Williamsburg County, South Carolina - Chapter 31: Williamsburg, C. S. A. 1865, 1923

The ragged remnant of the splendid Southern armies that had gone to War in 1861 refused to surrender dur¬ ing the autum of 1864, although all but the spirit of the men had been crushed. Southern regiments had been so decimated that not even a full company of effective fight¬ ing men could be had from many of them. All possible old men and boys and others who had been doing state service were sent to Virginia in the vain hope of strength¬ ening the thin gray line of battle.

Captain John Tucker's Company, afterwards Captain John McDonald's, that had been guarding the coast from the Pee Dee to the Santee until late in 1864, was sent to Virginia to unite with Company A, Seventh Cavalry. Among the men of Williamsburg who then became sol¬ diers in the Seventh Cavalry were W. H. Britton, J. W. Britton, D. Z. Martin, W. F. Thompson, W. T. Thomp¬ son, Robert Godwin, S. B. Green, John Green, Richard Green, Thompson Green, Eli Rodgers, Claron Rodgers, Furman Rodgers, Stephen Rodgers, John Ferdon, James Hanna, Robert Abrams, Duncan Fitch, John Hill, and others. J. W. Britton, and Robert Godwin were killed in the battle of Farmville on the retreat from Richmond to Appamattox.

William G. Gamble and J. T. Moreton were killed at Benton ville, North Carolina, in almost the last efforts Johnson made to resist Sherman. G. P. Anderson was wounded at Kinston, J. J. Miller at Jonesboro, and D. B. Fulton at Raleigh.

Kings tree's Own, the Wee Nee Volunteers, then Com¬ pany C, Twenty-Fifth Infantry, was sent from Virginia on December 22, 1864, to reinforce Fort Fisher. This Twenty-Fifth Regiment spent Christmas Day, December 25, 1864, in Greensboro, North Carolina, on the way. The citizens of this city feasted this Regiment on roast turkey, barbecued pig, apple dumplings, and gave them all the real coffee and ripe apple brandy its men could contain. These things were prepared and served as only the old Pennsylvania Dutch in that Greensboro country knew how, and these broken veterans of a hundred bat¬ tles enjoyed them and found in them faith to sustain their feelings that all good in the South had not been lost. There were at least three of the Wee Nee Company who enjoyed that Greensboro Christmas dinner in 1864 liv¬ ing in Williamsburg in 1923. They were Captain Cal¬ houn Logan, Harvey J. Brown, and William M. Mc- Ivnight. These venerable and distinguished men recall this dinner as one of their most precious war memories.

The Twenty-Fifth Regiment proceeded on its way from Greensboro to Wilmington, Avliere it was captured with the Fort Fisher garrison on January 15, 1865. The offi¬ cers were separated from the enlisted men and all were sent on barges to Fortress Monroe, from which point they were sent to Elmira prison, where they remained until the end of the War.

In Elmira prison, Williamsburg's soldiers fared re¬ markably well. When the Wee Nee men arrived, they found there a large number of their comrades from the district who had been taken in battles before that time.

Lieutenant Scott fell in this battle on the Weldon Railway and his comrades saw him lying unconscious on the field with a bullet hole in his clothing over his heart.

They abandoned him as dead. But he had a New Testament and a wallet in his breast pocket. The bullet went through the Testament, but stopped in the wallet. The traumatism was, however, sufficient to deaden him tempo¬ rarily. Lieutenant Scott afterwards said that when he first revived a big Irish Yankee soldier had him by the collar and was saying kindly, "Come on, sonny." Lieu¬ tenant Scott was then but a boy in years.

