The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1897-05-26
PanOla'S Field Day.

Pan0la'S Ffelu DaT.
Amid all that is calculated to drive care
.way the writer spent last Saturday Mt the
parade grounds OF Colonel Brailstord's $
famous battalion Of troopers. The weather
was superb and the crowd of about 400
spent the day joyously. 1t was grand
reunion of old acGuaintances. 1t was e
day of love making. It was day to llnger
long in the memory Of those present. and
it was another laurel in the crown OF hos
pitality for the good people Of the Panola
section.
After about three hours drive. accom-
panied by cold Rock one Of Clarendon 5
most faithful County officers, reached the
parade grounds TO 6nd an immense
throng had preceded me- and were already
n.ingling in happy greeting. Sweet music
from the Manning brass band greeted our
arrival and the gallant troopers in their
we'll fitting uniforms made quite picture
as they dashed to and fro making prepara-
tons for the event Of the day. Colonel
Brailsford on beautiful Sorrel charger
was kept quite busy issuing orders, and
Captains Richardson and Wells were busy
attending TO the formation Of their respect
i've commands. On hill! was the school
house with its piazza filed with the beauty
of Clarendon, down the slope of this hill.
were others promenadiug with the gallant
youth. In the vehicles and sitting at the
trunks of trees were the "Oid Vets" fight
Ing the battles of days gone by, and right
here "Old Roch" was in his glory. 4 little
to the right were the soldiers in beautiful
savannah, each fellow endeavorlng to strut
in his saddle so aS to look his best before
the multitude OF ladies. and in front was
beautifully growing crop of cotton belong
ing to Charlie Brown, but notwitbstan ding
his pride for the military, he was anxious
about his crop being trampled by the
6ashinc cavalrymeu. The writer was IN
uniform also, and shortly after his arrival
he WAS informed that his chief, General
John Gary Watts. the adjutant and inspec-
tor-general was at the residence Of Captain
J. i. Richardson. Accompanied by Major
Richbourg, We went in quest OF the general
We found him ready and waiting for bis
escort; after the usual courteSies and
well, after bidding Mrs. Richardson
adieux, the general and his escort, com
posed of Majors a. J. Richbours, Louis
Applet and Acting Adjutant Priestly Ho!a-
dav, rode to the parade grounds where
everything was in readiness and as soon as
our positions were taken under pretty
shade tree, Colonel Brailsford and sixty
six of the handsomest troopers in South
Carolina marched past in review. The
horses, right from the plow fields, were fat
and sleek, and seemed from their prancing
and capering to understand that they were
on inspection.
On account OF the usual ground being
planted and the savannah near by covered
with water, the evolutions had to be dis
pensed with and the inspecting officer con-
tented himself with the general appearance
of the men, their accoptrements, etc. Al
ter he gave orders to dismiss the parade
Colonel Brailsford joined in by the bataI-
lion called for a speech. General Watts
made the handsome colonel blush consid-
erably by alluding to his being a bachelor
in community where such lovely maldens
abound, and exposed a contract made be-
tween himself and the colonel, which was
that he (Watts) would not marry until
Colonel Brailsford had, that he was tired Of
his bargain and gave notice that from
henceforth the compact vas broken. Gen
eral Watts spoke e!oquently of the condi-
ton Of the military and paid our cavalry
some well deserved com mpliments. At the
conclusion of his speech. Major Appelt
was called for and he responded. Then
Colonel Brailsford was called, and his re-
sponse was 'Two'S right, forward, march,
This ended the inspection.
Under the beautiful shade trees were
erected tables and on them everything that
the appetite could want for, except strong
drink, was found. Committees composed
of the soldiers did all they could to make
everybody get a plenty-and they get it.
But it invariably happens that where large
crowds congregate, there flock the rogues
to get in their crooked work. IL large
cities they DO the pickpocketing act but at
this place they selected the uaSophistcated
editor of a newspaper and robbed him of
that which he prlzld most dear-his din
prepared by some Of the
kind ladies at the Coloneps request. It
was bad enough to be thus robbed, but the
fellow who had the appearance Of having
eaten the entire picnic had the steal-Eard-
ened gall to come up with the empty plate
and give glowing account of the good
things he ha3 eaten from it. 1t made the
writer feel sad that such depravlty had
crept IN among the youth Of Pamela. 1t
might be that we were more pa!ned at the
loss of our dinner, because such always
leaves an aching void. We could not ind
q policeman, so We told our troubles 10
others and in few minutes plates were
hurredly washed and the general, who
had been treated TO similar dose of gooi
samaritanism by the fellow who looked as
If he had eaten the whole picnic. and the
writer, Were stood up to nicely fixed plates.
and the fellow who robbed u.s. stood off as
if he were seeking more dinners to devour
The Lord may have mercy on him, but If
he ate all that his appearance shows, We
cannot understand now on earth there are
so many fat live stock in that community
After dinner to the lively tunes of the
viollns and cornet the young folks spent
the time in dancing, drinking lemonade
and eating ice cream. Itis needless for US
to say that the day was delightfully."- spent
and none was happier for the pleasure that
each enjoyed than Colonel Brailsfor /, who
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