with no worse feeling than a ver}- natural and laudable desire to kick them. From Aug:usta we had to nass through B^'anchville, Orangeburg, and Cohimbia on the way home. I had heard of the good deeds of that noble lady, Mrs. Rowe, and at Orangeburg I was so happy as to see her come on board with baskets of provisions for the hungrj^ soldiers. Being convalescent after a sojourn in hospital of a little over ten weeks, I wps always hungry. As soon as I saw Mrs. Rowe's benevolent face I smiled and bowed to her. She came to me at once, opened her basket, and gave me to eat until I was ashamed to eat any more, and thought that I must leave something for some other sufferer. That night I slept at the Waj'side Hospital, in Columbia, not the Ladies' Hospital, and left more hungry in the morning than when I arrived there at night. On the 13th of August I arrived at home safe, and found all well and at peace. The clang of arms was not heard in that section, (Mount Enon) though some small part of the Confederate Army, cavalry, camped for a day and night onlj^ a few miles away. The Federal Cavalry that did so much devilment in the lower part of Edgefield and Newberry, did not come nearer than thirty miles of us. I laid aside the weapons of carnal warfare forever, and when the time comes to go to my eternal home, I think I can say with truth, that, whatever my feelings may have been and are towards the Yankees, I have never killed nor hurt one of them.

But I have written enough, and more than enough, the reader may very properly think of my own personal adventures during the comparatively short time in which I was in the field, though the whole term of my service was over eighteen months. My excuse must be that as men grow old they become garrulous.

The Seventh Regiment

As already stated the volunteers from Edgefield were mostly embodied in the Nineteenth and Seventh Regiments. Those in the Nineteenth went West and v/ere in all the campaigns and battles in Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, and elsewhere disastrous or fortunate: and those who endured or survived so long were with Johnston at the final surrender. Some were in the Twent^'-fourth which also went West. Those in the Seventh were early sent to Virginia and shared in all the glories and disasters that befell I^ee's veterans from the first fight at Bull Run to the closing scenes around Ricii]]ioud and the falling of the curtain at Appomattox.

The story of that regiment as told by one wlio was in it and part of it, almost from the first until very nearly the close now lies before me, and from it I propose to condense briefly an.' relate its history. It was organized at Camp Butler, S. C. , April 15th, 1861, to serve for twelve months; Thorn :s G. Bacon, Colonel; Robert Fair, Ivieutenant Colonel; Emmet Seibles, Major. It v.-as amongst the first to go to Virginia and with the Second, Third, and Eighth it formed a brigade under M. L. Bonham, afterwards under J. B. Kershaw. Tills regiment was not engaged at the battle of Bull Run, First Manassas, though under artillery fire. The writer of the sketch, from which we draw, enlisted for the v/ar in a re-enlisted company (M), of which E. Jerry Goggans was elected Ca[)tain on the 24th of March, 1862, and joined the regiment on the Peninsula. On the Peninsula they were under command of General J. B. Magruder until the arrival of General J. E. Johnston. They were near, but not engaged in the battle of Williamsburg. On the 12th of May, 1862, the regiment vvas re-organized. At an election for field ofiicers held on the 13th, D. Wyatt Aiken was elected Colonel; Elbert Bland, Lieutenant Colonel; of the Peninsula and around Richmond under Magruder and Johnston and Lee. They were in the desperate conflict at Malvern Hill, where Lieutenant J. R. Bouknight was killed.

They were in the invasion of Maryland, fording the Potomac where it was about 400 yards wide. Some soldiers stripped naked in order to keep their clothes dry; most of them only pulling off their pants and drawers, keeping on their shirts; some onl}' rolled up their breeches, and these got their clothes wet, as the water came up higher than thej' could roll their breeches.

In Mar) land they met many friends and some foes. The friends would"^smile and wave their handkerchiefs, and a smile from a lovely girl was very charming. The enemies would close their doors as the Confederates passed, grin and make faces at them through the windows. As they passed Frederick City great demonstrations were made by both friends and foes - some ladies brought pails of water; some milk, some bread, some waved handkerchiefs, and Confederate flags, while others waved Union flags from the windows and held their noses as the Southerners passed. "A Georgia Major, inspired by the occasion and by liquor was riding along the lines and speaking. He was calling the attention of the citizens to the grand, invincible army of the South. As he passed Kershaw's brigade he said: 'I'm a Georgian, but I give to South Carolina the honor of beginning this struggle for libert}'?' We cheered him and he p^assed on."

This regiment wa/j at the taking of Harper's Ferry and played an important part in that enterprise. They were at the battle of Sharpsburg, v\^here Colonel Aiken fell, shot through the lungs, and the regiment lost 169 killed and wounded, being half that went into action. Company M lost 17 killed and wounded out of 29 that were present on tlie field of battle. Major White vras killed in this battle. After crossing the Potomac at Winchester on the return from Marylaud after the battle of Sharpsburg, lyieutenant Colonel Bland took command of the regiment. He had been v/ounded at Savage Station and was not at Sharpsburg. J. S. Hard, senior Captain, became Major. He was afterwards killed at Chickaniauga.

I am templed to give here large extracts from this Diary of Sergeant J. J. McDaniel, of company M, as personal narratives always have great charms for me; but I am compelled to forego that pleasure. I 3'ield, however, to the temptation to give a description of "winter quarters."

"The Seventh Regiment remained encamped near Fredericksburg from the time of the battle of the 13th of December till the lotli of Januar}', 1863. On that dax' McLaw's Division moved back some six miles from town, where we could obtain wood plentifully. For where a division encamps dtiring the winter in a cold climate, it takes but a little while to clear large fields, leaving not a tree, where so lately waved a large forest. Our brigade was placed in the midst of a dense forest, the regiments composing it being crowded together closer than usual. Here we vx'ent regularly into winter quarters, and I will describe here the appearance of some of our quarters. With the exception of a ver}^ few ofhcers we had no wall tents; but a simple fl}'. which is a piece of canvass stretched across a ridge pole, generally raised on two forks as high as you could reach, so as to be convenient to hang up articles. We often run our waist belts around the pole, buckling them for a 'rack,' or swing for our guns, and these in their turn serving to hang clothes upon and other articles of camp equipage. The ends of the canvass we pegged to the ground on each side, some six or seven feet from the upright forks, leaving the tent open at both ends, with but little inside. To obviate this inconvenience most of the me^ses built log pens 3 or 4 feet high, and put the fly on top of this pen, which, when daubed with mud, formed an excellent wall to exclude the rigor of the winter. To complete the tent a chimney must now be built. This is first made of sticks and afterv^'ards daubed with mud. Many being too lazy to build their chimney high enough with sticks, obtained empt\^ flour barrels, which they set on top to lengthen out the funnel. These generally burnt up, as they could not be daubed or plastered vcith mud to shield them. It was no uncommon thing to hear a passer-by cry out to the inmates, 'Your barrel is on fire.' But there are otlier kinds of tents or quarters which some build v ithout any canvass. These resemble the roof of a house, and are made b}' leaning poles or boards against the ridge pole at an an.gle of about 45 degrees, and covering these '.vith leaves and dirt, form a very wann tent. Others again, v/hen they are camped on the side of a hill, cut out a tent in the side of the hill, making solid walls of earth, and thus literally, Esquimaux fashion, burrowing under ground. These excel all others in vrarmtl:.

The next question after the tent is finished is how shall we sleep? for it is unhealthy to sleep on the ground, with nothing but your bidding under you, though some do it. The plan generally adopted is to drive up four forks some 2 ftet high, form a scaffold, and cover this with small poles, upon which make your bed. This seems pretty rough at first, as soldiers don't have beddiug enough to make the poles soft, yet in a few nights they would not exchange them for feather beds.

"The amusements and employments of our soldiers while in winter quarters were various. The inclemency of the weather during this winter in Virginia, was such that for weeks we did not drill. There were many heavy falls of snow^, generally followed by rain. Two or three days after a heavy fall of snow^ the country for miles around would' be full of soldiers hunting rabbits. When they would get on one's track in the snow, they would be almost sure to 'jump' him, and then he was almost sure to be caught, for, hindered on one hand by the deep snow, and, headed on all .sides by soldiers, he was soon captured. I have known some exciting races.

"Another great sport was snow balling. Frequently when you .showed your head outside of 3'our tent you would be saluted wdth a volley of snow balls, and if you w^ere not disposed to join in the fight your best policy would be to doublequick out of danger. I have frequently .seen one regiment arrayed against another in these snow ball battles, led by their respective officers. In fact, I have seen two brigades meet in these bloodless contests, each man having a haversack full oi ready-made snow balls. In such a battle the air is white with the flying missiles, darting sportively through the contendin.g ranks.

"Other favorite .sports were the various games of town ball. But I am sorry to say that many spent most of their time at cards, playing and betting on games of chance. I have known soldiers paid off 2 or 3 months' wages, and before night lose it all gambling. How much more profitably it would be to them to spend their time in reading some religious book or tract, and then save their money, character, and morals.

