The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1877-04-20
How the Troops wege withdrawn.

OF the troops from tie State-lIouse to-day was
accomplished SO quietly and quickly AS to deprive
'he occasion of much of its purely dramatic in
terest. In all save the one essential particular
tnat they were going out never TO return, the
evacuation differed very little from the usual su.
Percession CT the guard which might have been
witnessed any time during these four months
H'vernor uamP.on $ published request, in fur
th'rince Of hi' promiset to Hayes, that no Demo.
crat should go near the State House unless au-
thorized 10y him to do so, Was carried out to the
le'ter. Not one was present at the ceremony
anu saw none at the Capitol grounds, either be-
fore or af;cr the performance. Twenty minutes
peiore IL o cloca, your correspondent, with two
other members OF the press, presented them.
serves at the front door, and entered unchallen-
geu, although q score Of the colorcd special con-
t'aoies were hanging about the entrance watch
ing our movements with sullen unfriendly
e'ances. Within Ioors was confused crowd oc
perhaps one hundred and fifty persons mostly
negroes, who were moving about aimlcssly or
standing IN groups of threcs and fours engaged
IN low ana hspirited conversation. Here and
there were to he seen one or two smaller crtups
OF white Republicans OF the better sort similar
- occupied, and all looking badly demoralzed
or, to use n homciy phrase, "decidcdly down in
the mouth"
The guard on duty to-day was a detachment
OF twenty men, Company b, Second Regiment,
under command of Lieut.. Haynes. All necessa-
ry preparations for the evacuation had been
the men fully accoutred were resting in two
ranks and with guns stacked before tho door of
used 06if Mliqe he's beeR
solitary sentry paced up and down on his old
beat before the Executive Office Col Black and
ndJt. Potter stood under an arch, q few pacces
distant frequently referring to their watches
Gen. Rugers aide had arrived with the ordcr
curing the morning, and Col Black was nervously
intent upon complying with its precise instruc-
uohs as to the hour of ofdeparture to wit precisely
'WelVe Ills ner' BUSINESS affected his subordinate
"t4cers, from these 1t spread to the crowd and
no secoru was permitted to pass altogether un-
observed in its flight. At ten minute es before IL
Lieut.. liarriss suddenly sounded the order
Attention which was generally observed by
me crowd throughout the building. Us well rs by
the handful Of men to whom it was more partic.
ulariy addressed. Then came in rapid succession.
lake arms, "untx bayoncts,' carry arms
count iuurs, ''twos right" ..nlarch - The
last order brought the squad sharply down on
the crowd, which gave way to allow II free pas
sage TO the door. But the time was not yet up.
and sudden iult was made as the LEADING
HE reached the south entrance. The sentry cn
uuty before the Executive office, now relieved
lor the last time, resumed his place in the ranks
and the command, "Order arms being given.
the men stood at case in their places. Tue few
remaining minutes OF the ten seemed to loiter
as they passed. Presently the sergeant who
had timed his watch with the City Hall bell
which i'll turn was set with the clock in the tel
egrapiI office, which in turn was regulated from
washington by telegraph, whispers 10 the lieu
tenant, "Onc minute more, sir" ana is dircc-
tcd 10 take his stand 1T the south door, next 10
Tue city Hall and to give notice Of the first tap
OF the clock bell by wave uf his hand Col
iiiack, seeing the man9uvrc recalled the ser
Seaht ana sent Lieut.. Er,ggs, oil the same COM
fany, to take the post of warning. The seconds
are minutes now, and every body is listening for
INC sound or watching for the signal! TLcre
ion
cate the first tap, which was not heard in the
recesses of the hall, anil advances rapidly 10
Col. Black to report the fact. The Colonel
says. "Don't run, sir The lieutenant ioins
the squad. Then is heard, 'Attention guard -
larry arms Light shoulder arms ~ "Twos
right, march. The sound OF heavy and hur-
ried footballs resounLs along the corridors
and before the bell has reached the fifth stroke of
number Of the negro c0nsta5lesss, lss 'ssysfrIfsy syfrIfssRy
acting under Pcrcmptory and urgent orders in
stantly sprang to the heavy doors and slammed
them to with bang, in the face of the crowd
within, anu in the immediate rear Of the las,
file of soldiers without, who are hardly out ,f
the way Of the closing panels. A heavy bar
dropped into its brackets, and the military occu-
patton OF the State House is ended much to the
relief of the citizens and the military as we'll.
All was done SO suddenly that the clock could
De heard striking after the doors were closed
the bell strikes slowly at best, and it REQUIRED
little suggestion to evolve the comparison of n
funeral knc!l. Twelve strokes sounded. and the
Twelve long, weary wretched years of CARPET bag
nisrule were tolled off one by one and consi med
10 the tomb Of the past forever, never to know n
resurrection The crowd quickly dispersed al
most In silence and in few minutes the wires
were flashing the tidings to every town and viii
lnSe OF the whole land. The detachment of sol
uiers were marched direct to their quarters and
dismissed, and 50 ended the first lesson of the
evcntful day.
Mr. Chamberlnias action to-day was com
plete surprise to everybody outside the small
circle of his immediate friends and assocatcs
ana could not have been anticipated by any one
nor In his confidence |, was certainly known
upon evidence contained in his own handwritinr
mat so lately rs Saturday night he was fully de
tcrinined upon the policy of resistance MS Sc:
forth In the Ners and Courier and sustained i'm
adviccs TO Northern persons here from corrcs
Pondents at Washington. To this policy his
supporters here considered him firmly commit
teu, ana they were prepared to sustain him in
IL: lie had not in single instance siven the
s'sh'es. intimation OF even tac possibility Of n
chanSe IN the course he had marked out and
declared, and such a possibility has not been en-
tertained for a moment in the plans of Governor
Hampton and his friends, who have been busily
engaged for several days devising the line of
attack to be pursued in view Of his assured pur-
pose or resistance to the last legal extremity -
The truth is simply that Mr. Chamberlain
changed his mind within the past twenty four
hours, and the change, to whatever influence
que, was kept so secret that il was not even sus-
pec'ed till the troops had actually departed from
ms office door, and he had made formal and of
kcial announcement of his abandonment of the
contest. have heard no reason suggested for
his sudden revolution of pu, pose, and have no
means OF ascertaning lie will probably make
1t known at his own discretion II NAV be re. |
marked just here that whatever the reason for
his course, the fact of his yielding at this iunc.
ture has gone very far already towards modify