These old Williamsburg soldiers say that they had one pound of good white bread, some beans or peas, and bacon or beef, issued to them every day they were at Elmira, and that all prisoners who were reasonably well behaved were allowed considerable liberty on the streets of Elmira. Veteran Harvey J. Brown says one night he and a num¬ ber of others did not arrive at the stockade until much later than permitted out. When they returned it was dark and a Yankee sentinel simply would not let them pass until they used a few brickbats on him. These of¬ fenders were courtmartialled and could, under military law, have been shot. Some of the offenders were required to walk with their heads through one hundred pound barrels for a few hours. But when Mr. Brown came on for punishment, all the prepared barrels were in use. The provost marshall looked about him and finally saw a log weighing about one hundred pounds lying near. He ordered Mr. Brown to shoulder that log and march with it. Mr. Brown took up the log and placed it as ordered. He remembered, however, that he had been wounded in that shoulder at Chafin's Farm, so he showed the scar to the Yankee officer, who smiled and said, "Go on back to vour stockade."

Lieutenant Junius Scott was an excellent accountant and agreeable in association, so the Elmira prison officials soon began to use him as a clerk and secretary. William M. McKniglit says one time there a number of sick prisoners were ordered South, that he was sick and extremely anxious to leave that cold country, but that his name did not appear on the list to go. Lieutenant Scott took in the situation and the night before the departure of the prisoners, slipped him the proper papers, and ad¬ vised him how to avoid the officer counting the departing prisoners.

J. E. Rowe, a wealthy resident of Elmira, was a per¬ sonal friend of Lieutenant Scott's father. Mr. Rowe was exceedingly kind to Lieutenant Scott while in prison and to many of his friends. Frequently, he gave Lieutenant Scott many delicacies for his friends, thus relieving the

Veteran Brown says when he was discharged from El¬ mira prison, he was furnished transportation to his home in Cades, coming by way of steamer from New York to Charleston, from which place he came by railway train to the Santee River, was there ferried across and boarded a train for his home. This was the first train from Charles¬ ton to Florence after the War, on July 27, 1865.

When the Twenty-Fifth South Carolina Infantry sur¬ rendered to General Sherman near Greensboro on April 26, 1865, Captain E. R. Lesesne was commanding. There were then, besides Captain Lesesne, these officers present : Lieutenant H. L. Greer and Surgeon M. L. Horlbeck; non-commissioned, Sergeant S. M. China, Hospital Stew¬ ard J. E. Farris; Commissary Sergeant M. J. Hirsch, and thirty-six privates. These men from Company C, the Wee Nee Volunteers, signed the rolls: Sergeant S. M. China, privates D. E. Adams, E. M. Browder, A. Bradshaw, F. W. Boyd, and E. R. Cook.

The following were the terms of the Military Convention entered into between General Joseph E. Johnston, com¬ manding Confederate Army, and Major General W. T. Sherman, commanding U. S. Army in North Carolina, and signed for the Twenty-Fifty South Carolina Infantry hy Captain E. R. Lesesne : "Greensboro, North Carolina, May

1, 1865. The officers and men whose names are borne on this roll have given their solemn obligation not to take up arms against the government of the United States until properly released from this obligation. And they are permitted to return to their homes not to be dis¬ turbed by the United States authorities so long as they observe this obligation and obey the laws in force where they may reside/7

The Tenth South Carolina Infantry, then commanded by Lieutenant Colonel C. Irvine Walker, in which were most of the Williamsburg men, surrendered with John¬ ston's army to General Sherman on April 26, 1865, and signed the parole on May 1, 1865. The Twenty-Sixth South Carolina Regiment surrendered with General Rob¬ ert E. Lee at Appamattox.

After General Lee had surrendered, the Confederate cause was generally regarded as hopeless by the forces in Virginia and nearly all the men came home as quickly as possible, without regard to formality, parole, or any¬ thing else. Veteran James Epps was one of these men who shouldered his rifle immediately and who moved southward bv the most effectual method available. Mr.

Epps has that rifle until this day. He has been for nearly four score years one of the best men, from every point of view, who ever lived in Williamsburg. His old comrades, simply because he has lived so completely within the law, human and divine, have tried a thousand times to con¬ vince him that his "walking away" with his rifle, with¬ out having formally surrendered, was a grievous wrong, but he has never admitted "the crime."