"Nothing of an exciting nature occurred for sometime to break the dull monotony of camp life in winter quarters. We received a daily mail from Richmond, together with the daily papers, which served as a source of instruction and a means of employing profitably much of our time. The 'Dispatch,' 'Whig,' 'Examiner,' and 'Sentinel' were eagerly' sought to learn the latest news. We paid for each of these papers mostly 15 cents, sometimes less and frequently more. We sometimes formed clubs of eight or ten, which would enable the club to read all the dailies at a small cost to each member. The Illustrated Southern News was the favorite weekly, in which we received a likeness and history weekly of some of our distinguished generals. We also received a great many religious papers and tracts, sent by the various religious associations for that purpose throughout the Confederacy. These, like bread cast upon the waters, will doubtless be gathered after many days. Their fruits in part were seen in the revivals which followed in the spring. . . . Our camp had the appearance of a busy workshop on cold winter evenings. You could see the soldiers coming and going in all directions, carrying wood for the night, and the sound of many axes resounded throughout the camp.

"Our regiment picketed at Fredericksburg. When it came our turn to go we would stay a week and quarter in the houses around the town. We picketed up the river, near a mile above town, opposite Falmouth, a small place on the north bank of the Rappahannock. The Yankees were stationed on that bank and we on the south. By agreement the pickets did not fire at each other across the river n^^ar Fredericksburg. For awhile they exchanged papers, and the Yankees would swap coffee for tobacco. The means by which this traffic was conducted was a very small boat into which they put the articles, and then arranging sails it was carried over by the winds. The Yankee officers captured one that some of ours sent over called the 'Body Louse'. They stated in their account of it that they would send it to Washington to be placed in the patent office as a curiosity."

But winter quarters passed away; and the campaign of 1863, with all its battles and bloodshed, began about the middle of April. In May of this year was fought the battle of Chancellorsville, where Stonewall Jackson was killed, a loss from which the Confederacy never recovered. The writer of the Diary from which we are reading says: "Chancellorsville, which consisted of a large house used as a hotel and latterly as a female boarding school, was all in flames when he saw it. It had been set on fire by our shells. This was Hooker's headquarters, and report says that while leaning against a piazza post it was knocked down by a cannon ball, precipitating him to the ground. He villianously retained several ladies in the house, saying to them that General L,ee would not fire on the house while they were in it. The Richmond Dispatch gave the names of the ladies, and a full account of it. They plead with the brutal coward, telling him that General Lee would not sacrifice a victory for the sake of a few ladies - that there was too much at stake - the cause of the entire Confederacy. Yet he would not let them go till the house was in flames, and then he had to move his own carcass to a safer place." Some wounded soldiers were burned to death in the house, and many in the woods which took fire from Jackson's artillery.

It would be a pleasure to give the sergeant's account of this battle in full, and of the march of the army into Pennsylvania and of the battle of Gettysburg, but want of space forbids.

The writer of the Diary was wounded at Gettysburg - shot clear through the body, the ball passing through the lungs. As soon as he was able to travel he was sent home, leaving the army on the 2nd of July, 1S63. He returned to it again, arriving there on the 19th of July, 1S64, having been absent a little over one year. His Diary contains an account of the movements of the army and of the battles in which his regiments were engaged during his absence. After his return he served faithfully, continuing his record until the 28th of December, 1864, when he was honorabl}' discharged from the army on account of his wound, w^hich, it was considered, entirely disabled him for further military service. He left Richmond on the 29tli of December, 1864, and arrived at home on Monday, the 2nd of January, 1865. Having been wounded at Gettysburg, he was not with his regiment when it was sent to the assistance of Bragg at Chickamauga, nor when it passed through Middle and East Tennessee on the return to Virginia.

But perhaps enough has been written in this book about the war. In that time of fier}' trial, as far as is known to this writer, Edgefield did her part nobly and well.

We will go back for a little while to an earlier period in our history and give a brief account of one of the dead towns of Edgefield and its father and builder.

Soldiers' Relief Association

A meeting of the ladies of Edgefield and its vicinity was held at the Masonic Hall on Monday morning at 10 o'clock. The meeting was called to order and Mrs. J. A. Bland was called to the Chair. After stating the object of the meeting the following preamble and resolutions were offered b}^ Mrs. Captain Bland and unanimously adopted:

Resolved, That we, the ladies of Edgefield, do desire to aid our brave and suffering soldiers, so far as it is in the province of woman to do.

Resolved, 3rd. That the object of this Asiiciation sli;ill be the procuring and making of all articles necessary for the comfort of all the troops without discrimination who represent Edgefield.

Resolved, \M\. That eacli lady on paying the su;n of one dollar, or its equii-alent, shall become a member of the Association, and entitled to all privileges.

John Maloy, Mrs. John Huiet, Mrs. Henry T. Wright, Mrs. Lewis Jones, Mrs. A. G. Teague, and Miss CorneUa Jones. The meeting then adjourned to meet once a week.

Presentation Of A Flag To The Holcombe Legion

Mrs. Pickens, whose maiden name this I^egion bears, has presented them with a beautiful flag and a beautiful letter accompanying it, as follows: Officers and Soldiers of the Holcombe Legion:

I can find no words with which to thank your gallant Colonel for the compliment he has paid me, in giving to his noble command the name I once bore; but I trust the presentation of this standard may in some small measure testify my deep appreciation of the honor conferred upon me. In seeking to render this ensign worthy of your valor and devotion, I have placed first among its devices the armorials of your beloved State, the glorious palmetto and crescent, emblems consecrated to noble daring and high resolve, for they waved in our harbor when Carolina stood alone in this momentous contest, and floated over that heroic battery which threw its steady and victorious fire into the arrogant "Star of the West." I remember with pride that your commander, Colonel Stevens, had charge of that battery, and thus early in the war established a claim to Carolina's grateful remembrance. While I give into your honorable keeping the spotless escutcheon of your State, I look with eager confidence toward that futui'e, when your heroism shall achieve for it a new lustre and renown.

The dates inscribed 1776 and i860 are eloquent with meaning. The first commemorates our disenthralment from a foreign foe, the second speaks to you of that glad hour when we threw off the tyranny of domestic wrong, and welcomed the new birth of a higher freedom. If I have reversed the Palmetto with the Lone Star of the ' 'Imperial State of Texas," if I have thus sought to associate on your battleflag the two devices which share the devotion of my own heart, you will not blame me; you will remember the bloody struggle, the Spartan endurance, the indomitable courage by which she won her right to honor and independence; and the chivalric, heroic blood of South Carolina which flowed at the Alamo will, to the last day, challenge an admiring tribute from every son of her soil. I feel assured that the noble motto inscribed on this banner, "It is for the brave to die, but not to surrender" - is but the expression of the spirit which animates the breast of every soldier in your midst. Patriotism ranks with us, as with the ancients, first among virtues, and life is only worth keeping that we may perform^the duties belonging to it.

And now I cannot resist telling you how anxiously I will follow 3'our every movement; w^hat pride I will feel in your moments of victory and success; and I will grieve if reverses befall you. I earnestly pray that God will keep each one of you in His charge, and that the fortune of war may give you all you require, an opportunity to show yourselves a legion of heroes. I.UCY HOLCOMBE PICKENS.

Hamburg and its founder have alreadj' been mentioned in these pages, but the following account, which is copied verbatim from the Atlanta Journal, and for the exact accurac}'' of which this writer is not responsible, but which he believes to be very nearly correct, gives some particulars of interest which ought to be included in a history of Edgefield:

" 'The dead towns of Georgia' have been the subject of a work of great interest and unusual merit, but as far as is known, 'the dead towns of South Carolina' have not been touched upon.

"Mr. William C. Sibley, President of the Sibley Mills of Augusta, and a citizen that the Electric City prizes as one of its most valued, was in Atlanta Thursday night. (This was in June or July, 1891.) He was in a reminiscent strain, and told me some facts about the history of Hamburg, the desolate cit}'- now populated by from one hundred to one hundred and fifty lazy vagrant negroes, just across the river from Augusta.

"He knew it when it was the centre of commerce for four States, when hundreds upon hundreds of wagons each day from Georgia, Upper and Lower South Carolina, North Carolina, and Tennessee would roll into its streets loaded down with articles of commerce.

"Along in the early thirties Augusta had an old German citizen b}^ the name of Schultz. The city was at that time a trading centre for hundreds of miles of the sourroundiug country. Schultz was one of the wealthiest citizens. He erected and owned three brick buildings on the north side of Broad street, just below the monument, which are standing until this day.

"They were known as the Bridge Bank buildings, because, presumably, was a bank located there which was run by old man Schultz and McKinney. Schultz also owned the bridge that spanned the Savannah and connected Georgia and South Carolina.

some lawsuit the city managed to get possession of the bridge. This angered Schultz, and in a fit of pique he vowed that he would kill Augusta's trade and build up Hamburg. He went before the South Carolina Legislature, and on the strength of his representations of the feasibility of establishing direct trade between Hamburg, S. C, and Hamburg, Germany, borrowed $50,000.

"This was in the year '32, and in one night, where the night before there was a howling wilderness, Schultz had up the fronts of a row of houses. It was the terminus of the South Carolina railroad, the first railroad of a hundred miles in length that the world ever saw, and was on the side of the Savannah river where the channel was the deepest.

