The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1886-10-01

tanourS, going on visit to some friends north
| OF Pacolet river, in Union county. The hour
! spent with them at Pacolet Depot is pleasing
incident called up from the buried past of
twenty-five years ago. We rested at Spartan.
burg nearly week, waiting for Capt. Jeter and
Lieut.. Munro and the Chester and Laurcns boys.
Those few days spent in Spartanburg will ever
remain in our memory among the pleasant rec
objections of the past. Anumbcr of impromptu
parties were gotten up by the young ladies, and
they now move before the imagination wreathed
in smiles full Of life, and with all the loneliness
and attraction Of young womanhood that char
acterized them twenty-five years ago.
Our guns were taken out of the depot at Srar-
tanburg and remouncd. Tho battery was
something new in Spartanburg, being the first
one, fully equipped for the war, that had ever
been there. 1t gave us some notoriety. Our
Timber and caissou chests were loaded with
ammunition, making it impracticable to drill
with horses, but we tried to compensate those
who visited our camp by going through with
the details of loading and firing thus giving
them some idea of how the guns were managed
in an actual engagement. The good ladies of
to the camp the evening before the company
left, and after the men had been drawn UP in
line the young ladies went up and down it, fill
ing the dirty haversacks with provisions that
were far better than camp fare. The thought
that this cruel war was tearing us away from
the noble ladies of Union and Spartanburg like
the bitterness that linger in the throat after
some pleasant drink, was the bitterness left in
the breast by the word farewell. We marched
out of Spartanbure, along the Howard Gap roal,
towards Ashevillc with our thoughts all that
day running Southward. Most Of us were
young men and were leaving our sweetheart.
behind. Some twelve miles north of Spartan
burg, just beyond lnman and near Mount CAL
vary church. in the bend of the road stands q
little log cabin. 1t was occupied, twenty-five
years ago, as we passed by ON our way to Ashe-
villc, by some women. They cvi lcn,ly did not
understand the meaning of troops going to-
wards the mountains. Perhaps they had the
mountains associated with the hiding place of
friends One of them said to the mcn-'Ycs,
you have been whipped in Charleston, and arc
now running to the mountains to hide or per-
haps she was in sympathy with The Union and
uttcred those @s+ll5 outt Joy over what she
conceived our humiliation. Or. taking n more
liberal vic" Of it, SIC may haze been II sta,nyh
rebel and her words were those of contcmnt for
what she imagined was an act of cowardicc.
We blvoIaced that night on the creek at the
foot Of Windmill lInl, northward The next
day We crossed racolet river at DR.. Columbus
Mills place, now Maccaboys, and campcd at
the base of TryOn Mountain. The following
morning we passed by Brack Lankiord's place,
high up on the side of the m mountain. Old
Brack, rs he was called, did not know q letter
Of the alphabet; but his cccentricitics had
given him character Mt home aud abroad. For
a man Of his letters he could 90 TO Charleston
or Raleigh and put on as much style and dignity
d most men. AS an illustration Of his olditics,
he asked Dir. Mills 10 write out Il description
Of his land, for an advertisement. The Doctor
finished it and began to read that the land was ly
ing and situated in Polk County, North Caro- lima
and on the head waters of the Pacolct river,
the old man said, Stop, stop, Doctor. that is
no description my land. want you to put it
rs it is-hanging and swinging in Polk county.
His land ran up to the top of Tryon and is in
the Thermal belt that has in the last decade
attracted the attention of fruit growers, from
Maine to Florida. Brack Landlords peach
orchard has not missed bearing fruit i'm sixty
years. | remember eating some excellent
peaches from this orchard one year ago this
month. Old Brack had several sons in the
army who were true as steel to the cause of
the Confcdcracy, up to the surrender of our
armies, and the old man lent hclping hand in
taking up and returning dcscrtcrS to our
armies, as long rs the war lasted. lie has long
since passed away. We camrcd that night on
top of Blue Ridge, just north of Green River.
The next morning we passed. through iIcndcr-
som, beautiful mountain town situated in the
midst of q beautiful country long since noted
| for health and as summer retreat for the
! people further South. We bvouaccd that night
some ten miles from AShevile and near st.
| Johns Church, in the wilcrncss--a beautiful
Episcopal church built years previous hy some
rich men from the coast Of South Carolina.
| That country was and is filled up with the resi-
! denccs of men from the Palmetto State. The
| following day we reached our destination and
reported TO Col. J. Il. Palmer, then commanding
| that fort. lie was a Northern man, but had
| espoused the cause of the Confcleracy. and We
had no truer man in our armies. AT Shilo ht
commanded a regiment in the Confederate army
and his brother one in the Federal army. IL
that bloody engagement he was severely
wounded. We were ordered TO go into camI
! two miles northeast of \shcvillc, near n lttl,
| Mctholist church. on Beaver Dam Crock /
was lovely camp, in beautiful grove on tn,
side Of q hill. In front Of the camp northward
mountain peaks bathed their frowning forehead,