The Carolina Spartan. [volume] (Spartanburg, S.C.) 1852-1896, 1894-05-16
Some Ancestral Chat.


spoke of the probability in running
back ones genealogy of finding a re-
mote ancestor, who had very humble
beginning.
Twill now say that We need not be
ashamed of them, because they were
blacksmiths, weavers, or what not.
Away back yonder, when the country
was being settled, our ancestors In gen.
eral were poor people, who fled from
the ersecutions OF the old world to
this new one, where by force OF talent.
they and their descendants became
prominent. No, sir, our ancestors were
not born with silver spoons in their
mouths. They had to work, and work
hard, to keep the wolf from the door,
and in go doing, they laid the founda-
ton Of future greatness for their de-
scendants 1t wss no shame then to
work at whatever ones calling was
But after awhile better times-days OF
slavery, and it bee ame a stigma In ouf
land to labor, and many young men or
this and the former generation feel
themselves very much lowered, to be
told that their ancestor was black
smith, or labored with his bands at
8 very needful calling. Why, | know
man who was raised IN Spartanburg
county, but went to au adjoining town,
and rose to prominence as a merchant
who was actually ashamed OF his
mother and who, when she was quite
comely cour try woman, was IN his
store making some purchase, said to
his sweet heart, who was struck by her
appearance and interrogated him about
her: "Oh, she is an old country wo
man." have heard similar tale OF
kinsman cf mine now living in North
Carolina.
Twas tulking the other day with an
old gentleman about this and kindred
matters, who said that his maternal
ancestor, who was sister to maternal
ancestor Of mine, I will not state how
far back, lest some of their descendants
may feel sggrisved, was the mill boy OF
the family, - my aneestress was too
good hand In the field and at house
| work to be sent to the mill.
A gentleman some years ago told me
he heard q Q conversation between two
| young men Of your city, relating 70
their famous pedigrees, when he cap
ped the climax. by stating to them, one
of whom was his nephew and the other
akin.man, that his old grandfather
came from Ireland, a weaver by trade,
| and that he made his living by making
leather breeches. This was told to
quite a crowd, and was rather mortify-
ing to the young men. The nephew
went home and told his aunt what his
uncle had said publicly, and believed II
he. had been in his place he would not
have told such bit Of family history.
So here it is some OF Us are ashamed,
and some proud Of the fac; that our an
cescors had to labor. Some OF us void
have people believe that our ancestors
were gentlemen of leisure, and that It
Is degrading to their memories to say
they labored in the field, or forge, or
with the needle. The poet said:
"Honor and shame from no condition
rise,
Act we'll your part, there all the honor
lies"
Well, l have ancestry on the brain, 80
YOU must give me elbow, room to have
| my say. have searched my ofn and
. good nknz= Others, gsasslsEs 6at ,,t
I am conftn taHy cSnfsonttd TIE
fact that We have precious few public
documents and records on file from
which We can gain any informations
Some time since ] wrote to DR.. b. F.
Kilgore making certain inquiries when
he replied by sending me paper he
had copied before the war, when ne
was q member of the Legislature, which
was on ale at that time in the Secre
tary of States Office. As I wanted a
certified copy, l wrote the Secretary Of
State, and got the information that
there was no such paper on file. What
has become Of all our records any how
IL thought that all our State records
were saved by being sent to the NJ
country when Sherman commenced
| the march through South Carolina
How many young people now know, dc
you suppose, that shetm IN burnt th'
lsttae House OF Columbia, not the pres
ent one, but the old one which stood II
the yard towards the Copgaree river?
met a gentleman In your city to day,
prominent young merchant, and since
then a distinguished lawyer who dit
not know it, I will remark just here
though I suppose you will not conside
1t much Of an homo, that Sherman mar
ried a kinsman Of mine.
i The oldest records pertaining to thi
section are to be found in Raleigh, n
c., as all this section was once Nortl
Carolina. There are also some paper
on file in Abbeville. 1t was at this las
place that the Hon. J. B CLEVELAND
found the will OF old Alex. Vernon.
when this was North Carolina all lega
papers were fled at Rsleigh, and wher
it became Ninety Six district they 60
} to A5beville somehow or other. Cal
you explain how these papers got tt
Abbeville Is smy supposition correct
or were our State archives moved
there, when S5erman was through tn
State? l was too busy in Virgins
about that time to know much abou
what was going on about here, ane
took an Involuntary trip to Fort John
son, Lake Erie, during this time.
Our records In spartanburE- count!
commence with 17s5. 1t is haientabl
to know how little data we have t.
work upon In state and family history
As have written but little that Sc
out to write, will await another TIM
III ~ raunII1