Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1888-09-26
Yt1istellanenns &eadiug.
For the Yorkyille Enquirer.
"REMINISCENCES OF WESTERN YORK.

"REMINISCENCES OF WESTERN YORK.
The political campaign of 1860 resulted
in the election of Abraham Lincoln, OF
Illinois, to the Presidency of the United
States, and gave rise to the secession of
South Carolina from the Federal Union,
which memorable event in our States
history took place December 90, 1860.
simultaneously with the event, the war
blood began to run at high tide, and every
precinct had, its minute, men, ready for
action. Finally, the more enthusiastic OF
these saw, with prophetic eyes, the Con-
federacy disrobed of its glory and its
CHASTITY form Frustrated long before the
general collapse came. They were, first
in wal and first for peace,"i if not first in
the hearts of their countrymen.
AS it is not our purpose to write a his
tory of. the causes that led to the war,
we will pass to the opening of hostillties.
Suffice it to say that some enthusiastic
speakers fired the minds of the men and
allayed the tremOrs of old women ana
children by saying they would drink all
the blood split, and that the Yankees
wouldn't fight, etc. 1t is due to our peo-
Die, however, to say that they loved the
Union no less, but slavery more. The
idea of the emancipation of our three mill
lion slaves in the Southern States was
more than the average Southerner could
stand. The few prominent men in the
State who advocated a settlement of this
question within the Union were held up
to scorn, burned in efigy, or mentioned as
synonymous of disloyalty to the best inter-
ests of the South. This was the school in
which the public mind was trained for
the coming contest.
In these days DR.. S. M. Wylie was teach
lug at Hickory Grove, and most Of the
young men in that neighborhood (among
whom was the writer) were his students,
besides several from a distance. Arrange
ments had been made for the school to
continue for the next year, 1861. In the
latter part Of 1860, a company of mounted
minute men" was organized at Hickory
Grove. They were picked up from all
over "Western York" | think there
must have been considerably over a hum
dred men who belonged to it. They had
their regular drills. Vigilance commit
tees were organized in different parts OF
the district whose duty it was to report, or
act upon any discretionary cases that
ullSuG CUulc UclOlo IliCLH' III ""J
case of this kind came up can't now re-
member it. With almost philosophical
unanimity the whole people acquisced in
the work before them. .
Early in 1861 our school opened, and
while we were hard at our studies a call
came for troops. Some of the boys who
had more war than books in their heads,
began to drop off, and by the time the bonn
bardment of Fort Sumter took place,
April 13, our school was considerably re-
duced in numbers. However, we contin-
ued until Fall, prosecuting our studies. BY
this time the war had assumed realistic
proportions. The teacher and most OF his
pupils volunteered in different commands
and thus ended our school boy days.
T. It was early in the Spring of 1861 that
the war clouds began to cover the political
sky, and the militia was called out oftener
than usual. Attempts to raise companies
were made by several different persons,
who thought they could command them.
These meetings were generally on Satur-
days, and we took occasion to attend some
of them. I remember that at the "Brier
Patch" the first man to volunteer was Ben
Bolin, whose memory calls for a separate
chapter in these "reminiscences. Every
body who had military aspirations were
urging matters on. The object at that
time seemed to be to ascertain how many
men each ''beat company" would furnish,
in case a sudden call for troops should be
made. No particular company was being
formed that I now remember. The Jas.
pers" were the first to organize. Several
men from Western York Joined it, among
whom were Presley Darwin, DC: Mckln-
ney, Hamp. Mckinney, Daniel Morrow,
Younger w. Neal, Herod R. Neal, Harvey
Ramsey, Abe Ramsey, Whit Ramsey, and
several others, whose names I cannot now
recall. These names were all on the COM
pany roll when it went to Virginia, in
May, 1861.
These militia musters were still kept up,
and those enthusiastic war fellows would
threaten their comrades with a "draft" in
case of a sudden emergency. This, Of
course, was done to facilitate the volun-
teering expedient. A. T. Smith, of whom
we have recently said something, and who
was a man not careful to select choice
words to express his ideas, was returning
from muster one evening when he met the
writer and said: "They are talking of
'grafting' men if they don't volunteer"
"Well," said I, II hope they'll make 'em
stick" Said he, 81 don't know what they
want me for; Pm no fighter. Why don't
they take some of the Bolins, Big Wash
Childers, Jack Wisher and some of the
Martins upon the river? They'll all
fight" "But this is a kind of fighting
those fellows are not accustomed to-" was
the reply. swell I amt used to it eth
err" "But you are slim and active, and
would be hard to hit. Gen. Chestnut says
that the Yankees can't shoot" "Shoot
the devil; they make the guns and you
know they can use them" "But those
who make guns will not be there they
will be needed in the shops" "The Yam
KEGS will send their men that they have
no other use for but for you to shoot at"
"That's what I hate. If must be killed
I want to be killed by a gentleman.
More'n that, Jim, the war is no place for
a man with a family if he cares anything
for them" j.. L. s.
\ WAR ON THE BAGGING TRUsT.-The
ute bagging trust, it is thought by the
Manufacturers Record, may prove a bless
ing in disguise, and in the persons of the
members of that trust the South may be
entertaining angels unaware. If the trust
prove a blessing and the members angels,
: ~, --o --.1 1919 80 49,,