The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1883-05-02
IN o
= Slight Record. From Major 20
Mejor-Cenerai!
The Gallant Grimes :"

The Gallant Grimes :"
You have heard that phrase before.
I, : an old and familiar one. 1t comes
erho:ng down the corridors of vanished
wears. with a perfect host of recollec-
tions and suggestive "reminiscences
Death brings to nearly all OF our South
ern veterans an immediate apotheosls.
While they lived and moved among Us.
tley were on a level with Us, for all
true Southerners suffered and endured
and lost according to their spheres OF
action. But when the seal OF death has
been set upon a distinguished career.
untarnished BY ante bellum trcachery.
the hearts of Dixie's land-(the land II
cotton-where old times are not forgot
/ tcn)-are not hcs ant in giving graft
tude. nor glory.
Since our recent announcement that
Mai. Pulaski Cowper hid undertaken to
edit the manuscript, letters, and notes
Of the Gallant Grimes.-there has been
a very general expression of gratidca-
ton thereat BY leading journal. and
citizens Of the State. There is a feeling
that full justice has not been given 10
North Carolina in relation TO her mighty
efforts to uphold the Starry Cross; ana
that this viii not be remedied until our
leading commanders furnish succlnct
statements for the historian. Jnfor-
tunalely, Gen. Grimes did not hall I'm
sh his narrative; and his friends have
not felt free to add to. or subtract from.
lis account. They merely wish TO pre-
serve in print, for private interest, the
manuscript remains which otherwise
might Dol perish.
Mai. Cowper's neat volume OF 40
pages has just been issued from the
presses Of Edwards, Broughton < Co.
Q .ly 300 copies were printed one for
sale. We have been favored with an
advance copy. and as many thousands
a.. X-Conlodcrates read the Farmer aHot
VI a,saic. We sl.all quote the more IN
tcrestin1 chapters oil Gen. Grimos'
shet-l or tie benefit OF the public III
gc.eral.
EXTRACT FROM MAI. CoWPER's PhE-
FACE.
The matter contained in the succeed
ing pages was never intended Tor pus'li-
c t on. 1t represents a SO * tch OF
incidents i'll inc Late war, bv tic late
Naipr-General BRYAN Grimes and CI-
tracts from letters to his wife, wr,lici.
from the field and such otl4tr mat
tiers Of record and interest rs have seem
ed II me hit and proper to be Inserted.
General Grimes had Tor years after
tic surrender determined to write out
I rs collections ~ the war. solely for
the benefit, pleasure and curiosity Of his
children and their posterity. to be read
in alter years. with no view whatever of
their publication. but simply to be kept
as a matter of record in his family. He
had commenced this work. IL >.own in
liz original manuscript. and, IL far as
hc nld executed it. it is Iintcd in the
following pages.
In his letters to his wife, he gave
briefly an account of what almost daily
TRANSFERRED, aad being written on those
ItSbtIlINC udNS. "do ICSu III HIS ltNOl-
lection. and may be received rs strictly
authentic. His known integrity and
truthtulness will need no corrohoration
of what he has written or related.
H
Major-General Bryan Grimes wa.
born IN the county Of Pit. about eight
miles from Washington, y. c.. Nov.
Pad, 1928. III received a good academ;-
cal education, and entered Chapel Till
III June. 1911, and graduated in June.
lSl1. In about a year after LEAVING
college, his father gave Inn the planta-
ton upon which he lived up to the time
OF his death. and whereon his family
now reside. He had no desire for polit-
lcal lie. and wlth The exception OF the
few DAYS nc was a mem! er o! the Con-
vcntiun of lS6l-knowu as the Seces-
son Convention he led the quiet lie
Of IA farmer, combining industry ana
good Judgment. from ms carly manhood
to I 4 close OF his lie.
He was on the 9th day Of April. 1851.
married to Miss Elizabeth billiard.
daughter of Dr. Thomas Davis. OF
Franklin county, who nitd Noy. It'll.
lo51. The only living issue Of this
marriage is a daug ter. tie wife OF
Samuel +. Mprdco;i. Esq. On the 18th
lay OF September. 1868. hc was agaiu
married to Miss Charlotte En- " daugh-
ter of the late Hon. john II. Bryan. oi
Raleigh, who with eight Gu ldren now
survive. him.
My relations to General Grimes for
bid me to speak IN such extended term,
Of praise as my feelings woula dictate to
speak of one OF the truest and brayest
of men. For honesty of purpose-lor
devotion To principle-tor frames OF
fl.end>hip-for honor in all things-tor
truthidlne>> in all thingS-tor faithful
ness u all promises and Obligations.
and for true. genuine courage. he stood
or the day ri his death the peer of any
Twin human being.
On Saturday evening OF the 18th OF
Angus. loSn. while returning from
Washington. when at Bear Creek. with
IN two miles of his home. he was. lust
at sunset, Shot from an ambush by Il
concealed ASSASSIN. and almost Instant
~ Killed. y little hoy. about trn We r
old. a ~nti.hbor,> son. MAS ls only COM
panlon. To whom he sad. Il an shot
and Will die" and Immediately t~lereaf-
ter tell slowly to tile foot OF TIE buggy
and expired. Several bucn-shot struck
the ribs and the top Of the buggy. but
only one shot took effect on his person.
which passed through the thick part OF
his left arm, and lodged deep in the
heart.
That evenings sun, just sinking into
darkness. left its frowning shadows
upon this terrible deed. Its morning
rays fell upon a household saddened by
affection, and saw the mother and her
children still bending over the ~Iifeless
form. Its midday brightness. on TIE
succeeding day. rested upon the large
and solemn assemblage gathered AT the