The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1886-09-16
andersa4 gntsllige4eer.
THE STEERING DAYS OF ,e1.

csW*F*t~*H~~ **@"~~~U~**~**s
s THE STEERING DAYS OF '81.
How.Lincoln's First Cau For Troops Was
Received.
j. S. Mosby in the San Francisco Call.
Rebellion !
How inany spirit born to bless,
Hath sunk beneath that whitening name,
Whom but a day's-an hours success
Had waited to eternal fame. Tom More.
10 April 1861, was attending Court
at Abingdon, Va, when met person
who had just stepped out of the telegraph
Office who informed me that tremendous
tidings were passing over the wires.
Going in, inquired of the operator what
it was, who told me that Lincoln had
issued proclamation calling out troops.
Fort Sumter bad fallen two days before.
The public mind was already strained to
a high pitch of excitement, and it requir-
ed only a spark to produce an explosion.
The indignation aroused by the Presi-
dents proclamation spread like fire on
prairie, and the laws became silent in the
midst of arms. People of every age, sex
and. condition were borne away on the
tide sof excited feeling! that swept over
the land.
The home of Governor John B. Floyd,
who had resigned as secretary of var
under Buchanan, was at Abingdon. I
went to his house and told him the news.
He immediately issued call to arms,
whichircsonnded like the roll of ziska's
drum among the mountains of South
western Virginia. Many of the most in.
1uential families in that region we're
descendants of the men who had fought
under Morgan and Campbell at Eutaw
Springs and Kings Mountain. Their
military spirit was inaamed by stirring
appeals to the memories of the deeds
their sires had done. Women, too, came
forward to inspire men with spirit of
heroic self sacrifice, and devotion that
rivalled the maidens of Carthage and
Saragossa.
Ali the pride and affection that Vir.
ginians had felt in the traditions of the
Government which their ancestors had
made, and the great inheritance which
they had.beqaeathed, were lost in the
oyerpowering sentiment of sympathy
with the people wto: were threatened
with invasion. It is mistake to suppose
that the Virginia people went to war in
Obedience toaady decressof their State
commanding them togo: 0nthe contra.
ry, the people were in state of armed
revolution before the State had acted in
its corporate capacity. Invent along with
the Hood like everybody else. A few
individuals here and there attempted to
breast the storm Of passion, and appeared
like, ,Virgil's shipWrecked mariners:
IS Rarl nantes in gorgite vasto.
Their fate did not encourage others to
follow their example, ,sand all that they
did Was to- serve nike ocean wrecks to
illuminate the storm" In anticipation
of these events a cavalry company had
for some months been in process of or
ganisatioD, which / had Joined as pri-
.vate.
This company-known as the Wash.
ington Mounted Riaes-was Immediately
called together by its commanding officer,
Capt. William E. Jones. Capt Jones was
q graduate of West point, and had re.
signed some years before from the United
States army. He was:a stern discipline
rian, and.adevoted to-daty. Under
rugged manner and impracticable temper
he had 9 heart that beat with warm
impulses. To his interiors in rank he
was just and kind, but too much inclined
to cross the wishes and criticise the
orders of his superiors. He had been
classmate of Stonewall Jackson at the
military academy, and told me many
anecdotes Of Jackson's ;piety, as well as
his eccentricities. He was hard swear
'er, and a. few days after the battle Of
Bull Run be told. me that he was at
Jackson's headquarters, and Jackson got
.verya much provoked at! something
soldier had done, when Jones said
Jackson, Q LETT me cuss him for your
He fellin the battle with Gen. Hunter
in the valley Of Virginia, in June 1854.
We went into barracks at Abingdon, and
began drilling. No service ever had to
perform during the war vent sas, much
'sgainsi Tie grain las istanding GUARD the
first night I was in camp. had no
friends in--the.. cavalry company, So, T.
applied to Governor Letcher for trans
fer to an infantry company that had been
raised in the part Of the county where I
resided. But on the very day I made the
application, telegraphic order came for
us to start for Richmond Immediately,
andsI never 5heard anything more of it.
My company marched on horseback all
the way to Richmond-about 500 miles
while the infantry company went by rail.
But how smallis the control that mortals
have over their own destinies. The
company to which I unsuccessfully ap-
piled to be transferred became part of
thefimmortal division Of Stonewall jack
,or ~ 1ph;oh e,on1d boyo bod oply a