The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-09-25

hand, and upwards of a thousand
were in and about the public square
when the hour for the Radical speak
ing to begin had arrived. 1t was de-
cided that such game was unworthy
the: Eagles talons, but to show that the
presence of troops had not cowed the
spirit of liberty in the whites, it was
determined that the red shirts in pro:
cession should march by the stand
where the negroes were assembled and
then disperse to their homes. While
the procession was forming Gen. But
ler took it upon himself to ride in ad-
vance and pick out the line OF march.
had a conference with scalawag
white man who was acting as marshal
for the negroes and agreed that the
procession should take route through
the Academy Grove upward of 100
wards from the stand. When the Bald
Eagle at the head of his red shirt legion
making a procession over a mile in
length, reached the edge of the grove,
he was met by the Radical marshal and
told of the agreement which Butler
had made. In voice which rang out
so that the negroes and whites could
hear him he exclaimed: "Get out OF
my way, you damn white puppy.
This is public property and will ride
on it where please" And he headed
the column straight for the Academy,
passing within twenty yards of the
stand about which the negroes were
massed, forcing some of them to move
to keep from being run over.
ANOTHER INCIDENT.
Another incident gives even more
striking illustration of the claim 1 put
forward in behalf of my dead friend
that he deserves the honor more than
any other of redeeming the State. On
the day of election there were twelve
companies of United States infantry in
our county. They had been sent there
to overawe the whites and encourage
the negores to vote. Six of these COM
panies had been distributed at various
election precincts in the county where
the heaviest negro vote was usually
cast. The other six were at Edgeheld
Court House under command OF Gen.
Ruger. The negroes in large numbers
probably 5000, massed at the Court
House before day the morning of the
election. Gary had anticipated this
and the evening before the election
about 800 picked men over one-half of
them from Saluda, with their baggage
wagons, provisions and arms, had
taken possession of the Court House
and Masonic Hall and were in readi
ness to obey the orders of their chief,
whatever they might be. There was
no sleep. The camp fires gelamed out
brightly, for it was cold and drizzling
rain, and Oakley Hall, the Generals
residence, was like a military head
quarters, while fddling and dancing
were going on in the two buildings I
have mentioned. 1t had been agreed
between Ruger and Gary that the
whites should vote at the box in the
court house, while the negroes should
vote at the school house, another pre-
cinct one-half mile away. A white
company was detailed to watch the
balloting at the latter place and all
day long the voting went on at both,
very rapidly at the court house, very
slowly at the school house. Late in
the evening Cain, the mullatto coun-
ty chairman, finding that it would be
impossible to vote his men at the
school house, determined to make a
desperate move and try to capture the
other box. At the head of his black
phalanx, $500 negroes, armed with
clubs and pistols, he marched towards
the public square. A swift courier
notified Gary that they were coming.
He Immediately ordered that the
court house be packed, steps, porticos
and all, and so promptly and thorough
ly was his order carried out that flea
could not have crawled between the
men standing on the steps. The up,
per windows in the Masonic Hall in
which the rifles and other arms had
been placed, were manned with sharp
shooters and all the other men who
could be spared were ordered to mount
their horses and mess themselves on
one side of the square. When Cain
and his negroes reached the head OF
the street leading into the square, fill,
ing it completely, seeing the prepare.
ton made to receive them they halted
and message was sent to Ruger. Ru-
ger left his quarters some two hun
dred yards on side street and came
towards the court house. Gary ad-
vanced to meet him and after the two
had saluted. with military punctilious-
ness, Gen. Rugersaid: General, I am
informed by the Republican County
Chairman that he can't vote all his
men at the other precinct. You must
make your men give way and let these
negroes get to the ballot box. My Or
ders are to see that there gre no OBJ
structions to voting n =.
The one was dressed in the blue uni
form of the United States army and
had been sent to Edgefield by Grant.
The other had on the grey coat of the
Confederate brigadier and military
boots. 1t was the crucial test of nerve.
South Cardinals desting hung in the
balance and Gary saved her. The
''Bald Eagle" Strengthened up, his eyes
cleaning, and clear and shrill, for his
voice always rang like silver bell,
he exclaimed. "By God, sir, I'll not do
it. I will keep the compact I made
with you this morning, that the whites
and negroes should vote at separate
boxes and if you think your blue coats
can make way for these negroes to
vote aoain trv it.n