"Hamburg grew to be the most important trading town in the interior of South Carolina, and its business continually increased till 1848. 'When I first went there,' said Mr. Sibley, 'Hamburg received 70,000 cales of cotton, the remarkable part of which was that 60,000 of them were in on wagons.'

" 'To show you what a town Hamburg was at that time,' Mr. Sibley continued, 'the city built a plank road from Hamburg to Edgefield, a distance of twenty-six miles. Along about November and December the streets would be so crowded with the wagonsof the country people from four States that frequently people would have to walk four or five blocks before finding a place to cross.

" 'On the outskirts of the city the wagoners would strike their tents, and frequently there would be as many as five or six hundred of them in compact at a tim.e. The road going and coming for a distance of five or six miles would be literally jammed up with wagons, rendering it almost impossible to make more than a mile an hour.

" 'Old Schultz was a genius,' said Mr. Sible\', smilingly, 'and, like a good many other men of profound braiii, wouldn't pay his debts. He was the most plausible of talkers and the most industrious of workers. He had Hamburg laid out in beautiful streets and Schultz' s Hill v/as a park of great beaut}-. '

"A great many of these improvements were made with the $50,000 which Schultz borrowed from the South Carolina Legislature, and which, by the way, he never paid back. Schultz came ver}^ near owing everybody he came in contact with, and invariably failed to pay them. One day he had about twenty Irishmen at work in front of his store and one of his creditors told him, 'Mr. Schultz, I don't see how 3^ou can afford to hire these men when you owe me and ever3^bod3'- else.' 'Well sir,' said the German, 'I sacrifice my private interests to the public good.'

"There were two causes for Hamburg's downfall. One of them was the building of tlie Greenville and Columbia Railroad and the other the cutting of the first Augusta canal.

"It was the first intention of the railroad builders to make Hamburg one of the termini of the railroad, and they offered to do so if Hamburg would make a subscription of $50,000, but in those days there was great prejudice against railroads, and the citizens of Hamburg were afraid that it would take away their wagon trade, so the road was built to Greenville, and fully one-half of Hamburg's trade was taken away.

"Then Augusta got Hamburg's cotton that used to come from up the river, because coming down the canal took away the great danger of shooting the rapids. Hamburg gradually grew from bad to worse, and finally, about the time of the war, its sole population was composed of negroes.

"Now it is nothing but almost a howling wilderness. Where once the busy merchant sold his wares a lazy negro skulks; where fine residences, that beatiful Southern women graced, once stood, now negro ramshackles, with dirty pickaninnies playing on the porch, are to be seen. The well-kept .streets are a mass of \veeds, and Schultz's beautiful park, under whose trees many beautiful tales of love have been told, is now the resort of negro pic-nickers.

"Hamburg is surely an evidence of what narrow-minded, illiberal citizens can do. It now serves but one purpo.se. It is the battle ground for game cocks and bull dogs.

the founder of Hamburg, was a native of Hamburg in Germany. When about nineteen years of age he was taken prisoner b}^- Bonaparte and released upon the prom'se of not bearing arms any more against the French, which he violated and was re-captured. Napoleon, not caring to put a mere boy to death, gt.ve him liberty to emigrate to America. He came to Augusta and first followed boating to Savannah. After Augusta too^c possession of his bridge Mr. Schultz then went before the L'igislature of South Carolina and promised, if they would help him, to build a town that v/ould rival Augusta. The State must have failed to fulfill some of its promises, for after Schultz was ruined he was often seen in Columbia during the sessions of tlie Legislature with his long overcoat dangling around his heels and the mark of Cain upon his brow. After Augusta took possession of his bridge he built a toll gate on the Carolina side and collected his tolls from there. When the courts decided the case against him Mr. Schultz tried to commit suicide by firing a pistol in his mouth, but the bullet came out at his forehead, greatly disfiguring his face."

Whether the Stite failed to keep any of its promises to Mr. Schultz or not, is not known to this writer, most probabl}' not; but he was involved lu a long lawsuit about his bridge, in which he was loser and he sank the State's $50,000. Hamburg was built as promi.sf d, and did for some years an immense business.

We have already seen that, in the early settlement of this country, some years before the founding and building of Augusta, on the site afterwards occupied by the town of Hamburg, was an important trading station, at which, for many years, a large business was carried on with the Indians up the river all the way to the mountains and beyond. Fort Moore was erected at that place for the protection of the trade. The building of Augusta, which town flourished and grew rapidly, drew off the trade from the Carolina side, and made the station insignificant as a trading post. Three-fourths of a century passed and Hamburg came into being through the energy of Mr. Schultz; lived and flourished, and became the focus of a great trade for many years; but it finally deca5'ed and died through the force of the influences already mentioned, the cutting of the Augusta canal and the building of the Green- ville and Columbia Railroad. Thus twice in the 'iiistory of the country ha.s Augusta been largely instrumental xn diverting trade from the Carolina side and destroying the germ of a city on the opposite side of the Savannah River.

Many years ago, going into Hamburg with wagons loaded with cotton, we camped a short distance back on the uplands on the Edgefield side, so that we could get into market as early as possible. The sun rose clear and was shining oright and clear in the uplands, but as we drove on we founcf'the whole valley of the river covered with a dense fog, and oi'i that fog was clearly and distinctly defined a white solar rainbow - no colors. I saw the same, or a similar phenomenon, once on the fog over the river as I walked down from Columbia to the depot to take the cars for Newberry. In both cases the bow was well defined and very distinct, white /'without colors, having the same appearance as a lunar rainbow. The white solar rainbow appears upon a dense fog; the' lunar rainbow upon falling rain. While writing the above a perfect solar spectrum, with all the colors that an analysis of the sunlight gives, has formed itself upon the floor of the room. A broken piece of glass resting with one edge wpon the v/indow sill outside, the upper edge leaning against the window pane touches it in such a manner as to act like a prism forming a perfect spectrum upon the floor with alii the colors beautiful and bright. (January 14th, 1892).

To what has already been v.-ritten. of Hamburg must be added that by Act of the Legislature, passed December 17th, 1813, Henry Schultz and Lewis Cooper were authorized to build a toll bridge across the Savannah River so as to connect the two places, Augusta and Hamburg. The bridge was already in process of erection when the Act was passed. This bridge was re-chartered December i8th, 1830.

Inspection and warehouse for tobacco authorized to be erected December 20th, 1 821, on the same day lands and slaves, and indeed all property in the town, by Act of the Legislature v>^ere declared exempt from taxation for five 3'ears. The town w^as incorporated December 19th, 1827.

The Bank of the State was authorized to establish a branch at Hamburg December 18th, 1830, and in December 1832 the Solicitor was authorized to convey the State's interest in Hamburg to Henry Schultz. The town was incorporated a second time, December 19th, 1835, and charter amended in 1837. The Bank of Hamburg chartered December 21, 1823, charter amended December 19th, 1835, and again December 2iht, 1S36.

There is a story or tradition connected with the history of Hamburg that, with proi>riety, might be related here, as it was a source of great amusement when it was first told. Doubtless there are many persons now living in the County of Edgefield who never have heard tlie expression: "The Gyascutus has broke loose." This, like many other slangphrases, such as "That's what's the matter with Hannah," had a great run for awhile, but suddenly died and dropped out of circulation, and passed into that dead region of limbo, where all unrealities are sure to go at some time.

The phrase had its being and birth as follows: Just after the close of the War with Mexico some volunteers from Virginia or North Carolina, who were under General Taylor in the army of the Rio Grande, undertook to make their way home on foot from Texas or from New Orleans. In all that Western country there were lev/, in fact, I believe no railroads at that time. They found travelling on foot ver}' pleasant, as the weather was good, and they were .soldiers and used to foot wear. When they reached Hamburg they found that they were short of funds, in fact, about out, with barely enough to carry them another day's journey. In this extremity they were compelled to resort to some very energetic measures to raise the wind. A caucus to consider ways and means was held, and they came to the conclusion that a tax to defray expenses must be levied upon the citizens of Hamburg and Augusta,' and as many of the inhabitants of the adjoining country in Carolina and Georgia as they could reach. Accordingly they spent a day in Hamburg making preparations. They hired a large hall, gave out that they would have on exhibition there for one night, and for one night only, a verj' large, strange, and furious animal, such an one as had never been heard of nor seen in that part of the world before. They had caught it, they said, somewhere in the wilderness of the Mississippi swamps, one night when it invaded their camp. It had devoured two of their number and , was in the act of swallowing the third, a very large man, when the survivors succeeded in lassoing the monster and binding it so stro^ngly that it could not move. They had it firmly fastened in a large car, or van, drawn by four of the strongest horses. The car would cross the Augusta bridge about 4 o'clock in the afternoon and drive into town in good season to have all ready for the show, which would open about 8 o'clock in the evening. Of course there was great curiosity to see this wonderful beast. The news spread like wild fire over town and country, and long before night the streets of Hamburg were packed and jammed. Such a crow-d was never seen in that town before, never has been since, and very probably will never be seen there again.

Sure enough, ab®ut 4 in the afternoon the car made its appearance in Augusta in the street leading to the bridge, preceded by a single man on foot, making the air ring with the shrill notes of a fife, playing the tune, "See, the conquering hero comes."

