The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1896-06-25
ISAAC q. McKISSICIk
n Sketch OF HIS Life and Services
~ Brave Soldier and Patriotic
Citizen.

Citizen.
The subject Of the following sketch
dlcd at ms nome In Union on Monday,
June 8, lo9o. tic was much larger than
his own county, and was well known
and highly esteemed by hundreds nf
people in all sections Of the State. He
was generous, largo hearted, full of
love Tor his neighbor, kind to every
ono, u genial companion, u hclpfnl
| friend In time OF need, without bitter
ness TO any one, with strong faith in
| the people, lover of his countrv, his
church and his God. II gives us Dicus.
urc to publish the following sketch
prepared at tho request of The Spartan:
| Col. Isaac G. McKissick was born in
| Union county, in that section known
as pea Ridge" which he has since
made famous, on Nov. 20, 1925. He
Scotch Irish ancestry, his ancestors
having lived near the border of Scot
land and Ireland. When he was seven
or eight years of ago his father died
leaving widow, five sons and one
daughter. Col. Mckisscl1's cariv
childhood was spent on tho farm and
his education was, Of course, limited
in very great degree. His school
days would number less than twelve
months, all told, and it has boon often
told Of hirl that his education was OBJ
tanned by studying at night by the
light of u pine knot, or lightwood, after
the days labors was over. In fact, ne
has often told the writer of this, that
it was his custom, after getting his
supper, to steal away aud 90 behind
the old barn and study. Whatever ed.
ucation he received was through his
own efforts. At the age of TWENTY-FIVE
he was elected clerk Of the court Of
| Union district over one Of the most in
tiucntial men in that section, who was,
if the writer is not mistaken, Mr.. VIM.
>. keenan,. His election at that age
was Il high compliment TO his native
ability and worth. When tho time
came for him to take the oath OF Office
and assume its duties, all the teams
and horses on his mothers plantation
were SO busi!y engaged in gathering the
crop, that he walked from his mothers
home to Union court house, a distance
OF twelve miles. From that's time until
the war began he held the office CT
clerk OF the court. and the records
show that his duties we're well per-
formed, and as Judge Wardlaw once
said he was the best clerk of the court
he had ever seen.
When secession was uppermost in the
minds OF the people OF South Carolina,
Col. Mckissick cspoused the cause with
all the fervor OF his warm nature. He
made speeches throughout the upper
section of South Carolina and until his
dying day, believed in States rights.
During his term OF ollce us uclk Of
the court he was succcssively elected
lieutenant colonel and afterwards
| brigadicr general of State militia.
When the war came on he forsool1 his
bomb-proof Office, which he could have
easily held during the war, and organ
lZcd company. This command was
known as the Mckissick Rangcrs, and
Its llcutennntS were John w. Pulmcr,
long since dead, and Gillian Il. Jcter,
now living in Union county. The Nc
hlsslck Rangers were sent to Charles
ton where there were other companies
IN the Ho!combc Legion under the
Stevens, now bishop OF the Episcopal
church. This command was named
after Governor Pickcns' wife, Lucy
l1olcombc While serving on Gov
ernor Flckens' plantation, which was
then fortified, Governor Pickcns. his
stan and Mrs. Pckcns visited the
| legion and presented 1T with a FLAG and
simply said: Soldiers, this flag repre-
scnts one dear TO my heart, never let il
trail The legion was afterwards
transferred to Virginia with head
AT Williamsburg that the McKissick
Hangers achieved, perhaps, their
greatest victory during the war This
short sketch necessarily precludes the
| incidents OF that horoic charge led bv
Col. McKissick. Afterwards tho Hoi-
| combe Legion was disbanded or dis
organized and the McKissick Hangers
| were transferred to the Seventh South
Carolina Cavalry, of which Alexander
Z. Haskell was elected colonel and I.
q. Mcifissick lieutenant colonel. The
superb service OF this command is
| written in history. At Old Oh .rch
near Cold Harbor, whilc under the
command OF Gen. Nj. G. Butter, the
Seventh South Carolina Cavalry fought |
one Of its hardest battles, in which |
every Iicld officer was killed and
wounded and in which many gallant
mon lost their lives. Col Mckissick
was severely wounded, and while being
taken from the field lost his sword, a
fact he regretted always. He went |
nome after lying in the hospital at
Richmond n long time, and while |
rccupcrating he was elected to the
legislature whore he served until his
wound was healed and he then re-
turned to the front
He was present at the surrender, al
though on furlough. He wanted to
fight his way out with some OF Gury's
Brigade, but his soldiers would not al
low him to do so on account Of his con-
ditiOn. Returning home stricken in
fortune, sore at heart aud dcsolate with
the knowledge that the cause was lost,
he attempted to recoup as bcst he
could. lie entered the law Office of
Hon. a. w. Thompson in 1866 and was
admitted to the bar in Il very large
class, Among whom was Judge Van
Wyckc, OF brooklyn, n. y, and Hon.
Robert Aldrich, of Barnwcll, and many
other prominent men who have made
their Impress on the history Of their
country. In 1866 Col. Mckissick and
Miss Sallic Foster, daughter of Col. b.
Is. Foster, OF Glenn Spings, Spartan
burg county, were married. In 1870
Col. Mckissick was nominated for Con-
grcss by the Democrats and was elected
by Il large maiOritv ulthOnuh bis an |