The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1896-06-11
THE STORY OF THE STOLEN BONDS,
AN INTERESTING CASE I'm COURT.
The Bank OF tho state Was Hiding
Out and the Yankees Captured Il
Lot OF Bonds

out and the Yankees Captured Il
Lot OF Bonds
The members of tho Supreme Court
and tho Circuit Judges in conference
have recently heard tho celebrated
case brought by Samuel Lord, receiver
Tor the recovery Of $50, 900 in bonds
which were lost under peculiar crcum-
and which the Legislature refused to
pay last winter. Gen. Edward Nc
Grady is one of the counsel fer Mr..
Lord, and ~ has obtained an interest
ing account OF tho discovery and hand
ling OF the stolen bonds from the Fed
oral officer who was in charge Of tho
squad which captured the assets Of the
bank. The story is as follows:
Camp Crook, S. d April 81, 1896.
Edward McCrady, Charleston, S. G..
Dear Sir: Your communication of
date February 1t, accompanied by me-
mortal to the Legislature Of the State
OF South Carolina, reached me, on the
range thirty miles from any post Office,
just thirty-Une years and one day after
the capture Of the bank on Lynch
Creek, $. 9.
The capture being made by Federal
force under my command on the 2Sth
day of February, 1860, am uncertain
whether | can assist you in the least in
l will, however, give you as well rs my
memory serves, the details OF the cap
ture. On the morning of the date
named above | left Hanging Rock, S G.,
in command Of about forty men OF the
102d Illinois infantry, to which | be-
longed, for tho purpose of obtaining
forage. On tho march from Hanging
Rock to Lynch Creek my command was
increased by accessions from all parts
of the army; "straggling" foragers
leaving military organizations without
authority had Increased my command
to probably 1870 men. Reaching the
vicinity Of Lynch Creek | saw fresh
wagon tracks leading from the main
road into the timber over q rather in
distinct route or trail. | ordered two
men (Jessc MEG uadc and Charles Hort
scll) to follow the trail Il few hundred
yards and report to me at a point
further on. uortscll did so report
about one mile from the place where
he left the marching column, stating
that his companion (McGuadc) and
himself had been fired upon from q
camp they had discovered in the woods;
that McGuadc had been killed and he
UlortsclD was wounded in the arm.
detailed Il nOn-cOmmiSSiOncd Olliccr in
command Of q number OF men to return
and investigate the matter, but seeing
that many Of the "stragg gling" loragers,
over whom | had little control, were
disposed to follow the detail, / return
cd myself with large portion of the
command. When | reached the camp
occupied by those in charge Of the
bank l found one of the officers Of the
bank surrounded by the Ven who had
gone before, being SON cwhat excited
by the supposed killing of McGuadc,
they would have undoubtedly killed
him had not arrived in time. 1t
m a W hn \uEI ~ ilt hnt hn,
were two white men with the bank
and eight colored men 1--WE used to call
them niggcrs J one OF the former was
medium sized, dark compleXioncd
man the other somewhat taller, with
light complexion and sandy beard.
also remember that the latter had re-
ceivcd an injury to his right big toe !:
it looked like Il gunshOt wound If my
memory is not at fault there were
three tive-mulc teams and one spring
wagon, to which was worked Il gray
horse or mare. Ono large iron safe
(being / suppose too heavy to handle
easily remained in one of the wagons;
tho others, | think three in number,
were sccrctcd in the woods near by.
You will better understand the dini
culties Of the position [ then occupied
when | inform you that had it not been
for the support OF the men from my
own cgiment none Of the property OF
the bank could have been saved as it
was, we were very nearly compelled
to fight for it.
Besides tho contents of the safes
there was much other property, cloth
for Confederate uniforms, mathemati
cal instruments, Confederate money
and bonds.
l distinctly remember the bonds,
State bonds Of South Carolina. [
think tho box contained them was
broken open, some Of them, possibly a
major portion was appropriated by tho
mon at the time OF capture or during
the march to camp.
You must realize that [ had but lit
tie time personally to look after the
captured property, other than that in
the safes, to which | held tho keys. |
was in II strange country, had some not
very pleasant experience with General.
now Senator Butlcr, Of your State a few
few days before, and my time was
principally occupicdtin trying to avoid
a second meeting.
All Of the bank property not pillaged
from the wagons on the road to Con.
Shcrman's headquarters, was by his
order turned over to Gen. A. S. Will
liams, then commanding the Goth A.
G.. 1t occurred in this way: reported
the capture to Gen. w. II. Sherman in
the prcscncc of Gen. w. w. Slocum,
commanding army Of Georgia. Gen.
Sherman ordered me to turn over the
property to Gen. Slocum. Slocum
said he had no provost guard and
ordered me to turn the samc over to
Gen: Williams, al the same time en-
joining me to state to Gen. Williams
that | had reported the capture to
Gen. Sherman. Gen. Sherman then
asked me to remember as we'll as
could what had understood the safes
contained. [ then proceeded to Gen.
Williamss headquarters, q few hun
drcd yards from that OF Sherman's,
ana executed tho order of tho latter,
by turning over to Williams all OF the
property in question including the
H'on safes, which had not been opened
since coming into my possession, also
the officers OF the bank, referred to
before, that had retained as prison
crs. One Of the parties last named in
formed me that originally thcre had