Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1867-01-24


our people. Why not keep it at home2 Look te
it, that our only salvation is in our sustaining each
other and keeping our capital at home.
A VICTIM FORGOTTEN BY THE SOUTH
We published two days ago, paragraph con.
cerning Colonel St. Leger Grenfell, now prisoner
for life, by virtue of the sentence Of court mar
tial, on the worse than St. Helena Island
DRY Tortugas.'
1t has been our good or bad luck to have been tho
first Confederate officer that became acquainted
with COL Grefel, and that in this very city ot
Mobile and to have been the cause of his connec
ton with the gallant and unfortunate Morgan.
It was about the latter part of May or early in
June, 1862, that we happened to visit Mobile on
leave, and as the Battle House was much crowded
we had to share the room of tall, military looking
gentleman, who had just succeeded in running the
blockade from New Orleans into our lines. From
the first we became very intimate with our room.
mate who abruptly addressed us in French, and
soon displayed before us all the charms of mind
well stored with facts and experience and highly
cultivated by education and reading We soon
found that he had served with marked distinction
in the Crimean war as Brigade Major of the cele.
brated brigade to which belonged the immortal
Six Hundred sung by Tennyson.
| He showed us the warmest letters of introduc-
ton to General Beauregard, whom it was his origi
nal design to join in any capacity; but, as the re-
treat from Corinth was then progressing, we agreed
together to delay for a few days our visit to the
General
The next day we took dinner at Jourdan's, on
St. Michael street. and at the next table sat Col.
Morgan, just then rising into that brilliant fame
which no time will ever obscure Having known
the gallant raider father in Kentucky, years ago,
we exchanged few brief words, and then proceed
ed to relate, in French, to Col Grenfel, the ma
ture, character and extent of the romantic exploits
of that daring youth.
The Colonel could hardly wait till he had con-
cluded our enthusiastic account, but exclaimed, at
once, 'cest mon heros cest mon heros!" and in
sisted upon an immediate Introduction.
This being cheerfully done, the two tables were
soon joined, and the veteran Of India Crmea, Ita.
lly, Agiers and Syria, for Major Grenfell had shed
past, was soon lost in his admiration of the simple,
yet grand recital of the many dangers and escapes
of partizan's life on the border.
General Beauregard was at once given up, and
in less than an hour afterwards Colonel Grentel
was officially attached to Colonel Morgan as Aid
de- Camp or Adjutant, we forget which.
The English soldier who belongs to one of the
best families of Great Britain, had with him large
quantity of gold which COL Morgan and ourselves
advised him to leave in the hands of the British
French Consul, and only provide himself with a
moderate sum of Confederate money.
This was accordingly done, when suddenly Col.
Gren remarked that he WGSd % hardly have
wered Morgan, laughing, "dear Colonel, in month
you'll have horses for sale, am going into Ken
tucky."
The next day they left together for one of those
daring expeditions which was finally to end by the
murder, while prisoner, of one Of the boldest,
greatest, bravest and kindest of modern leaders,
Colonel Grenfell's career soon became theme
for the admiration of the South, and the terror OF
its enemies and his name is as familiar to the Ken
lucky border as that of the Black Douglass to the
Lowlands.
1t seems, however, owing to some technical diff
culties in the way of his promotion that ne subse-
quently left Or as his enemies aege, pretended to
of private English tourist and sportsman on the
prairies of illinois, when suddenly the world was
Mortified at the news Of his arrest, with circum.
stances of atrocious cruelty, under the vague and
unmeaning charge of having attempted to release
the Confederate prisoners at camp Douglas and to
burn Chicago!
The absurdity of the first, and the magnitude Of
the second charge should have been sufficient to
prove their utter groundlessness but the hate and
rancor which burned in the breasts Of his captors,
who had so often trembled at the mere mention OF
his name could not be satisfied, until dragged be-
fore some obscure military court, and on the evi-
dence Of his own enemies, he was speedily convlc-
ted and sentenced to be shot in few days
It remarkable fact that this sentence was pass
ed on a foreigner who had not been taken in arms,
who could, as foreigner, commit no treason, and
under the treaties with England, could not be di-
verted from the natural judges Of the land.
The man who had dared death on thousand
battle fields received without emotion the notifca-
ton of his approaching fate; but even the execu-
TONERS paused and hestated, applying themselves,
and without his knowledge, for respite, and then
communication of the awful decree.
With that nonchaance characterizing MIR. Lin
coin, and without much inquiry, he only saw there
chance to save man s lite, and, not being blood
lily Inclined he seized it with alacrity changing it
only to Imprisonment for life on the Tortugas and
now for over three years has the heroic Englshman
fingered away his fast declining days
And not a voice has been raised by his own coun-
trymen asking at least for revision of the odious
trial. or the return to legitimate jurisdiction Of an
accused who, not having been taken in arms, could
not by the laws of nations, be held accountable be-
fore a military tribunal! and while proud Albion
was allowing one of her bodest children to perish
under this most unjustfable breach of law, she was
most courteously and attentively listening to and
complying with every application for mercy made
by the United States Government in behalf OF her
own betrayed Fenians
And even the South did not listen to the sounds
of agony brought over the way from the inhospit-
able sands of the Tortugas, until the gallant little
State of Florida took the lead in this mission Of
mercy, and adopted resolutions calling the atten,
ton Of the General Government to the detention Of
Col. Grenfell We sincerely hope that the Presi::
dent will listen to those just representations and
not allow himself to be Influenced by the report
lately made by General Sheridan as to the condi-
ton of the prisoners on those islands,
1t is a strange fact that this descendant Of the
Irish race, and one who has at last xhibited per
sona valor, if not elevated military talents, should
be so unrelenting in his vindctive feelings, even
after success, as to attribute to the Il-nature OF
Col. Grenfel the complaints made about the treat
ment of political prisoners in America treatment
before which the name of Sir Hudson Lowe, the
TAILOR at St. Helena, has almost been redeemed from
eternal infamy.-Moble Times.
THE LONDON NEWSPAPERS is stated by, a
London correspondent that the circulation OF the
London Times is about 60 900, and its profits last
year were about $250,O0O in gold. The London
Telegraph, penny paper, has the lagest creula,
ton of any daily newspaper in the world, about
l6O, ,OOO and its profits are about $260O0O. 1t IS
Reform paper, whilst the Standard, also pen