The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1891-07-16
THE FINAL FIGHT HERE.
Greenville the Battle Ground where Giants
Htrove.
From the Gresnuille News.


Strove.
From tie Gresnuille Neu,.
The recent death of DR.. James g. Fur.
man, at Greenville, S. O., recalled the last
campaign for the secession of South Caro-.
lima, in 1860. The final battlefield was
GreenVille, that district being the last to
yield to the secessionists in their gradual
march from the seaboard to the noun
tains.
Benjamin Il. Perry was the able and
acknowledged leader of the unionists Of
that county, as we'll as those who were
scattered elsewhere in the State. To win
Greenville to the cause of secession, WAS
to make the entire delegation from all
parts of the State to the secession con-
yention, which met in Columbia in De-
csmber, 1860, solid for separation from
the Union. To defeat Perry and convert
the Unionists, was to reclaim Greenville
district, and bring it under control of the
secessionists.
The writer, being native of Green
Vile, and q student of Furman Universi.
ty at that time, took part in the stirring
events Of those days, and has vivid re-
collections of them still.
Politically, as we'll as geologically, the
State Of South Carolina has long been
divided into low country, middle country
and up country. Charleston, in the low
country, has been called the birth place
and hot bed Of secession. The majority
of the middle, as we'll as lower sections,
where the wealthiest planters and slave
owners lived, seemed to have been mega
tive secessionists, while some of the up
per, and more mountainous counties were
controlled by unionists in the days of
notification, from 1880 to 1860.
Jackson and the unionists of those days
had scattering number of followers in
the middle and lower portion of Carolina,
led by such men as James L. Pettigrew.
of Charleston.
There we're found even women to fight
for the Union in the days of notification.
The first blood shed in the secession war
is said to have resulted from one woman's
stabbing another with a pair of scissors
in heated debate on notification. But
one by one of the upper counties yielded
to the secessionists, till in 1860, only
Greenvillo remained in its majority for
the Union.
The secession minority of that county,
up to 1860, was by no means Insignificant
in number, ability, or leadership. They
we'll knew their battle-ground and the
strength of the Unionists, led by the
gallant Perry. The secessionists campaign
Of 1860, for the capture of Greenville
County from the Unionists, and from
Perry's leadership, was almost perfect in
its plans, as well as in its accomplishment
of the plans. The two parties of the
County met early in the Spring of 1860,
aud formed their plans, and when the
time came to select candidates for dele
gates to attend the State Convention to
decide the question whether South Caro-
lima would leave the Union or not, the
Unionists nominated a delegation, head
ed by Ex. Governor Perry, while the Sc
cessionists selected q man in their midst
who had never before taken any active
part in the politics of the County-the
Rev. DR.. James O. Furman, president of
the university in Greenville, and a prom.
nent leader in the Baptist denomination,
whose membership was very large in
Greenville County. Doctor Furman lived
in Greenyille until recently, and was
member of the faculty of the denomi-
national college he endowed aud built up
in Greenville years before the war. His
father, the Rev. Richard Furman, D. D.,
was soldier in the Revolution of 1776,
and long the pastor of the Baptist
Church at Charleston, where his son,
James @. Furman, was born and educa-
ted. So when this gentleman moved from
the low country to Greengille, about the
year 1850, the secessionists, unawares, re.
ceived into their party the captain under
whose leadership they we're destined in
1860 to capture Greenville county from
the Unionists.
How dissimilar the two opposing lead.
ers, Furman, the Becessionist, and Perry,
the Unionist! In person, Furman was
almost as small and as delicate as wo-
man, while Perry was tall and stately
mountaineer. Errman was pious, re6n-
ed, modest, unassuming and spotless in
character, while Perry was bold, aggres-
sive, proud and domineering, promi-
nent lawyer and a trained statesman.
Furman's silver tongue had been devoted
to the preaching of the gospel and the
instruction of young men in his universi.
ty; Perry had started his public labors
in the days of Andrew Jackson, had
slain an antagonist in duel, the diff
Guilty growing out of political controversy
in notification days, had been the lead
ing lawyer in the up.country for years,
and had held the voting majority of his
county in his hand. Intellectually they
were both of the first order. AS speakers,
they had few superiors. Though of diff
ferent Church relations, and opposing
political parties, Furman and Perry were
devoted personal friends and co workers
in all progressive and benevolent move
meDts. They fought the closing battle
for secession and principle, each believ.
ing he was right. Perry visited all parts
of the county, and spoke ably against Sc
cession; Furman left his pulpit and his
n