The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1890-08-07
How TilIman Lost his Eye,

Several stories, purportlnS 10 explain
how Captain Tillman lost his eye, are
going the rounds of the press. One is 10
The effect that he lest it studying Greek
by the lightwood fire, and another that
diving in a stream he struck his head on
rock at the bottom. According to
Captain Tillman's OWE statement neither
version is correct.
In the summer of 1886, Captain Till
man vas invited to Tirzah, in this Coun
ty, 10 address meeting of farmers Mt q
pic mic given there. As be stated in his
speech at Yorkyille on the 3rd inst, it
was the first extemporaneous speech he
ever made. 1t became the duty of the
present writer to report Captain Till
mans speech on that occasion, and there
he met for the first time and formed the
acquaintance of the embryonic "Moses," !"
finding him to be socially pleasant and
afable gentleman.
During recess in the exercises, Cap
tain Tillman and several other gentle.
men seated on the speakers stand, q
stranger, to all except Captain Tillman,
approached, and ascending the stand,
addressed Captain Tillman. His saluta.
tion was returned in cheerful manner,
and the meeting of the two men was
most cordial. Captain Tillman intro.
duced him to the persons present, and
after conversation of several minutes,
mainly between Captain Tillman and
the visitor, the latter retired. He was q
travelling salesman for Greenville hoIse
at that time, and came from Rock Hill
via Tirzah to Yorkville on business
While transacting his business at Tirzah
he inquired the nature of che meeting in
the grove near Massey's store, and on
being told that captain Ben. Tillman
was making speech" he hastened over
to meet him as above related.
After the salesman had taken his de-
parture from the stand, Captain Tillman,
pointing to his blind eye, remarked to
the company present: "He is the man
who did this" and went on to say that
while boys at school in Edge6eld County,
and engaged one day in game of ball,
the man who had just called on him
struck him accidentally on the eye with
a bat, from the effects of which he was
confined to his bed for several months,
the accident terminating in the complete
loss of his eye "and," said Captain Till.
man, "this happened during the war, and
to day is the first time we have met since
the occurrence"
On the day after the meeting at Tirzah,
the writer met the salesman in Yorkville,
and renewing their acquaintance, the
name of Captaip Tillman naturally came
up as subject Of the conversation. In
the course of the conversation the sales.
man, of his own violition and without
the incident having been previously re-
ferred to, remarked that it was he who,
unfortunately, by accident, caused Till
man the loss Of his eye. He then detail
ed the circumstances in about the same
words as did Tillman on the previous
day, and said: "This was during the
war, and soon after the unfortunate
occurrence 1 went to the army, and
though I have been home several times
since the war ended, yet yesterday was
the first time we have met since the
accident" He noted the fact that Till
man made not the slightest allusion to
the matter in his presence at Tirzah, and
concluding, said: ut was the most
regretful act of my whole life, though
purely an accident; but Ben is a noble
man, and 1 have been told that through
all his months of pain and suffering, he
never uttered a harsh word about me-"
This is the story of how Tillman lost
his eye, as related by himself and the
man who inflicted the wound, and should
be accepted as the true version York.
nile En0uircr.