The age-herald., 1898-11-13

be said of them, were, notwithstanding, the two most dramatic and striking figures in the southern political field during the na- tional campaign of 1896. Watson and Till man of the present day are neighbors, one living twenty-eight miles in westerly and the other twenty-three miles in northerly direction from Augusta. The home of Wat son Is within twenty miles of the old home of Alexander H. Stephens. The home of Toombs is only twenty miles from the homes of Stephens and Watson. w. H. Crawford and Watson were born in the same county, though later Crawford lived higher up the valley and opposite and al- most in sight of Calhoun. Calhoun and Crawford (who could almost see each oth- CTS backyard across the river) were rl- vals for the presidency, and each one, but for the other might have attained the goal. The birthplace of Calhoun is only forty miles from the home of Toombs, fifty from those of Stephens and Watson and forty from that of Tillman, along the arc of a circle. Burt was born in Tllmans coun- ty, and Preston Brooks lived within few miles of Tillman's home.
 Other Noted Statesmen
 Besides the names of those enumerated, all of whom have undoubtedly ploughed deep furrows in their country's field, others of secondary importance or less promi- hence, but well-known to the student of history. who have come from this district are Francis Wilkinson Pickens, who was United States minister to Russia from 1850 to 1860, and who was conspicuous as the war governor of South Carolina. It was Governor Pickens who demanded of Major Anderson the surrender of Fort Sumter and ordered the fire upon the Star of the West i; George McDuffie, who served in the house and senate with Clay, Webster and Cal
 
 oratorical ability; James Henry Hammond, United States senator from South Carolina, who made a national reputation as Mud sill Hammond" for his reference in the de- bate on the Kansas question to the slaves or negroes as the necessary "mud-sills'' of society; the Butlers who have for three generations served South Carolina in the national house and senate-Major- General M. c. Butler, in the recent Spanish war, and now member of the Cuban commits sion, lives in Tillman.s county; Major-Gen- eral Joseph Wheeler, born within five miles of Augusta on the Georgia side. Two of the major-generais appointed from civil life in the recent war sprung from this pro- ductive soil. James Longstreet. the con- federate lieutenant-general, was born six miles from Augusta, in the county of Till man and Butler. and six miles from the birthplace of Tillman. William Lowndes Yancy, who was a powerful member of con- gress in ante-bellum times. man of singu- larly great oratorical gifts and we'll re- membered by the older part of the present generation for his speeches in Cooper Un- ion Faneuil Hall and throughout the north in the campaign of 1860, was born and reared near the homes of Stephens and Watson. Louis Trezevant Wigfall, United States senator from Texas, and among the expelled senators in 1S61 was born and reared In the district, and he 1t was who, on April 13. 1861, upon seeing the flag of Sumter descend, rode out to the. fort and made the final demand of surrender to Ma jor Anderson. J. L. M Curry United States minister to Spain in 1884 and at present the director of the Peabody and Slater ed ucational funds. came from a county ad- joining Watson's. Hilary A. Herbert. re- cent secretary of the navy, was born in