Those men of Williamsburg who were being held as prisoners of war were not released until some time after all Confederate Armies had surrendered and all its forces had quitted the field. These prisoners were held at va¬ rious points in the Northern States, and as released were

On six hundred Confederate officers the United States Army visited the sins of the South. Two of this Immortal Six Hundred, Lieutenants William Epps and David Ervin Gordon, were men of Williamsburg. The sufferings of these Six Hundred officers must have been far bevond the imagination of lesser men. The severest retaliation known to modern warfare was inflicted upon them. They were placed under fire of guns from their own forces and kept there for months. This was because the Confederate authorities placed some United States officers in the resi¬ dence portion of Charleston where they would be exposed to the fire of the Union forces besieging that city. These Six Hundred were given only corn meal and pickles to eat for a considerable period since some Union prisoners of war in the South were not furnished with a sufficient ration. This Six Hundred had dangling before their eyes all this time the Oath of Allegiance to the United States and freedom.

Does anyone but the keenest physiologist realize how intense partial starvation is? How fiercely the hunger fires burn when some elements of food are withheld until certain organs of the body cry continuously for suste¬ nance? And does even the most understanding psycholo¬ gist know half how much spirit is controlled by contin¬ uous half unconscious suffering and physical disintegra¬ tion? In all this War Between the Sections, no other men had such opportunity as these Six Hundred Confed¬ erate Officers to show their divine manhood. These Six Hundred suffered most.

Lieutenant William Epps kept a diary while these "Immortal Six Hundred" were undergoing the furies of retaliation. Here follow some entries made therein :

"3. Excitement among the Yanks today - some of the Rebs tried to make their escape last night - one poor fel¬ low was, they say, drowned in the attempt. I hope the others were more successful. Just read an interesting book, title, 'May I Believe?7

"9. and 10. The weather is so warm it is very uncom¬ fortable in prison. Yesterday I was astonished when I looked out of the window and saw fifteen privates (Rebel prisoners) drawing a heavy two-horse plough in rough land, driven by the Yanks. Read an interesting little book, 'Only Believe.7

"11. In high spirits about being exchanged soon - it is rumored that six hundred officers leave here in a few days for Charleston, South Carolina.

"24. This morning about three o'clock ran aground just off Cape Rornain Light House - about six hours before we could move. During the delay, we planned to capture the vessel, but gunboat came up and our victory was crushed.

"9. The Yanks are firing furiously at our Batteries. Fort Moultrie replied, dropping shells in beautiful style in and around Wagner and Gregg, except two that ex¬ ploded over our prison, three pieces of which fell among our tents and caused a very unpleasant feeling among the Rebs. Fortunately none of us were hurt.

"20. Since the 9th, nothing of very great importance has occurred except our rations have been very short and generally unfit for even a dog to live upon. They consist of, for breakfast, two hard crackers and about an ounce of salt pork; dinner, half pint bean soup, two crackers, and sometimes meat ; supper, one cracker and about one ounce of meat. Upon an average I think we get about five crack¬ ers and two and one-half ounces of meat per day.

"28. A change in the rations - now it is four and onehalf crackers, one-half pint of bean soup, and about two ounces of meat per day. Sometimes, a half pint rice. Received a letter from home today.

"October 5. I have not witnessed a more pleasant feel¬ ing among the men since I have been a prisoner. A large amount of nourishment from the citizens of Charleston has just arrived and never were provisions more joyfully received. Every man has a smile on his face.

"16. Sunday - batteries on Sullivan's Island appar¬ ently practicing at our pen or something nearby, for sev¬ eral fragments of shell have just fallen among the tents.

