The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-05-01
WAR " EXTRAS OF 1861.
How the News oftbc Firing on Sunpter
Was Spread in Western Town.

Was Spread in Western Town.
ct remember the news OF the begin
ming Of the civil war as It came 20 our
town." said a man who IS not yet a vet
eran. Il was about sixteen years old.
I was returning home IN the afternoon.
1 saw coming toward me a horse ridden.
as recall it, madly by a man. As they
nearer I heard tho man shouting Tho
horse wgs blowing IKE a locomotive.
I noticed that man rode bareback
Every time he yelled he plunged his
heels into the sides Of the horse..I do
not remember the exact words OF the
rider, but they were about war begin
ming As he rode people IN the street
who saw him stopped, listened and asked
one another about Il. many windows
along The way were hoisted. and as [
proceeded nomeward the women who
knew me called from the lOOkouts and
asked mo what that man sald-aaoout
the war
when 7 reached home I found my
mothers parlOr a scene Of confusion.
The ncghbors had called in 20 tell her
what they knew and 10 ask what she
knew about the war. The negroes about
our house were frightened. one OF them
took refuge in the cellar and came out
only after she had been threatened.
word Yankee as an approbrious epithet
had not al that time come into use.
There was a Dutch hotel I'm our town
on the roof Of which was q triangle. For
many wears 70 was +he town clock. IT.
dangled out the hour for the three meals.
breakfast. dinner and supper. and when
it sounded the housewives looked az
their timepieces. This triangle changed
out that afternoon before supper time.
an
more commouon- The proprietor Of the
tavern beat the Triangle until the city
marshall made him stop IL.
There were two newspapers in the
town and each one got out what was
called an extra 1t was not much Ike
the extra Of this generation. The news
OF the firing on sumter consisted OF less
than 200 words. was printed on small
sin Of white newspaper and was scr
I'm the same width as the columns OF the
papers which issued them. There was
no advertisement or other news on the
slfps These extras sold for twenty-five
cents a piece. From that time until the
close Of the war thai was the sort or
extra that was issued 10y the papers in
the town where ] lived.
"A long time afterward 7 heard talk
about the man who rode the horse ana
who spread the news lie was the son or
the town miller / never heard where DE
cot his information. but as soon as lac
heard IL he mounted the horse that had
been hitched 10 the rack I'm front or me
mill and carried the news Of his own
accord There were four boys in that
miuer's family. They enlisted early for
the Confederate cause. Not one OF them
returned. The one who spread the news
was killed somewhere In tho wilderness
at least he was known TO go into one
Hr Of
stubborn fights and never came out Ills
body was never identified.
~ recall that al the time OF the fire
on Sumter. many Of our people were still
ON the fence as we said. The Lincoln
electors had received few votes IN the
TOWN II was ai Breckenridge section
7 remember that the tendency was In
favor OF the preservation or inc Jhlon'
but the people were afraid or Lincoln.
At that time they believed ne had Deen
elected for no other purpose than that
M freeing the niggers and stealing the
horses. And 10 so happened that negroes
and horses were locked up often NJ
uiebt together not I'm tho same room.
of course. but often In adjoining rooms
q, tho outhouses I have often thought
that II the people had understood LIN
coin I'm the beginning OF the war as tneV
came % know him later, many a man
who went South would have fought Tor
the Union. And II I am correct In that
would tho war have lasted as long as
did2
II remember gathering az the mouse
of nv father one evening in which the
military genius Of General Scott was
discussed. some present had been with
scott in Mexico. IL was the consensus
~ that gathering and this was before
tho Ruu Run hght. that Napoleon came
FIRST and Wingneld scott second. what
an impression that made on my mlhu.
I remember heaering one or the 'Sco'1
enthusiasts say THAI scott would end the
war in one fight
"r shall never forget the news OF the
erst Ruu Run fight. Ny people had ar
ranged 20 leave the town on a snort
vacation. but this news kept them az
home. The second days news gave more
norficulqrs IL told OF the rout or the
Irnoin army. And then 7 saw something
IN human nature which had never seen
before OF which I knew nothing. saw
the fence cleared, 90 take up the old
metaphor And every man and iamliy
came off 10 join the southern CAUSE
T recall that Scott was called q granny
and very soon after his name was toT-
gotten. The first Bull Kun hghl
made recruits for the South. Sew
orol regiments enlisted in my
town and county Success OF the
south In the first engagement or any
consequence carried with IL the doubters.
An i'm nearly every instance or TINS me
Witch have observed, ] have found |
tint as soon as success is established
those vyho shoOk their heads became iol-
lowers and vet you and 7 have known
some successes to turn out failures para
doxical as that may sound.