The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-02-23


Whites''- '-'.FIatwoods'' "a nG '.sandhill
PeOple-StRtistics-Tr Rut.
land--The Chatham X Railroad, dsc., &c
[FRoM OUR OWN CORREsr ON DENT.I
BENNEr1sv1LLE, February i5.-The road from
Society Hill to Bennettsville, although only
about thirteen miles, has always appeared to me
much longer. Nine miles of river swamp viii
tire even the most patient traveller. To be
sure, the road is in pretty fair condition just al
this time but have travelled it frequently
when it was otherwise. Marlboro in olden
times was wont to be considered for it's slze
one Of the wealthiesr districts in the State: l.
e. by those who knew anything Of the exist
ence of such place. For Marlboro was away
off in a corner, remote from emain thor
oughfares, and to very maay people in South
Carolina terra isacognit0. In spite Of this,
however, Marlboro grew and prospered.
Her people grew in wealth, Intelligence, virtue
and all the refinements of sn enlightened
civilization. Churches we're built aud
school-houses, from one end of her border to
the other; and as to planting, I do not think
any part Of our State could DO ast of more
scientific system of agriculture than this same
Trans-Peedee District. Some of the largest
cotton crops of our State used to cosae from
! Marlboro. Although, as / said, Marlboro
was remote from the great thoroughfascs, it
did not escape the ravages CT Sherman s
hordes. The s'great march, lay through the
very heart of the district, and great was the
| devastation in consequence The traces of
vandalism are still numerous along that
'swath," and many or the poor sufferers have
not yet recovered from that visitation. The
number of horses, mules, cattle and swine
driven off, the amount Of bacon and other
eatables taken or destroyed; the cotton, gin
houses. store-houses, implements, &C., burned
or rendered useless, is something stupendous.
do not know that Marlboro suffered worse in
this respect than many other parts Of the
| State; but do know that it will be some years
yet before all trace OF this Christian mode OF
warfare is effaced here
| Bennettsville, the county seat, was built in
| or about 1922, and named after the late Gov
ernor Bennett. Tho village has grown but
slowly, and is, presume, now not much larger
or more populous than it was twenty years ago.
| A few merchants, lawyers md physicians, with
sprinkling Of mechanics, constitute the popu-
ation of the village. There we're, however,
generally number of wealthy planters living
| within six or seven miles Of Bennettsyille, who
virtually contributed to the character and soci-
| ETY. OF tle place. Like every other community
| in the State, this also has seen great changes
during the last fcw years. Death has removed
some OF the most revered names from the ros-
ter, ap ong them Mr.. A. =. Douglass, DR.. w.
Csoss, q. Gsarsa John N Mcqueen, rs Mr.. sIohn
and useful citizens, who had contributed ma
terially to create a healthy public sentiment
here. The war, with its concomitant upheaval
OF the foundation stones of civil society, has
here you may see the most striking instances,
and most distressing, Of the vicissitudes OF for
tune. They who were rich are now poor, and
many who before we're penniless, now rank
with the nabobs Of the land.
| Mar boro, l believe, is the only district in
South Carolina that can claim the proud pre-
| emlnence Of not having had any spirituous Ii
quors sold within her borders for some thirty
years. The commissioners refused to grant Ii
censes, and Bennettsville not having been in
| corporated until after the war, tho commits
sioners had full control in all such matters. I
do not know whether this regulation still OBJ
| years it was not lawful for any one to sell o
drop of intoxicating drink in Marlboro. This,
| on the whole, speaks we'll for the community;
| for unless the commissioners had been sup
! ported by public opinion, the regulation could
not have remained in force 80 long. or course
| little of the "critter" is sold on the sly now
| and then by the canvas-covered wagons from
Worth Carolina that cruise Though the district:
| and, II l am correctly informed, these same
| ltlnerant Whiskey peddlers are very literally
patronized by the thirsty freedmen in the
| rural parts hereabout.
! With such moral basis, you will not be sur
| prlsed to learn that churches, schools and sons
OF temperance divisions have fourished here
| beyond what we were accustomed to see in
some other parts OF the State. Bennettsville has
| three churches Methodist Rev, y, Fl. Pritch-
ard pastor; Baptist, Rev. j. A. w. Thomas;
and Presbyterian supplied by Rev. DR.. Corbett,
Of Cheraw.
The Bennettsville Journal, weekly paper,
| is the only vehicle Of political or literary intel
ligence published within the county. It is
edited by William Little, ESQ.,, young gentle
man formerly Of Charleston, who, with a thor
ough familiarity with the printing business in
Of the law, which greatly enlarges The sphere
| Of his useful labors.
| Ofnotabllities, Bennettsville can boast Chan
| cellor VIM. ID. Johnson, who has now retired
from public life, and devotes his time and ener-
gies to the cultivation of the soil. Unlike most
| OF his brethren, Mr.. Johnson is o good planter
as we'll as good jurist. Colonel Q. w dudley,
formerly State Senator, now Assessor OF Inter
nal Revenue, is also an old and leading citizen
OF Bennettsville. Major B. d. Townsend, until
recently one Of the most public spirited OF it's
citizens, now lives at Society Hill. In this
connection, it may also not be improper to
mention the efforts put forth by the last named
gentleman and Chancellor johnson toward
| improving the horticulture and arboriculture
OF the district. With generous rivalry worthy
| of all praise and Of imitation, these two
gentlemen have spent years Of labor, and large
sums Of money, in demonstrating to their
fellow-citizens the fact that excellent fruit,
and in large quantities, can be grown upon our
soil. hope, ere long to hear that these spIen-
did orchards will become a source Of large
profit to their owners.
Marlboro, perhaps. as much as any other
district in the State, before the war at
least, showed the extremes Of wealth and po-
verty. Here was first the ''aristocracy" near
the river, opposite Cheraw; next, the aristocra-
Mns raj Springs to say nothing Of wealthy and ID
'well-to-do" planters in all the more fertile
parts OF the district On the other hand, you
may see here representatives of the class varl-
ously nominated as 'spoor whites," ''fatwoods
people," 'sand-hillers," &c. The FIRST Of these
terms is generic; tho other two are specific,
denoting classes widely varying in their char
acteristics.
Az this class Of the peopie OF SoYth On ro,ipa