In due time the car drove to the hall and drove into a closed and covered shed in the rear; and the announcement was made that at eight precisely the front door would be opened to the anxious crowd for admission to see this greatest of curiosities the world had ever produced. In the mean time tvv'^o men at the door were kept busy selling tickets of admission to the show. The price was one dollar each.

The earth rolled on, the sun sank and set, and eight o'clock came. The door was opened and the crowd began to pour in. The hall was well lighted, but there were very few seats. But this made no difference, as there were no ladies present - this strange, fierce animal not being considered altogether proper for ladies to see. Over the far end of the hall a curtain appeared to hang, on which was depicted a likeness of the most uncouth creature ever seen, or that any imagination ever conceived. This was said to be a good likeness of the Gyascutus, which was the name of the monster supposed to be hidden in the rear. The hall was soon packed tight, but the large windows were open to the cool night air, so that there was no danger of suflfocatiou. As the moment drew near lor the curtain to rise, so that the many eyes of the crowd might see this greatest of the world's curiosities, suddenly a deep growl was heard behind the curtain. This was succeeded by an awful roar, "followed by a succession of screaming shrieks and hisses, more terrifying than any the lions and tigers and all the beasts of the jungle ever made. To say that the crowd was startled is saying nothing. Many began to move towards the door, some towards the windows, and not too soon, for suddenly a mightj^ uproar and noise of breaking and crashing timbers was heard, and the climax was reached when the show man, who was near the far end of the hall, cried out with a loud voice: "The Gyascutus is broke loose! The Gyascutus is broke loose!" You better believe the crowd dispersed speedily. In a short time, not only the hall, but the streets of Hamburg were almost entirely deserted. Some never stopped running until they were safe in Augusta. Some thought they could clear the Savannah at a leap, tried it, and landed safe in the mud on the Carolina side. In a little while the tumult subsided, and the night that followed was the quietest ever known in that part of the country.

In the morning an investigation was had; no damage was found done to the building, but in the rear the very ghost, and a dilapidated one, of a wagon or car was standing solitary and alone a broken wreck; the four fine horses had vanished and were very quietly standing in their stalls in Augusta and eating their oats; the Gyascutus had indeed broken loose and was never seen nor heard of any more, nor were those returned soldiers from the War with Mexico ever seen or found. Tliej^ left with their pockets full of mone}^, and were far awa}- when the morning broke. Who were the}'? Perhaps some of Hamburg's own sons with some of the boys of Augusta on a lark.

Ah, old men, contemporaries of this present writer, do you feel sometimes, as he does, that there is no longer any fun in the world? Or is the world what it was then, and has the spirit of fun only evaporated from us? Does the Gyascutus ever break loose now?

Francis Hugh Wardlaw

Francis H. Wardlaw, son of James Wardlaw and Hannah Clarke Wardlaw, was born at Abbeville Court House, S. C, December i6th, iSoo; was baptized by Rev. Robert P. Wilson, of the Presbyterian Church; went to the common English schools of Abbeville, taught by Francis Walker, William Sadler, Flinn, Clary, Hooper, James Curr}^ and Thomas Fulton. In 1812 he went to Willington, in Abbeville District, and there attended for two years Dr. Waddell's famous Classical Academy. He spent the year 18 15 at home at Abbeville Court House, in studying arithmetic, algebra, trigonometry, and surveying, under Captain William Robertson, and in writing in the Clerk's ofhce under his father, then Clerk of the Court for Abbeville District. He entered the South Carolina College April 13th, 1 81 6, and graduated with first honor of his class in December, 1S18. Read law in the office of A. Bowie, Esq., at Abbeville Court House, and was admitted to practice law at Charleston, January, 1S22, and equity at Columbia, May, 1822. He settled at Edgefield near the end of February, 1822, and practiced law there iu partnership with Whitfield Brooks until the fall of 1825; with William Garrett from 1S26 to 1828; with D. E. Wardlaw from 1851 to 1841, and with William C. Morange from 1841 to 1846; was editor of a newspaper at Edgefield from March, 1S29, to the spring of 1832; elected to the State Convention from Edgefield in 1832, and to the House of Representatives of South Carolina Eegislature in 1834 and 183S; was partner of R. H. Spann's in 1850; was elected Chancellor December 3rd, 1850, aiid Judge in the Court of Appeals December 21st, 1859; delegate from Edgefield in the conventions of 1852 and i860, being one of only four or five persons who were members of all three conventions above mentioned; 1832, 1852, and i860.

Gresham lyamar, daughter of Thomas Gresham Lamar and Martha Iceland Car}^ by Rev. Henry Reid, Presbyterian minister from Augusta. By this union he had seven children, three of whom died young. One son, Lieutenant T. Lamar Wardlaw, was killed at Fort Moultrie, July 17th, 1862, another son, Francis H. Wardlaw, died December 5th, 1887, at Edgefield where he was practicing law. One son and one daughter only are now living, Mrs. J. W. Hill, of Edgefield, and J. Lewis Wardlaw, of Fairfield County. Chancvllor Wardlaw died at Columbia in the house of Major Theodore Stark, May 29th, 1861, and was buried at Edgefield Court House, South Carolina.

As a law3^er and judge of law I have heard this related of him: A decision of his was once quoted in a court at Westminister, the opposing counsel ridiculed the idea of resorting to South Carolina law as a precedent for England or English courts, whereupon the presiding Judge remarked that the decision in question was worthy of the highest respect and would do honor to the courts of any country.

John E. Bacon

The writer of this history is indebted to Frank Leslie's illustrated newspaper and to Appleton's Biograph}^ for the following notice of Honorable John E. Bacon. Mr. Bacon, recently minister from the United States to Uruguay and Paraguay, was born at Edgefield, S. C. , and is now between fifty-five and sixty years of age. (January, 18^2) His family have been identified with the State of his birth from its earliest history, and members of it have enjoj-ed manj' offices of honor and trust. He was graduated with distinction at the South Carolina College in 1852, and was admitted to the Bar in 1854. He was sent to St. Petersburg as Secretary of Legation, and married there the youngest daughter of ex-Govxrnor Pickens, then the Minister at that Court. He is an accomplished linguist, speaking French, Spanish, Italian, and Russian.

Mr. Bacon entered the Confederate Army in i86i, at the commencement of the war and served throughout thestrugo-le, reaching the rank of Major, After the war, finding himself completely impoverished, h6 returned to the practice of his profession and was soon in the enjoyment of an unusually large and lucrative business. In 1867 he was elected District Judge for the District of Edgefield, and presided regularly until deposed by the Federal Commander, and a "Military Judge" was put in his place. In 1872 he removed to Columbia, where he has ever since resided. In that year he was elected President of the largest Democratic Club in the city, and was re-elected four consecutive times. During this period he was also a member and Secretary of the State Democratic Executive Committee, and also a member of the County Executive Committee.

In 1878 Judge Bacon was sent to the Legislature for the purpose of reopening the South Carolina College. He was made Chairman of the Commirtee on Education, and, by the aid of his able colleagues and other experienced members, the measure was pvit through, after a severe struggle, the bill passing the Senate by the vote only of the distinguished President of that body. Judge Bacon regards his connection with the re-establishment of this college on a solid basis - vvhereby the young men of the State can get a first class collegiate education for about the third of the cost of ante-belhtm days - with greater pride and satisfaction than any, indeed, all of the acts of his life.

In 1884 Judge Bacon was elected a member of the State Convention for the nomination of delegates to the National Democratic Convention at Chicago and of Pesidential electors, and was himself nominated an elector and elected .

In 1885 he was appointed United States Minister by President Cleveland, at Montevideo, and in 18S7 his salary was almost doubled in consideration of able and meritorious services. Upon the election of President Harrison he resigned his office and returned to Columbia, where he died in the early part of the j-ear 1897.

Joseph Abney

Joseph Abney was a native of Edgefield District, of the Saluda side, and was born December 2nd, 1819, near the river not far above what is now Herbert's Ferry, then Eorick's. His father was John Abney, his mother Agatha Griffith. His mother was his father's second wife. His father's father was a Virginian, and among the first comers to that section of country. His mother's people were of Welsh descent. The education of Joseph Abney was as good as it was possible for him to get in the schools and academies of the country. His father died when he was only three or four years old, and his mother married again, a Mr. Cadaway Clark, a kind, good man, who treated his step-sons, Joseph and John, with great kindness. Joseph Abney was not a graduate of a college, but he was a fairly good classical scholar and mathematician. He was a hard and diligent student and a natural orator. His command of language was so great, and he so far surpassed the other boys at school as a speaker, that he received the name of the orator, which he really deserved. After his education was completed as far as his limited means enabled him to carr}^ it, he taught school to acquire money upon which to live while reading law, having chosen that profession as his business for life. He was quite successful as a teacher, winning the love and respect of his pupils. He read law at Abbeville in the office of Mr. Perrin, and had for a companion in his studies, a young man, who afterwards became eminent as a lawyer, as a soldier, and as a Judge - Samuel McGowan. He was admitted to practice law in Columbia in the year 1S42; the same year and place in which his friend and companion, Samuel McGowan, ^^'as admitted. Henry R. Spann, another Edgefield lawyer, was admitted the same year.

