Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1880-04-01
For the Advertiser.
A STRONG PROTEST FROM A
NAMED SOLDIER.
10 Tie Nem6e:s nfMe LeQislature

South Carolina : disabled soldiers. II
regard to the ineratitnde which oul
Legislature showed them at the las
session. Last fall they passed an ac
to give all dis,hled soldiers of the
State, artificial limbs; then requil Ell
Of them to take An oath that would
exclude nearly al. At the extra ses
sion, some one Of the members, who
was friend to the manned, tried to
have the Bill amended so that all
might get legs and arms, AID it was
rejected, on the ground that the State
gave them legs and arms, during
B. +. Perrys Administration as Gov.
ernor, which cost seventy-6ve dol
lars each. Fli.n Is and members Of
the Legislature, We gave our limbs to
the State of South Carolina, and we
fought hard through many hotly con-
tested battles on the frozen Lills of
Virginia and Tennessee, e, and rested
upon our arms at night without a
spark of fire, went through with all
of the tolls Of mp life, stood picket
r-any cold winter nights in snow
knee deep and lcicles hanging to our
caps from 5 to G inches long; march
ed many times over the rugged hills
and turnpike roals of Virginia into
Maryland and Pennsylvania. half
barefooted and with sore heels. Those
who had the luck to draw pair of
shoes, when the army started to make
a trip north, would have holes worn
through the bottoms before the ar.
my could get back to the base OF sup
plies. When asked to what Reg.
im-nt we belonged, we felt proud
to say that we belonged to one Of
Once South Cardinals Regiments
Now We feel almost ashamed to &C.
knowledge that We belonged to one
Of her Regiments, as we feel that she
has thrown US away, cares nothing for
US, forgotten what we have sacrificed
for her.
We admit that our services as |.
diers were duties that We owed to our
country, and after discharging this
duty and losing our limbs, does not
the State Of South Carolinl feel that
she owes TO us in sense OF honor,
some gratitude fr representing her
in the late Confederate war Many
pave large families to support.
and no other means of support than
our own labor and if we We're des
titute of an artificial limb, it would
almost be impossible for Us t, make a
living as all crippled are not edact-
ted and professional men. Now, to
the members of rh' Legislature, who
opposed the Bill ior giving limbs to
all. d. you not think the leg or
arm We gave to the State Of South
Carolina is worth more to us than
the artificial liu-b she gave to us,
which cost seventy five dollars, and
would not last l,b,-ing man longer
than FIVE or six years without replir-
ing? you think SO, what will you
take for one Of yours? And l ask
you who opposed the Bill, il that is
the sentiment Of the people Of the
counties you represent? Ii so, we
would earnestl, petition the man
bers, at the meeting Of the next Leg
islature, to cut oil scope OF country
for us, and colouiz4 all of the Grip
pied on it, and le; them have gov.
ernment Of their own, and call it the
government OF Cuolinos cast off
manned.
We believe, flour Confederate dead
could raise their beads and see what
you are doing. they would say
Give some to the living crippled,
for all that you do for US can do Us
no good.
And l would say to the crippled of
the State, when 1t comes time for
Candidates to bud out in the Pri,aa.
ry i lecti"n, if you should hear a
Candidate express himself as being
opposed to giving limbs to the Grip
pied, drop him from the rolls Of can
dates Of Primary Election. A man
who opposes such thing, is not
worthy Of the position he would oc-
cupy in the Halls Of the Legislature.
During Radical administration, we
expected nothing. We helped to
fight the fight Of seventy-six through |
the ballot box aud the Democrats
have been in power Tor four long
years and the first time we were
thought of by the Legislature, the
resolution ior giving US legs WAS re-
iected. Think of it, Members Of the
legislature How you would feel if
you were crippled soldier, and say
that your State cared nothing for
you? Look at that noble old State OF
Georgia; see aohat she has done for
he1. manned SoJliers. Sne has given
each one OF her manned two artificial
limbs each, since the surrender And
last fall, instead of giving them a leg
the third time, she gave bounty OF
one Hundred dollars to every soldier