The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1895-09-25

4
the procession was forming Gen. But
Ter took it upon himself to ride in ad
vance and pick out the line of march
had a conference with a scalawae
white man who was acting as marsha
for the negroes and agreed that the
procession should takea route through
the Academy Grove upward Of 10C
wards from the stand. When the Bale
Eagle at the head of his red shirt legion
making a procession over 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 a voice which rang ou
so that the negroes and whites coulc
hear him he exclaimed: "Get out o.
my way, you damn white puppy
This is public property and I 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 | 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 Edgefeld
Court House under command Of Gen.
Ruger. The negroesin 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 500 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 /
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 70 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 tomount
their horses and mss 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 prepara.
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 adj
vanced to meet him and after the two
had saluted. with military punctilious-
ness, Gen. Rugersaid: General, 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 are no OBJ
structions to voting.
The one was dressed in the blue uni
form of the United States army and
had been sent to Edge6eld by Grant.
The other had on the grey coat of the
Confederate brigadier and military
boots. 1t was the crucial test of nerve.
South Carolina's desting hung in the
balance and Gary saved her. The
"Bald Eagle" straightened 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 again, try it"
There had been the stiffness of death
while these two confronted each other,
but when that voice rang out the
whites caught up the yell Of defiance
and for minutes pandemonium reigned
Ruger quietly turned on his heels and
went back to his quarters. The ne
groes slunk away like dissolving mist
and in less time than I have taken tc
tell it not one of them was to be seen
THE HAMBURG AFFAIR.
Allusion has been made to Buffers
service at Hamburg. was at Ham
burg and know that those services
were great. But the people were ready
to act without his leadership and yor
all remember the despicable and COW
ardly stab he aimed at me last sum
mer with reference to that riot. Fol-
all his services to the State he has beer
amply rewarded and had he possessed
scintilla of genuine patriotism he
would have died before he entered
upon the role which he played since
August 1894.