Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-02-09
A FACT, OF sHERMAN,s RAID.
How reeHmseh Burned the Plantation OF
.v Hla Cousin,

How TeeHmseh Burned the Plantation of
,,y Hia Cousin. a
From tAe 0AdrlestOn SuadaS Es.os.
About three-f0urths OF century ago
one OF the most prominent citizens OF the
Blackswamp neigh bOrhood, near the viii
lRge of RobertEille, then in Beaufort dis
trict, now Hampton county, of your State,
was DIR. Thomas Harris, native of North
Carolina. He was one of the two or three
practicing physicians Of that locality.
There was also there and at Robertville
another prominent citizen. He was q
merchant, and perhaps the only merchant,
for in those early days when transporta-
tiOn was so difficult, the people needed
but few goods. This merchant brought
his goods from Savannah, and carried his
country produce there by pole boats own
ed by himself. His name was Benjamin
BROOKS, a native of Connecticut. Both
these gentlemen were bachelors, and had
reached an age when they would soon be
on the list Of old bachelors. Brooks, feel
ing the need Of q hOusekeeper, aud it not
being in his plan of life TO marry, brought
out from his native State his sister Mary,
then a young lady of 20. This event, i
will say, occurred in the year 1910, for
Mary's birthday was on May 10, 1870. 1t
came to pass within few years thereaf-
ter that Mary Brooks, the Connecticut
girl, and Thomas Harris, the North Caro-
Ina doctor, were married. Some time
thereafter Benjamin Brooks died, and Ma
ry was, so far as blood relations went,
left alone in that country, then so distant
from her native land. No child was born
unto her, and except her husband she had
no tie OF relationship to bind her to her
adopted home. The husband and wife
lived harmoniously together for many
years, but some time before the late ''war
between the States" DR.. Harris died. His
wife having no family OF her own, assist
ed the doctor in his practice, and. when
occasion required, would nurse the pa
tients. AT the death OF the Doctor she
inherited all he had, which consisted of
the farm they resided upon, few slaves,
and the live stock required TO carry on the
farm. Here she resided Tor quite num-
Der OF years. cOntented with her home.
Her trusty slaves protected and supported
her, and she continued to serve her neigh
bors and friend whenever possible. for
having been so long the wife of a doctor
she knew Of many remedies and was
skilled in nursing.
PLANTATION LIFE.
The home Of Mrs. Harris was In the CEN
ire OF one of the richest plantation Sec
tiOns IN the State OF south Carolina. A
ldIRC AREA VI Tue AAuQ " as buibaDl6 10 bub
production OF cotton. The invention Of
The cotton gin. Of steam nayig alton ON the
river, the cheapness Of labor and work an
Imals started bnOse enteFpEislnk and en-
ergetic planters on career OF prosperity
that soon nIade them nearly all wealthy.
80 rich were they in lands and negroes
that the planter who did NOT own more
than a hundred negroes considered him
selfpO0H Education, intelligence, refine
meDt and luxury followed in the foot
steps of wealth, until ior many miles in
every Objection there were palace-lIke
mansions, iuRDished In the latest aud cost
liest style. tAnthese generous and lux
uri0us hospitality was so constant as to
become the daily routine. 1uese people
having wealth necessarily had leisure.
This leisure they employed IN making
each other happy and hi beau flying their
homes and grpuhds. They or their ances-
tors bad lived, SO long in one neighbOr-
mood, from marriage and intermaTrlage,
they were nearly all related TO eacn other
by blood or affinity. The community pre-
scented picture of contentment seldom
found in any civilization outside OF that
which rested on u foundation OF fertile
lands and domestic slavery. They were
ardentiy attached to their neighb Ors, their
homes, aud their State To them there
was no Stale so good As5nSouth Carolina,
and no city 80 good as Charleston. This
was the home OF the Hanes, the Martins,
the Roberts, the LaweOhs, the Stoffords,
tue Bostieks, the TisOns, and OfOthers,
the descendants of whom, in their
respective abodes, and many In distant
states. now conspicuous 10 church, State
OF sOcleLy' BIZ be-. iFQ5 ftu rnt
THE PATH OF THE INCENDIARY.
THIS was ieeharrn liz SITUATION apper-
faininar In ra Htarr m No II
NIFTY in which she lived, When Sherman
began his y aFel trOm;s4yennah through
south Carolina. 1t suited DIS plans TO
cross the river at the Old and historic Sis
ters' ferry, aRt9from thence bis march
led him directly and at once through The
earthly Eden1 have referred to, but not
described. AS have not described that.
L will not attempt the more difficult task
of describing the Wholesale and indis-
criminate destruction by hre and pillage
of all that was good, beautiful or valua-
bic in that community. rne mansions OF
the rich, the cottages OF the poor, aud the
cabins of the slaves, we're alike destroyed,
with their contents. What could not be
destroyed was appropriated, and the rich
and the poor were alike left without food,
shelter, or the work animals with which
20 acquire the one or reconstruct the 9TH
er. The destructive march of Sherman
IuTOuku cOuLu OdFOllnd mas DeCl 30 well
and SO often described, II would be worse
than superfluOus to com ment upon it. 1t
is, however, worthy OF mention, perhaps,
IN veriticatiOn OF the old adage OF "histOry
repeating ITSELF" that south Carolina was
Once before treated AS she was by Sher-
man. She was as conspicuous In the Rev
dictionary war as she was in the war of
secession, and for that CORVALLIS resOlV-
ed 10 make her people feel the effects Of
war IN all its savage cruelty. For the
smaller opportunities Offering on this
march, and the softer tone which time
mas given TO the history OF 1t he was only
a little less cruel, If any, than Sherman.
Sherman, following the example OF Corn
wallis, resolved 10 punish south Carolina
because she was conspicuous in seces-
sion, but without approaching that seces-
siou was simply, according 20 her faith,
an assertion OF the same principle Of lib
erty dominant in the Revolution, as against
those who mad seized the reins OF this gov
eminent TO violate that, and the prlnci-
pies upon which IL was founded.
DEsoLATE OLD AGE.
From the preceding narrative il will al
ready be understood that Mrs. Harris ia
her old age was left by sherman homeless
and destitute. with no blood relation any
nearer than the distant and antaxonistic
State Of Connecticut. No friend In the
neighb0rhood was able to relieve her, aud
she made her way 10 the nearest part OF
fspOrQta that ShoFman hnd auarad. " here