The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-01-09
HAMrTON.s CONvALEsCENCE.
Ills Physicians Relieved from Anxiety.
COLUMBIA, December 25.

NOLCMBlA, OecemDer 70.
Authoritative reports of the Governors
condition to-day confirm and extend the
information which has been published at
Intervals for the last week as to his con-
tlnuel improvement and fully warrant the
confident hope now generally entertained
by those in attendance upon him that he
will soon he able to leave his bed. IL
would perhaps be saying too much to
state that he is regarded entirely out of
danger, since there are doubtless certain
contingencies incident To the nature of
of his wound and of his general condition
.,hich cannot safely be omitted for con-
sideration but it is gratifying to be as
assured, upon high authority, that such
contingencies are very remote indeed,
and il is not too much to say that tue
physicians in charge of the case are not
just now troubling themselves over mere
possibilities of evil.
Thanks to the consideration of q gen.
tleman in Charleston, Q. Rutledge
Holmes, the Governor was enabled this
morning, for the first time since his &C.
cident, to find some relief from the pro-
tracied wearincss Of his sick bed by q
transfer to the ingenious and comfortable
couch presented To him by the friend in
question. He was removed from The bed
to the couch without pain, and expressed
himself IN greatly benefited and pleased
by the change itself, as we'll as by the
change Of bodily position it enables him
to assume.
Some Of my readers will perhaps recall
upon suggestion IL characteristic anecdote
concerning the Governor which was pub
lished in the Nc,cs and Courier soon after
his first inauguration, and wherein was
narrated the circumstances under which
he wrote his FIRST message, how he dropp-
ed his pen, put aside the tiresome page,
and divesting himself of the cares OF the
State, went OFT into the woods in search
Of AL errant turkey gobbler which he
brought home like another prodigal and
probably killed in its own honor. In
further illustration of this, the domestic
side of MS character, it should be related
here that ever during his present serious
illness he has found no small degree of
diversion in having his pet chickens fed
occasionally before his window, and US ]
am informed, has fed his favorite horse
from his own hand througii the ahfno
window which opens just at his bedside.
This reference to his horse reminds me
again of another significant circumstance
which has not before been made public,
WV WiiSH dCoCiNCo W w COu-
mected with any end every ACCOUNT of
tho deplorable accident which has 80
nearly deprived him Of hs life and the
State Of the needed services of her most
illustri0us son at the most critical period
OF her history.
The account of the accident which was
published in the News and Courier the
day after its occurrence became known,
WAS full and eXnct in every particular
save one, and that omission now desire to
supply, Us IL answers the question which
have frequently heard usked, "Why
Governor Hampton of all men should
ever have consented to ride n mule on a
deer huntW A sufficient reply might be
made 10 the effect that the Governor can
ride any thing any other man Gun, and
therefore felt no hesitation in mounting
ever ycung unbroken mule; but the
trce aud better reason is that he CLOSE to
use the animal in question rather
than continue the hunt upon the horse
which he had taken with him, which
had already done him gooi service the
day before, and which he wished to spare
for the reason that it was not his own,
but had been placed at his disposal by q
friend. The Governor is hard rider,
where his own is concerned, but he is
not one OF that very large class Of man
kind, who, according to the proverb, are
willing TO ride borrowed horse to
death" He left the horse behind, there
fore, upon principle, and took upon him.
self the risk of riding instead brute
which few other men would care to
bestride.
In This general connection l may as
well mention another fact in point, which
will be appreciated by any man who
knows the Governor or who has ever fol-
lowed the hounds, TO wit that the only
real concern the Guvernr- evinccd at the
time of the accident, though suffering
keenly the while, was, in view of the
possibility that some 5lundering reporter
or editor might publish to the world that
he had been thrown from his saddle.
l have seen it stated, somewhere, that
he was thrown aud then kicked and that
it was the kick which inflicted the in
jurics he received. The readers of the
Neios and Courier, however, know better,
and need not now be retold the details
they read nearly two months ego.
The Governors accomplishments as @
horseman and hunter are too we'll known
to need repetition here, and his fondness
for field sports besides being almost Incl
dent TO the possession of the ability to
enjoy them, is equally well known to all
who know anything of his hubits and
tastes. Some of his friends are now tell
ing with great glee how on the Saturday
night previous to the day fixed for the
amputation of his leg, his "ruling pas
sion" asserted itself in the face of the
dangers which surrounded him ano in
spite of the pain which he was even then
suffering from his still recent injury. It
had been raining hard and continuously
during Friday night and all day Satur-
day, and the depressing influences Of the
weather conspired to deepen the gloom
his family and friends felt in common
with all his people in view of his situa-
ton then, perhaps. at its most critical
point. The Governor, however, was
thinking of other things it appeared, rs he
turned TO one of his friends. who happen
ed to be present on the occasion referred
to, and remarked that, cas- it had been
raining so heavily all day. the deer
would he driven out of the swamps and
the morrow would nc famous day for
bunting"
am warned just here that in collect
ing and publishing these little incidents
, Of III illness, may, however, uninten.
tionaliy, convey the iml vession that the
distinguished sufferer who is the subject
, of them all has been either unaware oil
, nconsiderate of his truly dangerous con.
dition. / need scarcely add that such ar
} impression would be wholly erroneous
What has been narrated above has beer
, told in the belief that it will interest al
who are interested in him, because moth
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