The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1897-09-15

Benbow, L. L. Wells, L. NJ. Ragin,
then Wells again, and our present
Superintendent of Education, ". S.
Richbourg.
The County Commissioners have
been too many to attempt to mention
them.
Among those who represented this
county with honor in the State Sen
ate have been John L. Manning, E
E. Dickson, Dr.. John I. Ingram, Col.
H. L. Benbow, Joseph T. Rhame,
Esq, Louis H. DesChamps and L. NJ
Ragin. There have been others, s,amone
whom were three gentlemen of color,
as follows: Svphax Milton, Powell
Smith and Jared Marley.
Clarendon has had many represen-
tatives in the lower !ouse OF the Leg
islature. I cannot with certainty give
the names of all who served as rep
resentatives before 1876, but here
are some of them, and it will be seen
BY two or three names which appear,
that our county was not always rep
resented by her best citizens, black
Republicans occasionally filing this
high office of honor: Col. H. L. Ben
bow, Col. S. Warren Nelson, John P.
Richardson, ". J. McFaddin, DR.. G.
Allen Higgins, James McCauley,
and Gus Collins, colored, and Will
Nelson, very colored, who fled from
justice for stealing vegetables from a
garden. That is probably only a
partial list of our representatives be-
fore 1876. 1t was in 1876 that the
black cloud of negro rule was raised
from our beloved State, and though
the writer was but small boy he re-
members wildly the stirring scenes
of that year, with its big campaign
days and red shirt brigades. He also
remembers well the standard bearers,
and before he scarcely knew what it
meant he learned to holler '<Hurrah
for Hampton" II was Hampton for
Governor, and in Clarendon Berbow
for the Senate and Barron and Peter
Richardson for the House. These,
with others who supported them and
held up their hands, carried the day
in Clarendon and made the way poss-
ible for many other good Democrats.
The following, then, is submitted
as list Of those who have repre-
sented this county in the House OF
Representatives since 1876: B.
Presley Barron and John Peter
Richardson: Joseph f. Rhame and
James L. Tindal; ". I. Lesesne and
B. r Gibson; Arthur Harvin and DR..
J. &. Dinkins; E. r. Plowden, Jr.,
aud H. 3. Richardson; I. NJ. Woods,
Ezra Tindal, J. NJ. Richardson, S. 4.
Nettles, ". D. kennedy,W. c. Davis,
C. N. Davis, and I. B. Owen. Thus
it will be seen that there have been
many since the creation Of Clarendon
County who We're elevated to posi-
tons OF public honor, and further
that of this number quite the ma
jority have passed away. AL Of them
have made history, some good and
some bad, but each one serves his
little place in the memoryof the past,
and Of such is Clarendon's history
made up.
A desire TO bring this sketch with
the bounds OF a limited length pre-
cludes my enlarging upon that period
which perhaps plays the most i'm
portant part in the history Of our
county and town. The five years
from 1860 to 1865 were important
years, perhaps the most important
that the past, the present, OF future
generations for centuries 10 come will
ever witness, aui the result Of these
five years struggle has since been,
and is to-day being felt by the peo-
pie of the county. Clarendon County
and the Town OF Manning We're not
wanting in making history then.
Many noble sons, inspired by that
patriotism which is only known
among Southerners and Carolinians,
sacrificed their all upon the altar of
their country, and gave their lives for
a cause which they cherished. Other
patriotic sons of Clarendon gave
noble services to beloved but lost
cause, and through the wisdom of an
unerring Providence were spared
their lives to return and serve their
people and their county in places of
honor. Clarendon furnished several
gallant companies to the Confederacy.
The Manning Guards, for instance,
formed 4 part of the Hampton LIE
gion, and was captained by that noble
yoong patriot, who was gallant al
most unto wrecklessness-Brown
Manning-with G. Allen Higgins
and Join Haynsworth as first and
second lieutenants. They did splen-
did service, and upon many battle
heldS did the deeds OF this command
reflect the bravery and the patriotism
of their town and county. Let the
sous and daughters of members Of
this noble command ever cherish
their memory.
The organization known as Aeers
Company also contained some OF
Clarendon's young men who were
willing to volunteer for their country's
cause, but perhaps the largest COM
pany which went from Clarendon to
battle for tie cause which was finally
los. was Company l., of the 23rd
Regiment. This gallant command was
usually full to the limit. It was made
up principally OF the sturdy yeomany,
III, =. +ha l>Ooa onl cinaU t,f The