Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1890-04-24
A Bravo Texan
VINO GAVE Ills LIFE IN DEFENSE or
"A woMAs:.

st,ENEs ~ ~ w SsiSNh3 ~. S'1 fAPtI .Ao.---~
little mound near tho cotton mills il
NeWberry, S. O., covers the remain'
of one who has left an eternal monu
81 meIlt to the South's chivaIry. Hi
name is unknown. Immediately
after the close of the war the negro
troops belonging to Sherman's army
were marched by different routes to
Port Royal and Charleston, there to
be disbandcd. The night of which
#I speak, n regiment of negro troops
! were encamped in Newbcrry, near
the railroad depot.
The town had been plundcrcd, and
her citizens subjected to all the in
dignities that a drunken negro mob
could offor. A government train
was then running from point
!" cnty-five miles North Of Columbia
/. to Greenville to carry soldiers and
refugees rs near their h mes as pos
sible. This night as the train slowed
up at the depot it was Immediately
surrounded by drunken, howling
crowd of negro soldiers. On board
the train were two ladies, The
negroes swarmcd through the cars
like set of demons set free from
the Internal regions, while white SOL
diers on board were helpless and at
their mercy. What place for two
helpless women without friends or
protectors
In the coach with the ladies was a
soldier, and from his dress and de-
meanor, one would judge him to be
from Texas. He was tall and stately,
piercing black eyes, while his massive
head Of hair well became his brawny
face. lie plainly showed that he
had been determined follower of
the lost cause. In their wild carousc
one OF the drunken negroes came to
where the ladies sat, and commenced
to offer insults and indignitics to the
younger, too revolving ir It's nature
for rehearsal. In trying to release
herself front>his loathsomc embrace,
she cried out in despair: "NIy God,
have | no friend; will no one protect
mc?" In a moment voice was
heard III the rear end of the coach:
eyes, [ will protect you, if l die for
it," The tall form of the unknown
Texan was seen rapidly approaching
along the aisle. His eyes shown in
the dim light like those of the wild
beast ready to spring upon its prey.
The keen blade Of knife was seen
to glitter above his head and with
migls miglss;ty bll}y bld}yy, was buried to its hilt IL
tEe brcast ol> the blase. blassx rut,ian. n, H.
With wild yell he ieapcd from the
car and fell dc"l upon the side track.
The stranger quietly walked out
of the coach at the other end, and
stepped few PAGES away, under
cover of the darkness, and awaited
developments. He had not long to
wait. All the imps of darkness
turned loose could not have cquallcd
the uproar and tumult this deed
created. Word flew to their camp
that one of their comrades had been
murdered by a Confederate soldier.
n wild rush was made for the train,
and for Il few moments it looked as
if all on board would be put to death
Search was made for the murderer,
declaring That if found he should be
shot at once. The stranger stood
but few feet away, quietly listening
to his death sentence, rs the soldiers
madly rushed by. At last one de-
clarcd he had found the man; he
seized one of the officials of the rail
road, and Others coming up, with
equal positivcncss, sworc to his idcn-
tity. Violent hands were lain upon
the innocent man, while the drunken
mass that crowded around him
seemed rs if they would crush him
to death. lis vain plcadings of
innocence were drowned by the wild
yclls of the surging crowd. lie was
being carried away for execution.
Where WAS the unknown Texan :?
lie had shown his courage, now would
he waver in the face of immediate
death With his hand he had pro-
tcctcd the person of dcfcnccless
women, by dyeing it in the blood Of
her assailants, would he stand by and
sec an innocent man die in his stead
With calm dclbcration, without
any emotion whatever, he made his
way to the maddcning crowd, and
with a loud voice said: "Turn this
man loose, he is innocent. I am the
one who did it--now do your worst p
This gave new impetus to the
drunken crowd, and he was hurried