The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1895-05-22
Recollections OF Potter's Raid.
BY Rev. ". ". MOOD.

I
carefully than before-all the replies I had
received concerning him.
Upon reading that of the Dean Of Har-
ward University, dated May %, 1886, saw
one more clew, as I hoped, of finding him,
and, at the risk Of annoying the dean, L
determined to make this one more effort to
find my friend, and in writing begged
him to bear with me, but that I could not
find II. l.. Waterman in Vacaville, CAL, or
any one who knew anything of him but
there was Richard" Waterman, who had
graduated in law at Cambridge, that he
was lieutesant in the Union army, and
asked if he might not have made mis-
take in giving NE n. L." instead OF
Richard" Waterman. asked him to re-
ply. The reply came, and is as follows
s'South Dartmouth, Mass,
august s, 1886.
Reverend and Dear Sir: Yours of July
% has Just arrived. To-day I received a
letter from II. L. Waterman. he was
lieutenant in the First New York Volunteer
Engineers, and is now vice president and
general manager of the Ottumwa and
kirkviue Railroad Company and Wapello
Coal Company. His address is Ottumwa,
Iowa.
please consider this confidential, as
Mr. Waterman might think was using my
information Improperly. Truly yours,
''W. c. CHAPLIN, Dean"
leave my readers to imagine the Joy
this letter gave me, and yet feared. I re-
joiced with trembling.
was not long ii preparing letter and
mailing it. In fact, used the very same
letter I had written twenty-one years be-
fore, only adding postscript and altering
| the date.
lie replied in great kindness, though
| under restraint.
This was evident: Twenty-one years was
la long time to remember an occurrence that
| to him was an incident ir that unfortunate
struggle, ''but to you, Mr.. Mood" he
wrote, st was different, and whether 1t
was favor or injury, would not soon be
forgotten.
Il remember distinctly being in Man
| ming. in Sumter, and in Camden, and re-
call many occasions on which was able to
render favors-though only triAes III them
selves and for which I am entitled to no
special credit, as they were simply acts OF
humanity.
IF you are not mistaken in the person,
and it seems TO me you cannot be from al!
| the circumstances you relate, please tell me
just what occurred there, the time. and all
the circumstances connected with it.
81 can not lightly consider so kind q
letter as the one just received from you.
Please tell me how you obtained my ad-
dress.
II remember calling at some ones house
where there were several ladies and having
q very pleasant talk and an lnd!Shuct
! recollection which becomes more and more
vivid as think of it, Of an occurrence as
suggested-or rather related-ln your
letter"
This letter gave me food for thought. and
I was now tolerably sure that had my
hand at last on my long-los! friend.
now wrote more fully to him and gave
him several circumstances in their minutla
which I hoped he'd recall aud leave no
shadow OF doubt upon the minds OF
either Of US.
he was not long in replying, and his
letter reads as follows:
"Ottumwa and Kirkville Railway Company,
''Kirkville, Iowa, Sept. 4. 1886.
Address all letters to Ottumwa, Iowa.
"My Dear Mr. Mood: After reading your
letter, in which you describe the almost
unceasiug efforts made to discover my
whereabouts-having only my family name
to guide you-I should be exceedingly un-
feeling not to highly prize such evidences
of gratitude for the small favor was able
to bestow upon you and yours over twenty
one years ago.
This incident. like many others with
which was connected during the last raid
of the civil war, had almost entirely faded
from my memory. To you such an Incl
deat-as is amply evidenced by your acts
was not so easily forgotten. You had seen
none of the horrors Of the war, and the in
vasion of your quiet town by armed men
while you were sick-thus increasing your
anxiety for the safety Of your family
would lastingly engrave upon your memory
all the occurrences Of the hour.
"I knew no one in your town. never e1-
pected to see it or any inhabitant thereof
again, and this Manning, South Carolina,
was to me but one Of the passing views in
the closing scenes of the panorama of the
war.
THAT had the opportunity and dispo-
siton, as it were, to cast "a crumb upon
the waters, affords me-when behold the
returns-pleasing sensations, I assure you.
You ask me several questions, and among
others if I en- religious man. In the
ordinary meaning of the term am not.
am happily married and have a son who
was born March G, 1868. he is with US and
has q position in ou, Office.
"For several years after the war fol-
lowed my profession, civil engineering
most of the time in railway construction in
this State.
During the four years ending March,
1884, was mayor of the city of Ottumwa.
I have occupied my present position as
vice president and general manager of the
Ottumwa and Kirkville Railway Company
and Wapello Coal Company little over
two years
NV name is HARRISON L. The L. stands
for Lyman, which was my fathers name,
who died forty years ago this month. He
lies buried in the place Of my birth, Cray
don, New Hampshire. visited the place
last June while East, and you may be sure
that I recalled many sad recollectlons of
long years ago.
4 inclosa photographs of my wife Alice
and of my son Philip and of myself. /
hardly think you will see anything natura
in mine, as I have changed o good deal
during the many years since I saw you.
At 46 l have no gray hairs and use no
glasses.
They are frst-class cabinet-size pictures.
look at them, and his manly, kindly face
placed in my album.
"My wife has read all your letters and
takes great interest in all the events and
occurrences related by you. should ever
so much like to see you and yours, and if
ever go South, which I may do, shall
surely hunt you up.
He received the photograph of the three
of US.
MY folks are Methodists. my wife being
member of that denomination, and was
of course familiar with all the rules and
economy governing the support and
changes of the ministry of the Methodist
church, and that very likely may have led