The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1888-03-01
The action, therefore, of the survi.

Icollectlng the names of their comrades
is full Of interest and encouragement.
All of such data relating to SO mo-
mentous an epoch in the history
of the State will some day De worth
their weight in gold, and it is to be
regretted that more officers and SOL
diers have not emulated the example
Of Mr.. J. +. J. Caldwell ofNewberry,
and reduced to writing histories Of
their regiments, as Mr.. Caldwell, has
done in his History of Gregg's
Brigade. e.. .. ...- 49,.
To me it seems that the lack eff in
terest in the subject amtng people
generally is prime cause of the in
activity which prevails in collecting
and publishing the historical ma
terial of the State. 1t should, there
fore, be the duty of all the disciples
of Clio to evangelize tue uncon.
cerned. I apprehend that the coun'
tv papers will gladly aid the Neaos
and Courier in its efforts on the sub
ject. In every town there are men
who have acquired by their age and
literary attainments perfect mine
Of information concerning family,
town, county and State history. To
some extent the county papers al
ready publish "reminiscences of these
gentlemen and they are always read
with interest. SUCH men are the
true historians, and it is to be hoped
that they will continue their work
and that others will follow their ex
amples. A county paper containing
such articles, and on file in the rooms
Of the South Carolina Historical So
ciety at Charleston, would be as
much priced by the future historian
as a medieval chronicle now is by
the historian of Europe. ..
And again, in those communities
where historical society does not
already exist, such an organization
would prove itself an endless source
of pleasure and profit. have known
such societies, the members of
which have contributed articles to the
| local papers by simply working har-
moniously together and industoiously
gathering all Of the old speeches,
diaries, public letters, traditions and
other matters of interest. This ma
terial would be carefully filed away
and when a sufficient quantity had
been collected, it would be assorted
and classified, and in the local paper
or State Historical Magazine, where
There is one, there would pretty soon
be published something of interest.
For this work young lawyers have
been found especially adapted since
by the examination of titles and
other records they soon acquire, if
fortunate enough to search many
titles, great deal Of useful infor,
nation relating to local history.
AS a last, and / think, the most
important method by which more in'
terest in the history of tile State
could be awakened. would be its
more general intoduction into tie
schools as a study. When Twas at
school in South Carolina all of the
instruction in State history which the
children received was that limited
quantity which filtered through theil
brains from tue compact pages of s
general history Unfortunately
the same criticism may be made
about the schools of nearly every
other State. And yet it really does
seem that Camden, and Cowpens, anc
the events which led up to then
could be made as attractive as Mara
thon, and Salamis, and Tarentum
There can be 20 question about the
relative Importance of the history o
Greece and the history of his State
to a schoolboy in South Carolina.
Very respectfully,
BURR JAMES RAMAGE.
- New York, Monday, Jan. 80, 1888