The independent press. (Abbeville C.H., S.C.) 1853-1860, 1856-10-24
many ,delicacies of the Doctors table:

"In the matter of domestic economy our
Southern friends do mot seem to excel.
Their cooking is simply execrable. Theyl
give you cold fowl, and cold beeisteak, and
cold coffee, and cold potatoes, aud (which
must be regarded as rather relieving fea-
ture) it is seldom you can get anything to
drink at country inns but cold water. l was
much struck by the temperant habits of
the people generally. AT the principle sta
ton on the road, however, the bar-room is
easily found, where blue ruin or jersey
Lightning, favored with peaches and colored
with brown sugar, is facetiously christened
brandy, and distributed at the small change
Of IL l-2 cents a glass"
Here follows sketch Of the Doctor:
".The Doctor, as my host was styled, for
no had once practiced physic, and the title
stuck to him-(N. B.-Every man above
thirty, in South Carolina, has professional
title, )-the Doctor, repeat, was an old
gentleman Of great native shrewdness, con-
siderable information and much experience,
but like everybody else met, he was la
boring under the secession mania"
Next arc detailed conversations upon the
impending crisis" and Southern Confedera-
cy, and the slnvery question. The Doctor
lecture upon the tendencies of Northern phi
lnnthropy, and to present in pleasing con-
trast, the humanity of the slave owner.
From Greenwood, our Reporter takes pri-
vate conveyance to the old fort OF Ninety Six,
and shows his appreciation of kindness, by aJu-
sing the borrowed vehicle which conveyed
him:
"My short sojourn at Greenwood having
las all things must) como to an end, babe
goodbye to my kind and hosptable friends
there, and left early on Friday morning in
a private vehicle, for the purpose Of visiting
the scene of the memorable revolutionary
conflict OF Ninety-Six. My companion was
a very agreeable and intelligent gentleman
from Charleston, who had come to Green
wood day or two before, for the special
purpose Of being present at the Brooks fes-
tival. Our conveyance was very ricketty,
and the road was MS rough as washboard.
We were always either dragging up bill
of backing down one, but fortunately suc-
ceeded in reaching our destination without
accident. NinetySix, which was originally
an Indian station, was so called from its
being 0G miles from another old Indian sta
ton that in the earliest period of the colo
nization of the State was planted among
the mountains of the Northwest. After
the war of the Revolution it grew into a
village Of considerable importance, and gave
indications of great prosperity, but as the
surrounding country became more thickly
crft lad efc
were gradually removed or became deserted,
and finally, to complete its downfall, the old
Court House, which was the first ever
erected in the district, has been recently
demolished for the sake of its brick"
Omitting long detail of the siege. we insert
brief description of tho present appearance
of the fort:
"Of the military works just described,
little now remains to bc seen. The Star
Fort still remains, but is almost overgrown
with trees. A shape!ess mound Of earth
here and there arounI it. points out the
spot where the besiegers' spade aided in
constructing some mode of defence or at
tack; and a hollow space north of the
fort yet shows tho mouth of Kosciusco's
mine, which is almost choked up with earth.
The ground on which the fort was erected
is an elevated tablcau, commanding an ex-
tensive prospect over a splendid country,
Instead Of smoking ruins, desolated fields,
the march Of marauding hordes, and scenes
Of cruel warfare, the eye of the traveller is
met on every side by smiling homesteads,
dense groves enveloped in shining mist
richly wooded hills, teeming wales, and cat
tie browsing guilty on the ground, which
once was moistsned with patriotic blood
Full reports are given Of the speeches o.
Gen. McGowan and Col Brooks; and mere
abstracts Of those of Senators Toombs and But
ler, and of Gov. Adama We were present
and thought the Generals speech one of hi
happiest efforts, and think that the Reporter
hos done justice to his clear and logical state
mcnts, his rounded periods, his apt quotations
and fervid style, though much is lost, in th,
absence of that easy elocution, and impassion.
ed utterance which lend charm to the spoken
word. -.., X
We have always admired the style of Col
Brooks speeches. Pure nervous and idiomat.
ic, it is the best index of the scholar, North
ern fanatics may style him "Bully Brooks,
but the tone, the temper and the style f,thia
speech affords the best refutation of their cal
umnies. '....t
Southern literature.
We commend to tho Attention of our reader,
the following extracts from a late speech of the
Hon. l. NJ. Keitt, recently delivered in Orange
burg, in which he urges the necessity of q new
| y,fo Gfofo nd AZ NJ