"30. Captain E. S. Hall and Captain H. S. Lewis have been taken out of prison for a special exchange. A change in our rations since we left Morris Island - we get per day about nine crackers, a pint of rice or bean soup, and about two ounces of meat.

"4. and 5. A large supply of tobacco and ten gallons of syrup received for general distribution among us, be¬ sides a great many private boxes. Nothing seems to revive prisoners more than such acts of kindness by our friends at home.

"20. At four p. m., disembarked from the Canonicus and marched about one-half mile near Skull Creek, where we are now quartered. Our tents are in an open field - three men to each tent. We are limited to about an acre of land and guarded by the One Hundred Forty-Fourth New York Volunteer Infantry - so far a very cleyer set of men. They issued coffee, sugar, and bread for supper and breakfast.

"24. Since the 20th, our rations have been short and issued raw, viz.: crackers (cooked), beans, and salt pork, sometimes grist or rice. Very little wood is furnished and that green, such as maple, sweetgum, and short leaf pine - oak occasionally. The weather being cold and scarcely wood enough for cooking purposes, we have suffered very much from cold.

"December 1. Rations issued raw again and green pine wood to cook with. Unfortunately, the Yankees have succeeded in recapturing the other three officers who es¬ caped the guard a few nights ago.

"16. Rations of meat stopped - nothing issued to us but bread and not enough of that for two meals each day. We are not allowed to buy anything whatever, neither are we allowed to receive money, clothing, provisions, or anything whatever, that would add to our comfort. My watch was returned a few days ago that was taken from me at Point Lookout, Maryland, but minus the key, guard, and twenty dollars that was taken at the same time.

"20. Corn meal and pickles instead of molasses - camp kettles to cook in. The Yanks say they are retaliating on us for some of their officers who were treated badly at Columbia, South Carolina. Some of them who made their escape from Columbia arrived here a few days ago. Some of them said they were very roughly treated while others of the same party said they were well treated.

"25. Christmas dinner composed of dry bread, but for¬ tunately we got some molasses and gravy from our friends that made us a good meal. We get nothing but corn meal, pickles and once in four days, one pound wheat bread.

"31. Weather very rainy and cold - many of us are suffering wonderfully from cold and hunger. It is aston¬ ishing that any government will treat prisoners of Avar as we are treated.

"January 1. Um\^ell and suffering cold and hunger - ten days rations of corn meal and pickles issued. We have not had any meat since December 16. Dogs, rats, and cats dare not show themselves in our prison - several cats have been killed and eaten among us lately.

"17. My birthday - tAArenty-tAvo years of age. We are still suffering from cold and hunger. My feet have been frost bitten and pain me considerably. A great many others of my fellow prisoners are suffering in a worse condition. No fire is allowed us at night, and, during the day, only enough to cook our small rations.

"27. Our rations increased by four ounces of salt beef and four ounces of Irish potatoes per day, in addition to the meal and pickles, but still kept under retaliation.

"15. All are in very high spirits. Official news arrived today that we are all to be exchanged as soon as practi¬ cable. Oh ! what a happy thought it is to feel that we are soon to be released from this unhappy prison life.

"19. A salute of one hundred guns fired by the fleet off this harbor and thirty-eight fired from a land battery over the fall of Charleston, South Carolina.

"20. Full rations issued - sixteen ounces of bread stuff, half flour and half corn meal, ten ounces of meat, pork, and bacon, per day, and also some beans and soup.

"28. Provost Marshall inquired of each prisoner whether or not he wants to be exchanged or take the oath of allegiance to the United States.

"19. Since our arrival here it is said eight of our party have died and many others are suffering with the same disease, scurvy. Small pox has also made its appearance.

"15. News arrived that President Lincoln was shot last night and died this morning at seven o'clock; also that Secretary Seward was assasinated and, it is thought, mortally wounded.

"16. All flags flying at half mast and a cannon fired every half hour in honor of the deceased President. Twenty Confederate officers brought in (prisoners).

