Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1895-08-21

HreVOSC MarSnal OlHCe
Mr.. R. r. Hemphill, Orderly, has
permission to pass without molesta-
tion from the Forces Of this Depart
ment in and around this village and
the vicinity within our lines, until
further orders.
By Order
w. D. Simpson.
Provost Marshall"
Gen. Bonham was as kind-heart-
ed man as ever met. He re-
ceived the orderlies with great
consideration and assigned them
quarters in the same house he oc-
cupied and gave them places at
the same with his military fami-
ly. Fairfax was struggling vii
lage with a few score inhabitants
most of whom had removed to a
distance from the scene of expect
ed hostilities. For headquarters
Gen. Bonham occupied female
college which had been conducted
by a Mr.. Jacobs if my memory is
not at fault. It was large frame
building on the left hand of the
main street and some distance
South of the Court House which
vas about ahe center of the village.
There was room enough for all the
orderlies and the multitudinous
staff of volunteer aids who had
gathered around Gen. Bonham so
as Lot to miss the first battle
which many of the Southern peo-
pie thought would finish the war.
| On this staff we're: R. B. Boyles-
ton. w. C. Moragne, w. D. Simp-
son, A. P. Aldrich, Samuel Nc
Gowan, S. S. Tompkins, W. P.
Butler, J. N. Lipscomb, Milledge
Lipscomb and Samuel W. Melton.
Col. George ". Lay who was an
aide to Gen. Scott and had resign
ed from the U. S. Army was as
signed to General Bonham to as
sist in organizing the forces. He
occupied a fine tent in rear of the
college and near to it on grassy
slope adorned with shade trees.
| He was small man with auburn
hair. He had the army regula-
tions at his tongues end and there
was nothing of the martinez about
him. He struck me as picture of
perfect content when [ would go
to him for orders and find him
stretched out on his camp bed
stead reading a book or newspa-
per. Col. Walter H. Stevens, a
New Y ork man, who had also re-
signed from the U. S. Army and
cast his lot with the South was al
so assigned to Gen. Bonham as en-
ginecr and looked after the fortl-
| fcations abound Fairfax. Both
Lay and Stevens had served with
distinction in the Mexican War.
The female college stood a little
back from the street. In front
was lawn which showed lack OF
attention. 1t was somewhat re-
.ieved by shrubbery dotted around
over it's surface. In the rear OF
the college was large garden with
rows of currants. The tempting
fruit was too much for us and we
feasted to our hearts content. The
currants were in such superabun-
dance that it seemed as. .L1i2s i f-iSlsahs
lici' lhisci' red MS coIieege girls ondi5.--:s7
ing else. At night we would as
semble in the music room where
splendid piano had been left:
Mai. Samuel w. Melton would
take his place at the piano, play
the accompaniment and sing the
popular songs Of the day in full
rounded voice. The orderlies
would join in the chorus and we
had music of the highest order.
There were always lot of Wis
itors at headquarters who general
ly remained few days. Among
these I :a-ember to have seen
Thomas j. Mackey and the late
David S. Terry, of California, who
killed Broderick in a duel. He
crossed the plains from California
to cast his fortunes with the South.
The visitors were so many and the
staff increased so much that Gen.
Bonham made arrangements with
the hotel and sent the orderlies
there to take their meals. This
we continued to do until the town
was abandoned. One day l stroll
ed from the hotel to the end OF
town opposite headquarters and in
a small store l found ginger snaps
for sale. I had never seen such
thing before and that ginger snaps
should be an article of trade made
such an impression on me that |
remember the circumstance 20
clearly that I am able to recall it
| in this reminiscence. I may as
we'll state here that the first time
I ever tasted sardines was about
half way between Fairfax and
Sangster's station three miles dis
tant on the railroad. I was sit
ting on log by the roadside with
A. B. c. Lindsay eating my first
sardines when an Alabama regi-
meut marched by. The Colonel's
wife rode by his side at the front
of the regiment. She wore a long