The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-06-15

HCy, neiu AL tne nome OF MIS- y. r.. DloE-
zeale on Monday afternoon, 9th inst. the
following paper was read by Mrs. Olive
Cochran Minor:
1t is hardly without the pale Of the pres
ont generation e memory since the roar
and thunder of JacksOn's guns had cehsed
to echo through our happy Southland
The dying tmbers Of Lees camp.fies
marked the places whore recently stood
| watch the cbivalrou4 Hover of Southern
! manhood. Sherman has begun his march
| t. tho SEA ANA IL .iis wake there Is left
naueht but devastation and sorrow
| Thanks to The iatcs that old Anderson
WAS e;,grtd visit Of this fire tiend.
| II WIS May lsr. 1860, that H courier, said
| II have been member OF Wheeior's cav
! nlfy, came dashns down Main Street Civ
! inE tho alarm, "Thr Tanketsnre coming
| In n short while the nows had spread like
Wild fire, creating terror and con. ternation
throughout tho village. Ono Of the lead
| Ing ritiZ.ns met the raiders in front of the
Court House with a flag of truce, imprC
vised by t. ing 4 handkerchief on the end
Of his cane. lie claimed that the War wrs
over and demanded Of the officer in com
mand protection for the citizens and their
property. lie also informed tho officers
that they might make his house head
! quarters II they 30 desired. Protection
was promised but the Benson IIouse was
chosen as headquarters.
| On this eventful day there was a pic mic
party at Silver Brook, tho pretty little
stream that winds it's way through tho
t.S. 4.
| merry crowd were ready to enjoy the
| feast spread boforo them. they were rudely
| Interrupted by tho raiders. All OF their
teams were captured, hut thoy were given
the privilege Of returning To their homes
in tho wagons. And al the Federal sol
| diers rode on each side Of them through
the public square it is safe 10 say that they
! never guarded fairer prisoners q han those
Southern girls.
! Tho object of the raid WAS to capture
F,x President jefferson Davis. BY some
means tho Frdorais had ascertained that
| he had been In Abosville. II WAS also re-
ported to them that large amount of
| Confederate gold and silver WAS the
road, having left that place.
| The raiders were commanded by Gener-
al Palmer, u Kentuckian, who was candi
date for Vice President during the last
campaign on the gold. bug Democratic
ticket. Palmer's command was sent in
every direction and especially to all towns
and to the bridges over Tugalo. Seneca,
and Savannah Rivers. hoping to learn OF
Davis's crossing place and whether any
| gold or silver had boen sent across those
| river.
| Many were the laughable scenes as his
family or that rushed hither and thither
seeking hiding place for their valuables
or necesssries. One member of the fami-
ly watched the front door while another
hid the jewels. Carrot aud cellar were
ceilings were ripped from their places to
find storage for a handful Of sugar or 81
cup OF salt, worth anywhere from ten TO
one hundred dollars per pound.
No doubt there are old wells hereabouts
still holding their treasures. and many
family relics still bear the mark OF hasty
| concealment.
| A lady who still resides In Anderson
owned very handsome watch. and when
she received the intelligence that the raid
ers had come she was sorely distressed. In
great haste she secured a tin cup and plac-
ing the watch therein, concealed it IN the
bosom Of old Mother Earth meath tree
in an immense orchard, and, covering the
| placs with grass, she felt that her watch
was securely hidden. After the raiders
had left town she returned to reclaim her
/ treasure but to her disappointment she
was unable to locate the tree and finally
called out the slaves to assist In the
search
| 1t may ha interesting to mention that
located at johnson University, now Pat
rick Military Institute, was the Confeder-
ATE Treasury, or q branch OF 1t. Our Gov
ernment had eighty foreign expert artists
employed, who were turning ont millions
of dollars Of cheap Con federate money.
One hundred and twenty five dollars In
Confederate money was worth about ono
dollar in gold the day before the raid.
| There was small amount Of coin in the
treasury 1t WAS paid out pro rata to tn Q
employees from officers and clerks down
t" the laborers In the printing department.
Mos; OF tho books and papers were stored
Orr Drug Company. This building CON
t,ined money. books, safes and many val
uables that belonged 20 citizens all over
the South, some having been shipped from
Richuond when tho treasury department
Was removed from there. AT the time OF
the raid the dining room of the Benson
House wan connected by door with tho
storage room Of tho treasury department.
When ii Was Tuiroresi that tho stores were
being broken open some OF the citizens,
with the assistance of the slaves, Sc: about
tn remove the trunk. aud boxes into the
dinin,, room. There, under double row
of tables, wore placed tho trunks and
boxes. Tho tablecloths were arranged so
IA To nearly reach tho floor. The Federal
officers who had headquarters at the Ben
| otn hot