"26, 27, 28. Oath of Allegiance to the United States offered us on condition that all who take it are to be speedily released. Of two thousand, about half have con¬ sented to take it. Three Confederate officers brought in from Johnson Island. The prison is very much crowded and we are all in a demoralized state of mind caused by the sad news of our late misfortunes. It is rumored that General Joseph E. Johnston, Confederate States Army, has surrendered to General U. S. Grant, United States

"30. The above rumor confirmed, a great many are making application to take the oath, feeling that our cause is entirely hopeless, that being the only chance of deliver¬ ance.

"May 2. Oath again presented to those who refused a few days ago. All consent to take it except one hundred ten who still feel it their duty to remain in prison for the sake of our beloved country, the Confederacy. After neglecting my dear mother and family four years and suffering the hardships of a soldier's life and twelve months and seven days of prison life for what I thought was a just cause, but thinking all hope of success is gone now, I consent to submit to the will of a victorious people,

"22. For several days past we have been laboring under some excitement about our President. Though the papers have mentioned it each day for several days, say¬ ing that he was captured in women's clothing, not until this morning could we realize the fact that he had been captured. General Wheeler and staff, also Colonel Lub¬ bock, of President Davis' staff, arrived here this morning, who gave us the particulars of his capture. Colonel Lub¬ bock says he was captured with the President and that it is all false about them being captured in women's cloth¬ ing. We are waiting in suspense for our release.

more at liberty. At seven-thirty, leave on a steamer for Philadelphia. At four-thirty p. m., leave Philadelphia by rail for New York, arriving there at eight-thirty.

"25. At eleven-thirty a. m., on board the steamship Arago, which sails at twelve o'clock for Hilton Head, S. C. I have spent a very pleasant week in New York.

"2. Take the cars for Kingstree at five o'clock a. m. Arrived at Kingstree at three-thirty p. m. At four-thirty, arrived at home, found mother and family all well, once more a happy man."

General Hardee in command of about fifteen thousand Confederate troops had his headquarters in the present Harper home on East Main Street, Kingstree, during Feb¬ ruary, 1865. He was recuperating his army and refurnish¬ ing it with supplies for the purpose of opposing Sherman's Army in its effort to flank Lee's Army in Virginia. Gen¬ eral Hardee impressed nearly all horses, mules, corn, flour, and bacon in Williamsburg for his army and caused much distress in the district. Some men said that even Sherman's Army afflicted a community less than Hardee's.

But General Hardee did not impress Mrs. Elizabeth Brockinton's carriage horses. Some one who preceded Hardee to Kingstree told her that General Hardee im¬ pressed all draught animals except blind mules with in¬ growing hoofs. Mrs. Brockinton was one of the best housekeepers in this district and her cook could "boil 'em tender and bake 'em brown." When Mrs. Brockinton knew that General Hardee was approaching Kingstree, she sent her favorite carriage horses in charge of Uncle Joe into the thicknesses of Impenetrable Swamp. She herself went into the kitchen and mixed and baked things that looked good, smelled good, and she knew would taste good. She filled a big basket with these things and rode in an oxcart to General Hardee's headquarters with them. She asked the sentinel to present her compliments to the General with her request for an interview. An orderly trans¬ mitted her message. Perhaps he most respectfully stated to the General that a fine lady outside desired to see him, and gave him at the same time the unmistakable "high sign of good eats" known and recognized by men of all ranks from prince to pauper. The General received the lady and she soon returned with an order that her car¬ riage horses should not be molested. The General ac¬ cepted the basket. Uncle Joe returned those horses to her plantation, and she another day appeared at Hardee's headquarters in state, invited the General and his personal staff to dine at her home. This invitation was accepted. Further, this chronicler knoweth not.

Sherman took Columbia February 17, 1865. On Feb¬ ruary 18, 1865, after five hundred sixty-seven days of siege and one of the most stubborn resistances in history, Charleston was evacuated bv the Confederate forces and taken over by the Union troops. The only hope held out was the defeat of Sherman bv Johnston's army.