After Mr. Abney was admitted he located at Edgefield Court House, fhe county seat of his native District. As a lawyer he was quite successful, building up a good and lucrative practice, which he held through life. When the war with Mexico came on, after the annexation of Texas, he volunteered, was elected Lieutenant, and served in the Palmetto Regiment as such until the close of the war. In the city of Mexico he was attacked by an enemy which was more fatal to our soldiers than the bullets of the Mexicans had ever been - the dysentery. He lay prostrated for many days, seemingly at the point of death, unconscious part of the time, and weak and helpless as a babe. He attributed his recovery to the faithful and careful nursing and attention of a good Catholic Priest, who sat by him for many hours at a time with his finger on the pulse of his wrist, administering ice. The good Priest graduated the quantity of ice given by the strength and rapidity of the pulse beats. If he felt the pulse growing too weak he would leave off the ice for awhile, and then wdien the fever rose to too great a height he would give the ice again. In this way, and by careful nursing, the patient slowly won his way from the shadow of death back to life again.

After the w^ar Mr. Abney returned to his home in Edgefield, and resumed the practice of the law. A few years before the war lie married Miss Susan Miller, a beautiful and accomplished woman, a lovely and amiable wife. In the late war between the States he was again a volunteer in the service of the Confederate States, in which he held the rank of Major.

He died a few j^ears after the war at his home at Edgefield, leaving a widow and two daughters surviving him. His widow, a few years after his death, married T. S. Arthur, a lawyer of Greenville, who afterwards settled at Eexington, where she has since died.

Mr Abney left no sons; there were two, Paul and Charles, born. His daughter Agatha, who married Rev. Mr. Woodson, is living at their home in Edgefield where her father died. His daughter Eleanor is not living, not living in this world, but is, we hope, with her father and mother in a better. Sopliie died young.

He was Second Lieutenant in the Palmetto Regiment, commanded by Colonel Pierce Butler, during the War with Mexico, and w-as severely wounded at the battle of Cherubusco. Eieutenant Sumter was also wounded in the same battle, and though the}- were both wounded early in the engagement, yet the}^ continued with their companies until the last shots were fired.

In the War of Secession Joseph Abney was appointed Major in the Provisional Army of the Confederate States, and was placed in command of the Second Battalion of South Carolina Sharpshooters of three companies, commanded by Captains ReO. Chisolm, Joseph Blythe Allston, and Henry Buist. Appointed July, 1862.

This battalion was united wnth the Charleston Battalion under Lieutenant Colonel P. C. Gaillard, and formed the Twenty-.seventh South Carolina Infantry. Major Abney was in all the battles around Petersburg, until he was wounded at Drury's Bluff, in the attack by Beauregard on Butler. The Twenty-seventh South Carolina Infantry was in Johnson Hagood's Brigade, in the division of Major General Hoke, of North Carolina, IvOngstreet's corps.

From the Edgefield Advertiser, February 12th, 1S62, I glean the following list of officers of the Twenty-Second Regiment, South Carolina Volunteers:

List Of Companies

"We understand that Colonel Joseph Abney, late of the Twenty-second South Carolina Regiment, has received the appointment of Major of Sharpshooters from General Pemberton. He goes to superintend the organization of the new corps. " '

Joseph Quattlebaum

It is impossible for the compiler of this history to give even the very briefest biographical sketch of all the worthy dead of Edgefield, who lived as private citizens. But now and then there are some so worthy or so remarkable for some characteristic, that it were a pity to pass them by without some record. Among such may be numbered Dr. Joseph Quattlebaum, of Ridge Spring, who has been justly mentioned as an old time Southern gentleman. He died on the 6th of January, 1892, leaving a widow and seven children. One of his daughters, Mrs. Edwards, a lovely, amiable, and accomplished lady, lived with her husband at Newberry for a few years, but returned to Ridge Spring, where they were livin?^ at the time of Dr. Quattlebaum's death.

Dr. Quattlebaum w-as a native of Lexington County, but lived for a long time at Ridge Spring. He was a good man, genial and warmhearted, and a Christian. He was a loyal friend, steadfast, and true; chivalrous, hospitable, and generous. He was emphatically good company, being gentle and genial, and of luifailing humor and good nature. This writer met him a few times in the latter part of his life, and was much drawn to him.

William Walker

Few men reach, and few can hope to reach, the great age of Mr. William Walker, who died on Friday, the 15th of January, 1892, at the age of ninety years. He was a life-long and very earnest Methodist. If he could have written the recollections of his lifetime what a book he might have made. He could have given us distinct recollections for eighty years and a little more. He could have carried us back to the )'ear 18 10. He could have carried us through all the intervening years and told us many items of interest of both public and private history. How much is included in the words, "He was a life-long and very earnest Methodist." Four score and ten, and the larger number of tlio.se years .spent in the love and service of God.

In a book from which a brief quotation has already been made, entitled "The South Since the War," by Sidney Andrews, published in 1866, there is something said of the negro situation, which it may be well to quote before we enter upon the history of reconstruction. The writer says (he writes in Orangeburg): "The district above this, Edgefield, has also an undesirable name. At Columbia I heard two delegates speaking of affairs therein. They admitted that many negroes had been beaten to death during the summer, and .said the planters were very slow in discovering what emancipation meant. Among the negroes whom I met at Orangeburg was one from Edgefield, who showed me a back not 3-et healed from a severe whipping given him in August." (This story may be true, for this writer knew a negro man in Edgefield, he is living yet, knew him from his birth, and he never was whipped in all his life while a slave, but who w^as v'ery severely beaten, for what offense, if any, is not known to the writer, some time during the year following the close of the war.)

The same author, Mr. Sidney Andrews, thus writes of the military murder of Calvin Crozier at Newberry: "In Newberry District a case has recently occurred, in whicli the negroes took justice into their own hands. It appears that in a car which was standing on the track, were three or four women and two Rebel soldiers - one of them a Texan. A negro Sergeant had occasion to enter the car and was roughly ordered out by the Texan. He responded to the effect that he knew his own business and should mind it. The two Rebel soldiers thereupon .seized him and undertook to thrust him out. He resi.sted and the Texan stabbed him, inflicting what was supposed to be a mortal wound. In an hour the two Rebels were caught by the negro .soldiers of the regiment to which the Sergeant belonged, and in three hours more the Texan had been tried by drum-head court martial, shot and buried. The other Confederate escaped while they were taking him up for trial, and will not be retaken."

A few more extracts must be made from this amusing book. Of education the writer says: "Education never was general in the State, and for the last two or three years it has been almost entirely neglected. The ignorance of the great body of the whites is a fact that will astonish anybody conversant with the middle classes of the North. Travel where you vi'ill, and that sure indication of modern civilization, the school house is not to be found. Outside half a dozen of the larger towns I have not seen a dozen in over six hundred miles of travel. A few persons express the hope that the Legislature will do something to set the college once more at work; but, generally speaking, the indifference of the masses to the whole subject of education is as startling as it is painful."

Of the language used by the common people he says: "A South Carolinian never thinks or guesses, but 'lows or reckons. He hasn't got no use for a Yankee no how, and thinks him a no count fellow, or a low dowm trifling cuss of whom he would like to get shet, and he will feel obligated to you if you will help him out of his ill-fortunate situation; and dog-gone you, as you are not an ill-conditioned man, and as he refugeed from the Yankees he will take a little whiskey with you, dry so."

Is it possible for a stranger, or for one unfriendly, to tell, or even to see the truth about others? S^-mpathy is a great quickener and enlightener of the intellect. The statement above quoted in regard to education is entirely false. The WTiter of this history was born and reared in the country, many miles from any city; at least a dozen miles from the nearest county seat of any county; twenty-six miles from the county seat of his own county; four miles from the post office, with only a weekly mail, which was carried b}^ a rider on horse-back - and yet there were. schools every 3'ear open the 3'ear round for instruction in all the elementary branches of an English education. In 1835 there was an academy or high school founded at Mount Enon, remote from any town, city, or village, in which a good classical education could be had, as the school had for its principal and head-master one who was a fine scholar, a graduate of Yale College and a native of the county in which the school was. Schools in the same neighborhood w^ere kept open and in active operation during the

As to the military murder of the Taxan soldier at Newberry, for it was indeed and in truth a murder, it was not shown, nor could it be shown at the drum-head court martial that he had acted in an unjustifiable manner. The ladies in the car were under his protection and the negro Sergeant was an intruder, and being an intruder Crozier had certainly the right to put him out if he could, since he would not go without it. Calvin Crozier was a hero, and his death was one of the finest instances of self-sacrifice of which I have ever heard or read. It was some time after the difficulty was over before any arrest was made, and then the colored soldiers arrested the wrong man, a man who knew nothing of the difficulty and was not present when it occurred - an employee of the railroad. They were about to deal with him summarily when Calvin Crozier, the Texan, who had stabbed the negro, who was then at large, unrecognized and might have escaped entireh' free, voluntarily made himself known as the man and surrendered himself to certain death to prevent another, and that other a stranger, from suffering for what he had done. To the honor of Prince Rivers, who was an officer at the time in that colored regiment, and who was afterwards somewhat well known at Edgefield, be it said that he wanted to save, and tried to save Crozier from the doom that awaited him. The people of Newberry have honored themselves in erecting a monument to the memory of Calvin Crozier.

