The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1870-04-27
THE MARTYR OF THE SOUTH

1t Is not often that great city
feels, but when this great heart Of
humanity, whose every pulsation is
life, can feel, the result is more terri.
bic than tho bloodiest battle. Yes,
when those arteries of city, its
streets, and lanes, and alloys, thrill
with tho same feeling, when, like an
electric chain, it darts invsibly from
one breast to another, until it swells
ten thousand hearts, the result IS ter.
rible. .a"& Esa ~ Il,
l care not whether that result is
manifested in q Riot, that fills the
streets With the blood of men, and
women, aud little children, that fires
tho roof over the head Of the Innocent,
or sends the Church of God whirliug
in smoke and fame to the midnight
sky ); or whether that feeling is mani
festsd ia the silence of thousand, the
stealthy footstep, still it is fearful
thing to see.
There is agloom to-day in Charles.
tom '- aEa er $685. us.
A dead awe reigns over the city.
Every face you sec is stamped with
gloom men GO silently by, with
anguish in their hearts aud eyes.
Women arc weeping in their darken.
ed cha mbers, in yondcr church old
men are kneeling before the altar,
praying, ia low, deep, muttorred
tones. nE 4n.H..
The very soldiers whom you meet,
o1nJ 10 fho;r 2r;t;,1, tfo,,, - a., -,
sadness on their faces. These men,
to whom murder is sport, arc
gloomy to-day. The citizons pass
hurriedly to and fro; cluster in
groups whisper together; glide
silshtlyinto theirs homes .a
The stores are closed to-day, as
though it we're Sunday. The win
dows Of those houses are closed as
though some great man were dead {;
there is silence in the air, as though
a plague had despoiled the town of its
beauty and It's manhood.
The British banner stained as it is
with the best blood of the Palmetto
State--seems to partake of the inHu-
ence of the hour for, floating from
yonder staff, it does not swell buoy.
antly upon the breeze, but drops
heavily to the ground.
The only sound you hear save the
hurried tread of the citizens, is the
low, solemn notes of the Dead March,
groaning from muflled drums.
Why all this gloom, that oppresses
the heart and fills. the eyes WHY
do Whig and Tory, citizen aud sold
dier, share this gloom alike Why
this silence, this awe, this dread z :
Look yonder, and in the centre tf
that common, deserted by every
human thing, behold d---rising in lonely
hideousness-behold, a GaNo,os.
Why does that gibbet stand there,
blackening in the morning SUM-
Come with me into yonder mansion
whose roof arises proudly over all
other roofs. Up these oarpetcd
stairs, into this luxurious chamber,
whose windows are darkened by hang
ipgs Of satin, whose walls are covered
with tapestry. whose foor is crowded
with elegant furniture. All is silent
III tnlS cnamDer.
A single glow of morning light
steals thro' Che parted curtains of
yonder window. Beside that w;niow,
with his back to the light, his face in
shadow, as though he wished to hido
certain dark thoughts from the light,
sits a young man, his handsome form
arraycd in q British uniform.
Ho is young, but there is the gloom
Of age upon that woven brow, thore
is the resolve of murder upon that
curling lip. His attitude is s,gnif-
cant, His head inclined to one side,
the cheek resting on the left hand,
while the right grasps parchment,
: which bears his signature, the ink not
/, yet dried. = ST T'
bat parchment is o death warrant.
Il Ifiyou. wiil.lovk closely upon that
!! red uniform you will see that it is
stained of Paoli, where the cry for
quarter was answered by the falling
sword and the rocking bayonet. Yes.
this is none other than General Grey
1.-The Butcher ofPaoli, transformed by
the acoolaGo Of his King into Lord
Rawdon:. '' @A @FSs e $500 @.. 81
g.u Whilssheis there, by the window.
3 graspiagatlrsts parchment in bis hand
.thoHdoor opens, q atraBge groupe stand
disclosed on tie threshold. $50
,a'., pa wotdan, . I'D three children, dress
y Cd 10 black, stspd there gazing upon
.ethe Englisb lords. They salowly ad'
vance ;rdoyou behold the pale fece ol
a,thas Wosaan, hsraeyes, large and dark
not wet with tears, but glafihg 8 &itt
speochless awe Oae side little
girl, with brown sringlets, on The
other her sist6f' oaeL year older, will
dark hair, Te eliesias % pallid face.
- Somswlst ia front, his young form
t,rising. sto every inch Of aits height
ptandssa boy Of tbirteens fwithsohssDbt