Dr. Samuel McGill, one of the most intelligent men of this district, recorded the following in his diary, and later commented thereon as quoted from his Reminiscences of Williamsburg :

"February 28, 1865. All is gloom and uncertainty and preparations are being made for the worst. Furniture and provisions are hidden against pending raids ex¬ pected through the district, which is now at the mercy of our enemy. Our currency is valueless and merchants refuse to take it for goods. It is feared famine will pos¬ sess the land; our army is demoralized and the people panic-stricken. All is gloom, despondency, and inactivity. The power to do has left us. All our possessions will go to pay the Yankee debt. To fight longer seems to be mad¬ ness; to submit tamely is dishonor.

Mr. Staggers' fine house at Murray's Ferry iu this dis¬ trict. They are composed of artillery, cavalry, and infan¬ try, most of which are negro troops. They were expected at Kingstree yesterday to burn and destroy and pillage. No force is there to oppose them. Another force of Yan¬ kees is reported coming from Georgetown by Rope Ferry who have already seized government stores at Pine Tree, which has been the point of transportation of rice from Georgetown. The whole country is in the wildest com¬ motion and many are fleeing to the woods with their wives and daughters, while a few have gone to meet the advance and to give battle.

"All during this month of March, 1865, we were all under such excitement and distress that we gave credence to the most fabulous reports, as we seek information of news from our neighbors. All communication from the outside was cut off and all that we could hear from our army was through sick soldiers, who had made their way through the Yankee lines and who gave woeful ac¬ counts of our starving and disheartened soldiers. On the road could be seen deserters from our armv, who, believing the war virtually ended, were trudging their way through the country, homeward bound in squads, with their guns, prepared to defend themselves if molested.

"Georgetown was now in possession of the Yankees, and thither thousands of our negro slaves, who had been kind, faithful, and true to us during the war, were steal¬ ing away in the night. Each morning we could hear of such a negro 'run away and gone to the Yankees,' and no efforts were made to intercept them, owing in part to our inability to do so and the expected successful operation of President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation."

About April 1, 1865, Governor Magrath determined to make a desperate effort to prevent raiders going from Georgetown into the surrounding country, so he ordered all available troops in this section to report to Colonel

James F. Pressley, then at home recovering from his At¬ lanta wound, for such service. On April 4, when these home guard companies, old men and boys, of the district, began assembling at Potato Ferry for this duty, Potter's Raiders from Georgetown had already entered Williams¬ burg and were laying waste the country south of Black River.

Potter's Raiders were composed of some organized Union forces, many self attached robber bands, and hun¬ dreds of plantation deserting negro slaves. It must have been the purpose of Potter to show General Sherman that his march to the sea might have been more horrible. It is doubtful if ever a more comtemptible force of cutthroats assembled than Potter's Raiders. The plantation de¬ serting negroes in this aggregation of fiends knew where everything of value in the district had been secreted and these Raiders gloated over wanton and malicious destruc¬ tion. These Raiders butchered all the cattle and sheep south of Black River and left their carcasses to rot in the fields and swamps. They burned all the homes and de¬ stroyed all the plantation shade trees aged by the cen¬ turies. When this nefarious band had destroyed every¬ thing visible about the home of Hugh Boyd and was de¬ parting for the next home for annihilation, one of these fiends happened to notice the Boyd Family Bible hidden away in some weeds. This fiend dismounted, seized that sacred morocco bound book, and tore half of its cover away, hacking its pages with his sabre. The Lynch family had several linen table cloths and other pieces of priceless texture, within which were woven the coat of arms of the family, which beautiful things had been sacredly treasured for more than two centuries. Potter's Raiders destroyed everything else about the place, but used these beautiful things as saddlecloths to show their own souls along their way.