The author of "The South Since the War" seems to have been very fortunate in making acquaintance with the rude and unlettered wherever he went. He must have taken special pleasure in talking to all the "ornery cusses" he could find in the country or on the road. Let it be hoped that he found some improvement on his second visit, if he ever came again, and that he found better fare at some stopping places than he did at the hotel in Orangeburg in 1S66.

Contest Between The Legislature And Governor

In the third volume of the Statutes at Large, page 273, it is stated that there were no Acts of the Assembly for the year, 172S, 1729, and 1730, but there is no cause nor reason given as an explanation of the fact. The Legislature was often in session during that time, and the explanation of the fact that no laws were passed, is that there was no harmony between the Governor and the Assembly', and it was found impossible for them to work in harness together. ,The Governor, throughout the contest, felt in duty bound to uphold the royal prerogative, which, as he thought, was continually encroached upon by the Assembly. During this period Arthur Middleton was Gov^ernor, and, as the historian of that period says, "the encroaching disposition of the recentl}- successful people forced him to raise the barrier of the 'roj^al prerogative' so high that his head was hid behind it." Both the Governor and the Assembly were true to the principles each thought right, both were loyal. It was the beginning of the contest between Royalty and Republicanism, which finally culminated in the triumph of the latter.

Reconstruction

We will now proceed to give as briefly and succinctly as possible, at the same time with satisfactory fulness, a narrative of the troublous times of re-construction. The years immediately following the close of the war, were, in some respects, the gloomiest and most trjang we have ever experienced. We hoped for awhile that the restoration of the Union and the return to a settled and well-established Order might not be so very difficult. These hopes were rudely dispelled and several >- ears of misrule and partial anarchy under military despotism had to be gone through before the return of a settled peace. It is no pleasure to the historian to write of this time. In truth there are many things which the historian finds it necessarj' to record, which fill him with sadness, and which he would gladly pass over in silence, but he cannot. History is but the record of the acts of men and women as they pass across the stage of life, and it is for them to see that they act their parts well and give the pen of the scribe something pleasant to record. We today are making histor}-. Since this writer began the History of Edgefield in January, 1891, the whirligig of time has wrought many changes, and many men, the puppets of the hour, have cut many fantastic tricks before high heaven.

State was conquered, and prostrate, and helpless at the feet of the conquerors. What next? was the question in the minds of all. The ancient institutions of the State were overthrown. The State had no status, because she had no existence. For the time being South Carolina was dead. Could she ever revive and live again?

The years immediateh' following the war were not pleasant; and we who had lived through it and remembered with what glorious anticipation of success and independence we entered into it, could not help but feel rather gloomy forebodings when we faced the future.

For a moment, however, there was a gleam of light, and we were cheered; but that rift in the cloud soon closed, and the darkness was indeed visible, for we could see nothing else. In looking back and reviewing the ten years immediately following the conclusion of the war, it is often a matter of wonder and surprise to the writer that the people were not more demoralized and desperate than they were, though they were bad enough, worse than we wish ever to see them again.

Soon after the close of the war, Andrew Johnson, Vice- President, having become President by the assassination of Mr. Lincoln, sent for Benjamin F. Perry, of Greenville, an able man, a man who had the respect and confidence of all classes, and who had alwa3-s been known and recognized as a consistent and loyal Union man, to confer with him on the measures to be adopted for the restoration of South Carolina to her true position as one of the organic parts and members of the Union. Mr. Perry was urged by his friends and b)' the people to accept the invitation, as it was regarded as an earnest of the President's good feeling towards the South and the State. He accordingly went to Washington, where he was received and treated with the greatest respect and consideration. He received the appointment of Provisional Governor of the State, and immediately went to work upon the basis agreed upon by the President, and other prominent Northern men, for the reconstruction of the State. Increased confidence in the future was immediately felt all over the State by the appointment of Mr. Perr}'. He issued an ably written proclamation, which was received with enthusiasm by all, and a hope of rescue from what seemed absolute ruin was fondly cherished. Civil government was restored; a Constitutional Convention ot the people was called; the State was reorganized by the adoption of a Constitution, which, it was hoped, could not be offensive to any. Of that Convention the members from Edgefield were: Francis W. Pickens, George D. Tillman, and .

On the 1 8th of October, 1S65, a Governor of the State and members of the Legislature were elected. The members from Kdgefield were: Luke Culbreath, Dr. John Landrum, Thomas Jones, M. L. Bonham, M. W. Gary, John E. Bacon, and M. C. Butler; G. D. Tillman, Senator. James L. Orr, one of the ablest and most eminent men in the State, was elected Governor. Senators and members of the House of Representatives were elected to the Congress at Washington. F. \V. Pickens elected United States Senator.

So far all seemed well, as if we were about to drop down into the old grooves and move on as we did before the war. This was not to be for some years. Under the new Constitution and reorganization of the State, the courts were also reorganized, and district courts were established for the trial of minor causes and offences. Of this court at Edgefield, John E. Bacon, Esq., was made Judge.

Unfortunately, the Legislature, at the session of 1865, passed an act known as the Black Code, which discriminated between the whites and blacks as citizens, separating them in the courts; in fact, giving them different courts, and not recogniz^ ing their citizenship in all respects as equal to that of the whites.

Whether this action of the Legislature was used as a pretext, or whether Congress and the Northern people would have acted as they did in any case, is mere matter of conjecture. Be this as it may, a change soon came over the spirit of their dream, and the political sky grew cloudy. The Senators and Representatives elected to Congress were not permitted to take their seats. Several amendments to the Constitution of the United States were made. Military government was established in the State, with General Sickles as Commandant, afterwards General Canby, who, under the reconstruction acts of Congress, ordered an election of delegates to a Constitutional Convention to be held, and the Convention to jneet on the 14th day of January, 1S68. The delegates to this Convention from Edgefield were: Frank Arnim, R. B. Elliott, Davis Harris, P. R. Rivers, John Mobley, and John Bonum. This Convention was in session two months, and framed the Constitution to meet the requirements of the Constitution of the United States, and under that Constitution we now live. The State was, in all respects, reconstructed before it could be recognized as a member of the Federal Union. Under this new Con.stitution an election was held for Governor and for a full set of State officers. Robert K. Scott, of Ohio, was elected Governor. He was inaugurated July 9th, 1S68.

From the time of the inauguration of Governor Orr, in 1S65, to the inauguration of Governor Scott, July 9th, 1868, the State presented the singular spectacle of a dual government, both civil and military. The military was on top, and the civil government all the way through, from Governor down to Magistrate, was onh^ permitted the management and administration of those affairs with which the military authorities did not care to be bothered.

Governor Orr had certainly a very trying time. He was allowed to retain his position as Governor, not as constitutional and because elected by the people, but as provisional, until the completion of reconstruction and the election of a Governor. His position was surrounded with difficulties from which he was glad to be relieved by the election and inauguration of a successor.

With the inauguration and installation of Governor Scott, the military government of the State ceased, and the United States troops were withdrawn. The State was then declared to be reconstructed and restored to its place in the Union. Yes, South Carolina is in the Union again, but it is not the South Carolina that we knew before the war. No vestige of that old State remains, Whether the South Carolina of the future will be better than of the past, the future only can tell.

The Senators and Representatives in Congress, elected under the reconstruction acts and under the new Constitution of the State, were permitted to take their .seats, and since that time the State has not been without its due representation in Congress.

a period of a little over three years. There were incidents occurring in Edgefield during that period, and after, especially until 1876, which ought to receive a more particular attention.

In closing this general view of reconstruction, it may be as well to .'-tate that General Scott was re elected Governor in 1870, and that^his administration was a very unsettled and unhappy one. In 1871 the new County of Aiken was made and established by cutting off parts of the Counties of Barnwell, Edgefield, and Lexington. Edgefield supplied a considerable part of the territory, giving Hamburg and Beach Island. The county seat of the new county is at Aiken, a railroad town, which was very near the line between Barnwell and Edgefield, but in Barnwell. Many, many years ago this writer passed a night at Aiken, when the inclined plane was still there and the trains of cars were brought up and lowered by means of an immense cable and .stationary engine, one train of cars passing down as another came up. I stood at the top of the incline and watched the ascent and descent. I think Mr. Marsh was the landlord of the hotel at which I stopped. One name over a store door attracted my particular attention, as I had never seen it before, nor have I ever seen it since. It was Eugene Durbec. What kind of business he was engaged in I did not know, only that it was a mercantile business of some kind. I have heard that Aiken was once pretty well burnt out by some persons trying to burn out a yellow-jacket's nest.

The latter part of the year 1865 was a very trying time for the people of Edgefield, as well as for all other parts of the South. Negro troops were placed at the Court House, apparently to humiliate and mortify the old masters and rulers of the country. The pretext was to keep the peace and ensure protection to the lately emancipated. White troops would not have been nearly so disagreeable. This writer, at that time, all through the year 1865, was living twenty-five miles from the Court House and never saw a negro soldier at any time, only heard of them and knew of the great disintegration of the old order of things that was taking place all around. During that and the following year it was as though the foundations of the great deep were broken up. The following anecdote will give the young reader of this day a faint idea of the con-

of the country at that time. For the proper protection of the late slaves it Avas required that all contracts for labor were to be made in writing and before tlie proper officers duly authorized to make the same. On one occasion a spirited old lady got a gentleman to go with her to the Court House to get the officer to sign a contract between her and her former slaves. When they came to the office the negro guard stationed at the door said the ladies could enter, but men could not. After the ladj' had gone in she was asked by the officers^ what slie would have, when she angrily replied that she had a gentleman along to help attend to her business, but an old negro at the door would not allow him to come in. It is needless to say that her business was promptly and with dispatch attended to.

