Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1888-03-14
#istella,tea1ts 8eadimg.
For the YorkSille Enquirer.
"REMINISCENCES. OF WESTERN YORK.

at Hopewell, near Howell's Ferry.
They Kept a good stock of goods and
had generallyIaliyely company about
them ''feastingon leisure." The late
William Beard was clerk, ifnot part
owner, in the firm also. There was q
man by the name of Broadneck who
used 10 help those sWho congregated
at the store to enjoy themselves.
The members Of Che firm and their
clerks were Tennesseeans. They
hauled bacon from Tennessee to
supply their demand 'l's
Next to Hickory Grove this was
another of Western York's public
places. TWAS an election precinct.
At DR.. Wright's,, HopeWell post Office
was kept. This, by the way, was one
of the oldest postoffices in the county,
though it's location has been changed
several times. / cannot remember
that it was ever kept in the store
house. 1t was first at DR.. Wright's !;
then at j. M. Smarr's, its present
location. Since the war it was re-
established at the Gordon Moore
place; thence taken back to its pres
ent situation, where j. M. Smarr,
Esq, assumed the duties of post
master, and since his death it has
been conducted by his widow, Mrs.
NJ. E. Smarr, an efficient officer and
an excellent lady.
Between Gordon Moore's place and
DR.. Wright's was the muster ground.
Here a small company of militia
would meet and drill every three
months. The battalion drill ground
was on the road above Blairsville,
near the present Blairsville post
Office. The regimental drill ground,
asI have already said, wasat "Smith's
old field,s near the residence of the
late n. P. Kennedy. I do not know
the number of the regiment, but it
was made up of the north and south
battalions of Western York. Occa-
sionally the regiment would pa
rade at Yorkville. This, 1 think,
was generally when the Governor
was to review the troops. The north
battalion drilled at "Galloway's old
field" near Kings Mountain battle
ground. These two battalions in
cluded all the militia in Western
York. The eastern portion of the
county constituted another regiment.
The two regiments would generally
meet at Yorkville and the Governor
would review them. A portion of
the town of Yorkville was included
in the south battalion, I think. re-
member the contest between Capt.
J. Felix Walker and Col. w. H.
McCorkle for major of the south bat
talon. Walker was elected. The
next contest between them was for
the colonelcy of the regiment. Both
of these elections were hotly contest
ed-only such contest as the ma
tion hoosiers" gloried in. This last
contest was in 1854. do not suppose
Western York ever witnessed such a
spirited campaign as this-certainly
not of a military character. Whisky
was freely used. At the "Brier
Patch" Joe Bolin was treating for
Col. McCorkle. He would call out /:
r'tAll McS6fkle's friendA come: up
and take a drink" The "Nation"
and "Blue Water" were almost solid
for McCorkle. The south battalion
stuck to Walker. Both these candi-
dates retained their positions. in the
estimation of the people until the
breaking out of the civil war, when
each took a company into the Con-
federate service. Col. McCorkle COM
manded Co. A, 18th S. G. Regiment,
and Major Walker Co. F, 18th S. G..
Regiment. Or these companies we
have pleasant reeQllections which we
propose to incorporate in these "rem-
iniscences."
Col. McCorkle survived the war,
and has been identified with the ma
terial welfare and prosperity of York
county ever since. Capt. Walker
was killed at Second Manassas. His
company was made up principally
in Union county, where he was rails
ed. Capt. McCorkle's company was
made up principally from York
county, with a few men from North
Pacolet, in Union county. No State
or county in the Confederacy gave a
better command to the service than
his. We have followed its history
from Bay Point, S. c., November
7th, 1861, to Lees surrender, at APP
pomattox, April 9th, 1865, and have
ground for this assertion. These with
the other men of Western York be-
longing to other commands, shall oc-
cupy prominent place in these
"reminiscences"
In no partisan spirit we claim that
the troops of York county were Sec
ond to none in the service. 1t was
principally the York troops that re-
ceived the fatal blast at the renoWn-
ed "Crater ;" when many of them
were hurled instantly into eternity,
or buried, perhaps alive, beneath the
debris, while their comrades, stag
gering from the shock, rallied and
saved the Confederacy.
Besides matters of military ma
ture, York county has experienced
many warm political contests be-
tween different strong and infiuen-
tial men. A long list of them might
be produced, notably Hon. I. d.
Witherspoon, Col. r. G. McCaw and
Col. w. B. Wilson. The last fierce
political contest was between Col.
McCaw and Col. Wilson, for the
Senate, in 1860. Not a stone was
left unturned by either party that
promised strength to their respec-
i've candidates. The writer was
too young to know anything about
the contest except the actors in it.
A considerable fortune was spent
on the issue. Col. McCaw was
elected. 1t was such contests as
these that put the "Nation," " "Blue
Water" "Sandy Branch" and the
"Coaling Ground" on their mettle.
These "hoosiers," many of them bare
footed and in their shirt sleeves,
would meet at Hickory Grove on
these occasions, and when some cam
didate's friend would diffuse little
"solid comfort" among them, then
look out for squalls.
The election" was a great place
and time with "Did" Sanding. He
and Joe Childers had a fight at Hick-
ory Grove in 1856. Joe got the best
of it. "Did"Was York's renowned
walker. 1 have heard meE say he
could walk so miles in 10 hours, and
they would have bet on it. He was
a small man, weighing little, if any
thing over 100 pounds. Bill Black
we'll, whose poetical genius has been