The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1877-08-30
Ean VIA EIirHTI

Cur article lss. week about Gathering up
the State Arms has awakened the ire Of
General J. w. Harrison, who published the
following card in the Journal under the
head Of ''advertisement'C):
On the 18th inst. the former officers of the
colored militia company at this place called
on me NET 70, advice In ssrd to the State arms
Willingness to surrender the arms, but did
not know to whom to deliver them. 4.
their request wrote TO The Adjutant Gen.
eIal, asking inrtyuctiono for them. On
wednesday Eaorning, 22nd inst, / received
from his Office the reply. as will be seen
below. When tho detachment came here
on that day went over and exhibited the
letter and suggested that the matter be de-
layed. Immediately telegEaphed to CO.
lumbia for instructions. Just ct this time
Col. Jas. L. Orr arrived home from Green
Vile aud took charge of the matter and the
guns. This was iny interference and no
more.
The insinuation that improperly med.
died in The matter is az gratuitous us It
seems malicious. j. w. HARRISON.
Aug %, 1877.
c. u, ,coLyMplA. p1. s. G.. Aug; 20, 1877.
SIR-Your letter OF 18th inst. is received,
and am much obliged for the interest taken
about the State guns.
l have written Lieut. Col Jas. l.. Orr,
who, ns an aide, Is authorized to receive
aii such property. requesting him to COM
.lunicate with you ON the subject The
trouble with this Office Is want Of funds. the
Legislature having made no provision for
this purpose; even the small sum of $3.50
tor armorer's salary cannot he drawn, as
there is no appropriation.
Not knowing whether you reside I'm the
ArI.A II a..
tance, have not sent you any authority to
receive arms, but If you would take the
trouble Of supervising the collection in your
neighborhood, will be glad to secure your
cooperation. There ought to be II GOO rifles
in the State, and don't think at present we
can account for 3,0O0 and many OF those
broken.
If you have little time you could devote
to tile State In this unpleasant business, 1
am sure the Governor and Adjutant and lin.
spoctor General would be pleased If you
would use your influence in securing some
OF the State arms from destruction.
Your obedient servant,
JOHN scoryIN,
For A. and l. Gen.
The remarks of Gen. Harrison show him
to have been responsible for any trouble
that occurred about the delivery of the
guns TO Capt. Tribble, for he admits the
colored people were willing to give up their
arms, and he could have onded the whole
matter by simply telling them to turn them
over to Capt Tribble. Now, the letter from
Mr. Scofiin docs not confer any authority
upon Gen. Harrison except to assist in re-
ceiving the guns in the absence of Col Orr,
or some other person authorized to take
them. In order to show how much malice
we had in tbn ,rticle we published, VIC ap-
pond O letter from Capt. Tribble, written
Ter publication q. Cur request, and also the
official report of the matter as transmitted
by Col. Orr to the Adjutant Generals office.
With these letters we leave the question Ms
to whether we maliciously misrepresented
she General or not for our readers to de-
eide:
, BELToN, 8. c.. Aug. 27th, 1877.
Mr. e. B. Murray, anderson, S. C.:
DEAE SrR-I have seen Gen. Harrison's
card In the Journal. When we were in An
derson on the 22nd, Gen. Harrison came to
me nnd presented letter that he had re-
ceiyed ss from the A.. and 1. General, saying:
Read this, and think you will proceed no
iurther in the collection Of these arms" and
also said that had no authority to collect
them, but that he had; and no doubt told
the colored People not to deliver the arms
70 US, &C. The Captain and Orderly Ser
geant of the colored company told me that
the men would ali have come forward and
handed up the arms willingly had it not
i1STe Sseii ioT TcI. Hnrrigon, VINO told the
colored men that wo had no right to take
the arms away from them.
l am satisfied in my own mind. that
Gen. Harrison did all he could to keep us
from collecting the arms. What his object
was, !! do not know. II it was not for politi-
ca! enect, or natural desire to metldle with
Things that did not concern him.
Very truly yours,
NJ: P. fRIBBLE,