From .semi-military rule in 1865-66-67, the State passed under Radical rule in 1868 when the military were withdrawn. A Radical Legislature was elected in 1S68, the old-time Democrats having no showing whatever in Edgefield. Frank Arnim, a second-hand Prussian, (why second-hand is not so clear) of Hamburg, was elected to the State Senate, and four negroes and one white man were sent to the House. This white man also lived in Hamburg. R. B. Elliott and Prince Rivers, two of the colored members, had both served in the Union army. At the next election for Senator, lyawrence Cain, a native negro raised near Old Cambridge, was elected in Arnim's place. Is this Lawrence Cain the Daddy Cain, vvho was also a Methodist preacher? I heard him preach once, and also heard him make a political speech, and I must say that his political speaking was much better than his preaching. Going into politics will spoil anj^ preacher, black or white.

R. B. Elliott was afterwards elected to Congress, and Rivers, who was known as the "Black Prince," was appointed a Major-General in the State Militia. After 1876, he obtained employment in his old occupation of carriage driver, and died at Aiken in 1SS8. He was not by an}' means a bad specimen of humanit}-.

In 1870 an effort was made by all conservative m.en and well-wishers of the State to make, if possible, some reform in the administration of affairs. To this end what is known as the Reform Movement was inaugurated and a Reform ticket for all oflfices, State and County, was nominated, having on it conservative and influential colored men, who, it was hoped, would command influence sufficient to defeat the extreme Radical party. This writer living in Newberry voted the ticket nominated in that County, though he doubted very much the expediency of the movement. General M. C. Butler ran for Lieutenant Governor on the Reform ticket. The Reformers were very badly beaten. About this time a taxpayer's convention was held to memorialise Congress on the miserable condition of affairs in the State. Congress took no action, but this writer believes that good was done by the movement, as the attention of Congress, of the United States and of the world was thereby drawn to a state of affairs, which was a shame and a disgrace to the whole country and the Radical party was checked in their career. George D. Tillman and , General M. W. Gary both opposed this plan, on the ground that it would not onl^^ lower the dignity of the people, but that it would end in failure. It apparently ended in failure, but really it did not.

In 1874 Governor Moses, who, it will be remembered, was private Secretary of General Pickens wlien the troubles began, and was, during the war in 1S63-64, stationed at Edgefield as enrolling officer of the Confederate States, issued arms to a half dozen colored companies in the county - volunteer militia companies; for what purpose it was hard to say; devilment I reckon. In August of this year.a riot occurred at Ridge Spring, and another later on, on the Savannah. Ned Tennant, a colored man, the instigator of the last mentioned trouble, was rev.^arded with the office of County Commissioner. He then removed to the Court House where he soon afterwards died.

In 1875 there occurred in the county several violent and destructive storms and tornadoes, by which much damage was done; several persons were killed, many were crippled; trees were uprooted and houses blown and torn to pieces. To go back, for a moment, a good many years. The 9th day of March, 1S55, thirty-seven years ago today lacking one week, was the fieriest day this writer ever saw. From about midday until night, when the wind lulled, the whole country, that is the wooded country, from the mountains to the seaboard was

In 1876, just one hundred years after the Declaration of Independence, affairs became so bad that the great crisis could no longer be deferred. The State had gone from bad to worse, and in that year Edgefield fairly and squarely took the bull by the horns, and with the help of the other parts of the State, he \vas throttled. Candidates were selected in June, and the riots in Hamburg filled the white people of the county with enthusiasm. Hamburg had been infested so long and so terribly with thieves, and with harlots of the baser sort, that wagoners had ceased to camp within eight or ten miles of the place, for fear of being robbed. It was reported, but it is to be hoped that the report was not true, that negro thieves desecrated gravej-ards in search of plunder.

On the 4th of July a colored company, commanded by Captain Dock Adams, refused to permit white men to pass through the town along the public road. A quarrel took place, and General M. C. Butler was sent for to organize and lead the whites. B. R. Tillman, afterwards Governor, was an active participant in this riot. Captain Adams, with his forces, retired to a large brick building owned by Mr. Sibley, and ordered his men to shoot their opponents from the windows. A young man named Merriwether was killed. A cannon was then loaded with grapeshot and discharged at the house. This drove the negroes into the cellar, where they surrendered. It is said that after night Allen T. Attaway, a mulatto giant, and five others, were taken into a cornfield and dealt with summarily. The Radicals say that the tongue of Attaway, which had been used so badly, was cut out. Of the truth of this statement this deponent .saith not.

In August of this year Chamberlain, who, b}^ the way, was by far the best Radical Governor of them all, and not such a bad fellow, with a host of friends and backers, came to the court house on an electioneering tour. Here he was met b}' Gar}', Butler, and the crowd, and vanquished, fairly or unfairly, and driven from the field. The platform upon which he stood, and upon which he hoped to gain a great and signal victor}^ was not firmlj- enough joined and fastened together to hold the discordant materials that sought a place upon it; or it had not planks enough, or was not broad enough; something was the matter, and it went to pieces and would hold nobody, not even the Governor. The result of the contest was General Hampton was elected Governor, and in Edgefield the old Democratic party had a majority of several thousand. General Gary managed this election with great skill and success, and carried the election triumphantly, notwithstanding the presence of United States soldiers at the court house the whole time. After this election and the expiration of his term of service in the Legislature (Senate), General Gary never took any further part in political life; but indeed he lived only a short time after his term expired. He died April 9th, 1881. General Gary's influence in Edgefield wa.s very great, and it is felt very strongh' in all the political agitations and movements to this da\\ He was succeeded by James Calliso-i, a gentleman of Irish descent.

Dr. John Landrum

This good man, who died on Sunday morning, January 31st, 1892, was born in the lower part of the county, in the old Wells and Vaucluse section, where the Landrums, in the earliest days of Edgefield, were people of means, of intellectual ability, and of decided influence for good. Dr. Landrum lived to the advanced age of eighty-seven years. His body had become feeble, but his intellect remained keen and bright. He was a man of eager and grasping mind, and had enjoyed every advantage of education. He was a graduate of the South Carolina College; and from the time of his graduation all through life he kept up an intimate acquaintance with the Greek and Latin writers.

Colonel James C. Smyley

He died at the house of his daughter, Mrs. M. H. Minis, who had been only recently widowed; and was buried at vStevens' Creek Church, near his old home and by the side of children long gone before. His widow and two daughters survive him. Plis daughters both live at Edgefield, and are Mrs. M. H. Minis and Mrs. James A. Holland. COLONEL JAMES C. SMYLEY.

Colonel James C. Smyley was born at Meeting Street, in Edgefield County, in 1820, and died in 1872. His mother was a sister of Marmaduke Coates, of Newberry, S. C. He held no office during his life, except that of Colonel of Militia, and the very important position of delegate to the Secession Convention. He, with all the other members of that body, signed the Ordinance of Secession.

He was a planter by business and occupation, and enjoyed the respect and confidence of the people. His wife was Catherine Watson, of Ridge Spring, S. C.

Colonel James P. Carroll

Colonel Carroll was born in the city of Charleston, but from early boyhood his home was in Edgefield. After his graduation from the South Carolina College he read law, and was admitted to practice in Columbia in 1830. He became a dis- tinguished lawyer at Edgefield, though it is said that business came to him very slowly, and that he waited long for his first fee. But his labor and patience were crowned with success, and few lawyers at Edgefield ever stood higher in the profession than he did.

He represented Edgefield in both branches of the Legislature - sometimes in the Senate and sometimes in the House of Representativ-es. He was a member of the Convention of i860, and signed the Ordinance of Secession. He died in 18S3, aged about 75 years.

He was one of the Chancellors, or Equity Judges, of the State, and filled that position with honor and dignity. He had a clear, logical, and discriminating mind - impartial and just in his temper arid character.

General R. G. M. Dunovant

This gentleman was a native of Chester County. He graduated from the South Carolina College. After his graduation he read medicine and moved to Texas, in wdiich State he practiced his profession until the breaking out of the War with Mexico, when he returned to Chester, raised a company for tlie war, and was elected Captain - was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, which position he was holding when the war closed. He has represented Edgefield in the Legislature; was a member of the Convention of i860 from that count)', and signed the Ordinance of Secession.

During the War of Secession he held the rank of Colonel in the Confederate service. Since the war he has lived in retirement at his home in the town of Edgefield.

Not long after the War with Mexico he married a sister of Hon. P. S. Brooks. He is still living (February, 1892,) and is about seventy years of age. Born May i8th, 1821.

