Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1888-10-24
Misfrllaneous &eadiua.
For the Yorkville Enquirer.

the 1rdLhlnS pIlVlieSe. 1no Ai"iiiS,
rank, company and regiment OF the sol
dier, endorsed on the envelope, guaranteed
the safe and expeditions transmission OF
his letters through the mails. Lovers who
didn't care to EXPOSE themselves or their
dulcineas, would prepay their postage. 1t
is needless to say that a great many letters
of this kind passed through the mails with
out creating excitement. We might say,
without risking contradiction, that the eff
cheney of the postal service of the Confed-
crate States was perfect business" The
post office department was always inform
ed as to the whereabouts Of the different
commands. Thelsoldier's name, company,
regiment and brigade, plainly written on
the envelope, guaranteed its safe delivery.
Though thousands and thousands of tro-
phies and souvenirs ofdifferent kinds were
constantly passing through the mails, yet
we don'trememter ever hearing ola single
case of robbery. Finger rings, breast pins,
&C., made by the soldiers during their leis-
ure moments. we're sent to their friends and
others for whom they had more than Ordi-
nary regard. Many of the unique articles
showed wonderful ingenuity on the part Of
their makers. beef bones and gutta per-
cha buttons werd generally selected as the
materials of which to- make such articles.
The ivy root they used for making pipes
for smoking purposes. This was a general
amusement for thbse who had a disposition
to while away their time in camp in a more
respectable way than indulging in immor-
al games.
Some men who went into the army,
unable to write a single word, learned that
art and wrote THEFT own letters before the
war closed. Our People never knew the
amount of ingenuity that lay dormant,
even in themselves, until the war brought
it into requistion, Orhfforded an OppOrtuni-
ty for it to develop itself. 1t is nc paro,,
distical assertion to shy that war is public
educator. 1t provedithat in our case.
: But we started Quito tell about the mail
facilities during the war, Twice a week
was as often as the post Offices in Western
York were supplied with mail by the Gov
eminent, and some of them only nee a
week. The people became so interested as
to inaugurate a system among themselves
that afforded them a daily mail. Arrange
ments were made among themselves to 90
to Yorkville On different days and get the
mail for Hickory Grove, Smiths Ford and
Eopewell, which was brought to the first
named office for distribution. This was
kept up during such times, at least, as our
army was engaged in its hostile work. A
lull would come when the fighting would
cease for a while, thus we' see that the
movements of the army found a respon-
SiVe interest among our people at home.
News from the seat of war, though not al
ways favorable, was always a welcome WIS.,
itor.
When the clicking telegraph at Chester
would announce that a fight was going on,
or that the army was moving, the news
would spread like electricity over the
whole country. The railroad officials and
,occonOarS hrc11rht thn nQXrs RI NnrCX,illn
where c~ouriers were in readiness to carry
it to all parts of the county. Generally
copies of the dispatches were exhibited and
sent as vouchers for the report, to all parts
of the county.
l have been told that the most exciting
time during all those four years of bloody
war, was during the "seven days fight in
front of Richmond" Scarcely had the
guns of General A. p. Hills division, at
Mechanicsville, announced to the Army of
Northern Virginia that the battle was
opened, before our people at home were
reading the news, and for seven days and
nights the country was held in a state of
suspense. When, finally the news reached
Yorkville that Lee had driven Mcclellan
to his %gunboats in the James, and had dealt
him crushing blows on every field, the en-
thusiasm knew no bounds. Old men, who
had ridden for miles from the country to
learn what was going on, Joined the JuVe-
niles, and each other, in huZzas for jeff
Davis and the Southern Confederacy, while
the ladies waved their handkerchief as a
token of their loyalty to their country's
cause.
Thus amid such scenes as these, Mechan-
icsville, Gaines's Mill, Fraser's Farm and
Malvern Hill were admitted to their re-
spective places in American history.
The people of Western York, and those
whom it is hoped these "reminiscences will
interest, should not beun mindful ofthe fact
that, to Mr.. John r. Alexander, post mas
ter at Yorkville during the war, they owe
a debt of gratitude, for his attention to
business and official courtesy, in promptly
forwarding matter to its destination. The
writer received The ENQUIRER regularly
in camp, and through its columns kept
posted as to the different commands from
York county, as well as the general news
from home. During that time the paper
was under the management of the late Mr..
John i. Grist, father of the present pro-
prietor, Capt. l.. NJ. Grist, who was in the
army, and who frequently wrote letters to
it for publication. The paper came to us
wrapped in Confederate wrapping paper,
and addressed by the manager in that
plain, legible hand, which he always wrote.
The paper was read and read again until it
was worn out. One copy we preserved for
a long time, but finally lost it. 1t was the
one that gave an account of the lombard
ment of Bay Point and Hilton Head by
the Federal fleet on the 18th of November,
1861, written by 81. NJ. g." A reproduce
ton of that letter would interest its read
ers at the present day. j. L. s.