Potter's Raiders did not cross Black River from the south. Williamsburg arose en masse and resisted them. Fortunately, Black River at that time was very high, and it was practically impossible to cross it except at points where bridges were. With Captain J. J. Steele's company as a nucleus, about sixteen hundred men gathered to¬ gether under the command of Colonel James F. Pressley at the Lower Bridge on April 6, 1865. Among these men were Captain T. W. Daggett, Captain S. J. Snowden, Captain W. L. Wallace, Captain W. N. Y. Rodgers, Captain John E. Scott, Captain Samuel McGill, Lieutenant Fur¬ man Rodgers, Lieutenant Thomas M. Gilland, Lieutenant J. M. Kennedy, Lieutenant N. H. Welch, and Lieutenant T. S. Steele, Jr., all of whom had served in the organized army, and all of whom commanded companies of men. This force under Colonel Presslev reached the Lower Bridge a few hours before Potter's Raiders and tore up and burned the bridge. Many volleys were exchanged, but the Raiders on the south side realized that it would be impossible to repair the burned bridge or to cross on pontoons under such a fire as would play upon them from Colonel Pressley's forces. The Raiders camped that night on the south side of the river. During the night, Cap¬ tain John E. Scott swam the river and scuttled some boats that were anchored on the south side, Colonel Pressley fearing the Raiders might undertake to use them in at¬ tempting to cross during the darkness. It was this night that Dr. David C. Scott, then fifteen years old, spent armed with a Confederate rifle in the trenches at the Lower Bridge, which night he remembers, regretting all his life that he had not been born a few years earlier so that he could have gone into battle in Virginia in the Confed¬ erate Army.

When Potter's Raiders realized the hopelessness of crossing at the Lower Bridge, they moved westward on the south side of the river, while Colonel Presslev's forces pressed forward to prevent them from crossing. The bridge at Kingstree was burned by the Confederates to prevent these Raiders crossing, as were all other bridges in Williamsburg District.

"For the next few weeks/7 says Dr. McGill, "no mind can comprehend the gloom and fearful anticipations of the whole district. Every man, capable of bearing arms, was in our little army, now away in Sumter District, and our whole district was at the mercy of negro raids, led by Yankees from Georgetown. Nor were we in any way re¬ lieved from the horrors of our situation until General Potter, hearing of Lee's surrender in Virginia, was on his way to Georgetown by the Santee River road, and most of our men had returned to their homes, to gather around them and defend their families, who had sought safer places than their homes were considered to have been."

On the same day that the Wiliamsburg District be¬ tween the Santee and Black River was being raided by in¬ describable ruffians, and that part north of Black River was defending its section against these nameless things, the Union Army, with President Lincoln at its head, was entering Richmond, the late capitol of the Confederacy. On April 9, 1865, General Robert E. Lee surrendered with his army to General U. S. Grant at Appamattox Court House. The Confederacv had been crushed.

From the beginning of the War Between the Sections, Abraham Lincoln was the only master of men and events. He was the Thing that shattered the Confederacy. He alone had been able to direct all conflicting forces towards the End. On April 15, 1865, when most needed, he was killed bv an assassin's bullet. Hate snatched the ruins of government from his dying hands and for a decade drove North and South ruthlessly towards Death and Hell.

There were some abolitionists in New York and Boston who realized that they did not have the blood basis to equal in culture some of the slave owning aristocrats in the

South. There were other abolitionists in Kansas and Nebraska and California who had been driven out of the South by economic conditions, even from the valleys of the Pee Dee, the Wee Nee, and the Santee. These two classes of abolitionists had not been sated with sufferings and gore at the Bloody Lake of Chickamauga and on the murderous slopes of Gettysburg. The green eyed hate in them made them ghouls, to gather mangled and emaci¬ ated Union soldier forms from Southern battlefields and prisons, and exhibit them continuously to the already hate maddened hordes of the North.