Andrew J. Hammond

One of the signers of the Ordinance of Secession, was a worthy descendant of Colonel Samuel Hammond, of the Revolution, one of the bravest and truest men of that day. Andrew Hammond was a planter, and never, I believe, aspired to any political office, nor sought any political honor; but, enjoying the confidence of the people who knew him, (his home was not far from Hamburg, on the Savannah side of the county,) he

Colonel James Tomkins

This gentleman was a planter on the Savannah side of the District, in the neighborhood of Modoc, in that part of Edgefield known as the Dark Corner. He was born June 28th, 1793, and died May 9th, 1864. He was happil}^ married on the 3rd of February, 18 19, to Mrs. Jennings, widow of William Jennings. The maiden name of Mrs. Jennings Tomkins was Huldah Hill, born December 28th, 1796, and died July 4th, 1868.

Colonel Tomkins, though not a very ambitious man, yet was one of considerable influence and abilit_v. He had the honor of being elected to the Legislature; and in that supreme hour, when that last desperate struggle was made to place upon an impregnable basis our old and cherished doctrine of State Rights, as one of the Representative men of Edgefield, he was called to meet with others from different parts of the State in that heroic Convention which has become forever historic, to consult together and to see, in tliat dark hour, that the vState should receive no detriment. He and the}' did their duty, or what they conceived to be such. It is not possible for any man to do more.

Preston S. Brooks

P. S. Brooks, son of Colonel Whitfield Brooks, and grand- .son of Colonel Z. S. Brooks, of Big Creek, celebrated for his hravery and daring as a Whig in the Revolution, was born at Edgefield Court House, August 6th, 18 19, and died in Washington city while a member of Congress in 1856, only a few months over thirtj'-seven years of age. After the close of the Mexican v.-ar, through which he served as Captain of a company raised at Edgefield in the Palmetto Regiment, he was elected to the Legislature, where he served one term, and was then elected as Representative to Congress. He was a lawyer by profession, but practiced only a little while. He was a farmer and made his home in the country in the upper part of

He was educated at Mount Enon, Willington, and the South Carolina College. This writer knew him well at Mount Enon and all through his public life. He was always a conspicuous figure. He died young. Had he lived it is impossible to say what he would have been.

It is hoped that this writer will be pardoned for making mention here that at Mount Ennon he formed a life-long acquaintance and friendship with James C. Brooks, a brother, younger by a few years than Preston, and not far from the same age of this writer.

William Gregg

Mr. Gregg was born 2nd of Februar)', iSoo, in Monangahela Countj', West Virginia. He established himself as a merchant in Columbia, S. C, about the year 1827, and was married to Marina Jones, daughter of Colonel Mathias Jones, of Edgefield. In 1838 he removed to Charleston and resumed his former business with the Hay den brothers, who were jewelers. Gregg, Hayden & Co. were known throughout the South as extensive importing merchants. After hard work he obtained in 1845 a charter for the Graniteville Factory, with a capital of $300,000. His time was almost entirely devoted to the interests of the factory. He built churches, established schools, and endeavored, in every way, to elevate the employees of the factory in morals, intelligence, and in the true dignity of life.

He was a member of the Convention of i860, and, with the other members of that Convention, signed the Ordinance of Secession. He died September 12th, 1867, and was buried in Magnolia Cemetery near Charleston, S. C. His was certainly a very honorable and useful life. He who gives emploNmient to others and deals justly by them, and tries to make them self-respecting men and women does not live in vain.

Colonel James B. Griffin

This gentleman, who died at Fort Worth, Texas, on the 25th day of June, 1881, was the son of Mr. James Griifin, who lived about three miles from the village of Edgefield. Inheriting a large estate from his father, wlio was quite wealthy, and having no political ambition he was quietly pursuing his avocation of planter when our sectional strife culminated in secession and war. For some years he had been holding a commission in the militia and was Brigadier General of cavalry when the State seceded. When Colonel Hampton received permission from the Confederate government to organize a legion, including in it four companies of cavalry, Colonel Griffin was selected to command that part of the legion with the rank of Major. In June 1861 the Hampton Legion moved to Virginia and the cavalry was sent to the camp of instruction at Hanover.

On the 19th of July the infantry of the legion was ordered to Manassas and was engaged in the battle of Bull Run. In that battle Lieutenant Colonel Johnson was killed and the legion lost an able officer. After the death of Colonel Johnson Major Griffin was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and transferred to the infantry. The cavalry had taken no part in the battle of Bull Run, and it made the infantry feel a little sore that a cavalrj^ officer, who had had no part in the fight, should be put in command of them in place of their Lieutenant Colonel, who had been killed in battle.

However, the time came after awhile in which Colonel Griffin showed that he was worthy of the position which he held. In the march to Yorktown, in the retreat from Yorktown, in the skirmish at West Point, in the battle of Seven Pines, in which the legion was hotly engaged, he showed what stuff he was made of, and his coolness and bravery won the hearty admiration of the whole command. He came out of that battle with a popularity as great, it may be, as that of any of the officers of the legion. But it was too late to make up to him what he had already lost.

On there-organization of the army in I S62, unt'er the conscript Act, Colonel Griffin was not elected. His career in Virginia closed and he returned home. On his return to the State he was very soon assigned to duty in the Regiment of State Troops, commanded by Colonel Thomas G. Bacon, with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. In this service he continued until the close of the war when his regiment was discharged at Spartanburg and he returned home.

Colonel GrifTm had one sister, who first married Diomed Hollingsworth, and after his death she became the wufe of Dr. William H. Harrington, of Newberry. They, too, have passed over the line.

General Martin W. Gary

Was a son of Dr. Thomas R. Gary, of Cokesbury, Abbeville County, S. C. His grand-father, Captain Jesse Gary, lived and died in Newberry County. Captain Jesse Gary was one of eight sons of Thomas Gary and his wife, Rebecca Jones. General Gary's mother was Mary Ann Porter, a descendant of a brother of John Witherspoon, who signed the Declaration of Independence, and who was for many j-ears President of Princeton College, New Jersej*.

Judge Ernest Gary is a son of Dr. F. F. Gary, of x\bbeville, a brother of General Gary, and John Gary Evans' mother, who married General N. G. Evans, was a sister of General Gary.

Colonel W. C. Moragne

The following biographical sketch of Colonel W. C. Moragne has been very kindly written for me by Colonel H. W. Addison, his friend and partner in law:

"Of his early life, I personall)^ know nothing. His ancestors were French Huguenots, and were banished under the Edict of Nantes by Eouis XIV, King of France, and settled in Abbeville County, nea" Bordeaux, on . the Savannah River. There, and I think, in Charleston, he delivered orations upon the Huguenots and their descendants, with their trials, sufferings and heroism.

"He finished his collegiate education at Gottingen, Germany, and while there seemed to have thoroughly imbibed a taste for German and French literature; to have a great admiration for Schiller, Humboldt, and Goethe - Voltaire, Moliere, and others.

"Moragne and a brother, John, enlisted for the war against Mexico. The latter fell, gallantly fighting at the battle of Chapultepec, or at the C-npital City. I do not know the date of Colonel Moragne's promotion to Captaincy in the war; that he bore himself with great courage was well knowm; he suffered much and long from sickness before his return home.

"I became intimately connected with him on my return from the University of Virginia, about 1S55, when I began reading law under him; and, in 1856, I formed a partnership with him, which continued most pleasantly and profitably till the breaking out of our Civil War in 1861. During this relationship I met him almost daily, and was in immediate personal contact with him. He was of fine form, well proportioned, about six feet high, and with an aquiline nose, brownish hair.

"His manner was by no means familiar, but rather the contrary to those not familiar with him; yet his extremely polite, agreeable, and interesting conversation grew upon acquaint ance and ended by the firmest and most durable friendship.

"He did not believe in acquiring professional business by personal popularity, nor maintained thereby, but by true ability and merit - these the result only of a good and liberal education, followed up by hard and laborious application to the profession. While he admitted that the law was a jealous mistress, he thought she fully admitted the devotees of all liberal arts to her shrine; and that no person should attempt the law without years of laborious application to study, with a general information in history and literature. He had a contempt for the quillets of the law and a disgust for its chicanery. He would under no circumstances resort to improper means to gain a case. At the time I began the law with him he was one of the rising members of the Bar, studious and painstaking, ambitious and in the bloom of manhood. At the beginning of the war he had worked himself up to the very foremost of the front rank of his profession here, as will be seen b}- the records and the decisions of our Supreme Court.

"He was at all times genial, pleasant, instructive, though never obtrusive, ever liberal, and at all times the highest type of an educated gentleman. Politically he was a strict constructionist of the Coustitution^wrote many articles for the Charleston Mercury and pamphlets on national issues. And,

"He married about 185- Miss Emma Butler, daughter of James M. Butler, a beautiful and eloquent lady, to whom he was a loving and devoted husband. She lived but a few years, leaving a son, a pledge of their mutual love, Vv'ho resides in Florida, near his distinguished uncle. Dr. Moragne.

' 'Colonel Moragne at the beginning of the late war was aide to General M. L-. Bonham at the battle of Bull Run. Soon after this he returned home and organized the Nineteenth South Carolina Regiment, of which he became the Colonel. Soon after this his health failed him and he returned to his beautiful home at Edgefield, where he died loved by many, and held in the highest respect by all for his pure life, a beautiful example to all young men. ' '