The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1880-03-04
THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR.
"Reminiscences and Laciaeats OF Inters
to the Present Generation.
Charleston Sunday Mer,.

On the broad, sandy state road which
: ruus parallel with the Santee River, ant
,-.bare.3 .yiaible from the railroad station
which bears its name, stands the "Old
Brick Church" of ST. Stephen's. Il ia q
weird, gloomy place, that ancient SANG.
tuary, with its heavy, iron.s.rapped oak.
en- doors ever creaking to tie breeze
with Its dilapidated windows. and The
swinging shutters Tapping out the re.
manning panes Of dusty glass. The tall.
old-fashioned pulpit has been untensn..
ted through unremembered years. and
the nocturnal gambols of the rats and
flying squirrels over the high backed pews
may be traced by the footprints in the
dust which covers them, without distur.
bance from any other source. The gnarl.
ed and rugged oaka in the graveyard.
like the stout old families who sleep be.
meath their shadows, have been deprived
by time and adversely of many of their
sturdiest branches, which lie scattered
among the fragments Of the tombstones
that have been broken by their fall, and
q few angular cattle--descendauts, per.
haps, Ut Pharaoh's lean kiEo-gather o
scantyaubsistence from the rank, unwhole.
some herbage of the graves. Tho gray
rabbit makes her form in the briar thick
etc, the fox creeps watchfully through
the gaps in the broken fence, and the
wild deer often leads the crying hounds
directly across the once sacred, but nov
desolatedj enclosure. The owl and the
bat hold undisputed possession of the
old building, except when the autumn
frost drives aneighboring colony ofblack-
snakes and moccasins to seek its shelter
during the period of their winter nap.
In short, it requires no very shrewd
observer to see that the Old Brick Church
has long since known It's best and hap
Piest days. Time was when :ts echoes
rang with the clinck of jingling spurs
and the clatter of trailing fapiers over
the red-tiled floor, worn by gallants in
plum -coiored laced coats, crimson satin
waistcoats with huge Tapped pockets,
and yellow buckskin breeches-when
stately ladies, In farthingaies and Won
derfui head-attire, rustled proudly up
the broad aisies in all the glory of those
rich heavy brocaded silks which, like the
famous scimetar blades of Damascus, the
world has now forgotten how to makt.
Suck was the congregation which was
gathered there for worship (and the va.
fious other purposes for which the coun.
try churches are usod) on that memora-
BILE Sunday in 1778 when Major Cordes,
of the Continental forces, threw his
Prayer-book at the head of the Loyalist
clergyman who ,uould pray for the King.
1t you desire to know more about them,
you may read it on the escutcheoned
mural tablets still clinging to the walls,
and on the old gray slabs and headstones
in the churchyard. But / can't help
wondering which of them is now sleeping
under the piece of moss grown blue slate
which bears the affecting legend:.
Behold md see now here lye,
As you are nCwe, SO once was /;
AS am nowe, so you must be,
Therefore prepare to follow me.
And I can't.help wondering whose grand
father was the graceless young scamp
who tooK his poke: 6nife and scratched
on the soft stone, Immediately beneath
the epitaph, this suggestive and not un-
thoughtful comment:
To follow you I'm not content,
Unless know the road you went.
It'was great many years nearer TO
our own degenerated times that Squire
Porcher rode up to the window, ON . fine
moonlight evening latter o club dinner,
and, upon looking In, saw the parsons
ghost in the pulpit with surplice on
and going back the next day with q par,
ty to verify the story, killed great white
owl on the top of the sounding. board.
And by the way, while the parson was
yet in the flesh, that same soundibg. board,
with the colossal acorn on its apex, must
alwaye have seemed like huge extin-
guisher about TO descend and qEanch the
light of genius with which ha vas ilu-
minating the minds of his hearerc. It
~ss:eTsn EIioTe Teosntiy tiiut crazy Josi,
Coutnrier frightened the "runaways" on
the stormy night. Thes tory is this: Josh
was acrack-brained genius who wandered
over'the country, roosting liSe the wild
turkeya, wherever night happened to
catch him. One sultry summer evening,
when piles of dark clouds were moving
distant mnttering, and. entering the old
church, stretched himself comfortably
for the night upon the soft bench lust
under the pulpit. He had Just dropped
asleep when the storm burst with trenien
dou3 fury. The wind howl. 1Talong the
eycs,and hurled great branches from the
oaks upon the leaky roof; the sheeted
rain dashed fiercely, through the broken
windows; flash after flash or the vivid
lightning tote its jagged way through the
clouds; aud ihe e.ssh. ass * ff..Asals cf thunde.
seemed loud enough 70 wake :.ihis dead
Josh was la a dry ssfi protected protested place
and was just cOngratnsating himself upon
his snug quartera and composing himself
for second nap, when the main door
which he had fastened with splinter
from broken bench. opened violently
and two savage looking negroes, drip.
ping wetand loaded with plumber, entered
and proceeded to select their nights lodg.
ing-piace among the pews on the dry side
of tho church. Coutsfier was, By nc
means too crazy to comprehend the nn.
pleasant character of the situation in
wiiicftyhe iuun6 iiisTisssiiss, iiisTassis eananinilv dis.
nEfesahIe,. since he Recognized, by the
glare ofthe vivid flash; in his unweicome
acknowledges two notorious outlaws, well
armed, who had long since by their crimes
exhausted the patience and forbearance
of the community. Taking advantage
ofthe next blaze. Of light. be suddenly
raised his long, skinny form from the
depth of the pulpit pew, and drawled out
in senulchral tones "a stn-r-m-y - niehlI
The efieetiwas Immediate and MI that nc
could have wished. The outlaws daSted
through the nearest window as il sho.
ont 6fln Columbiad, leaving josh undia-
pnted master of the field aud of the spoils
sshich they Left behind them; nor, were
they ever ngasr seen within FIVE miles oi
the Old BEick Church.
But If 60 on in this way, chatts;;af;fS; &: 8:
] the many stsaditions which cling around
Sc. Stephens, / shall nesaF get to my
aiofy, The circunatancas, however, un.