The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1898-05-11
st. Paul, S. c., Nay Z. 1873.
c Apnelt NInnpiDp = C


Sarily be brief and may b" Inaccurate III
>o:ne MINOR details as lave nothing bat
memory to guide me, ana thirty seven
years have passed since the Manning Guard
Co &C. Hampton Legion Was organized.
The company was raised III May !S6l,
and reached Colulab bia Oh the 18th with
something over one hundred rank and file,
ard We're quartereG at Camp Hampton.
nca: tie city. They Wee mustered into
service on the 18th day Of May %ith Brown
Manning OF Fulton as captain, Dr.. &. Allen
Urggias OF Manning first lieutenant, r..
D:ug!e OF Summertcn second lieutenant
and john r. HayDesworth o; Manning
third li2ntenaI.t. they b; came the color COM
pany OF the Hampton Legion infantry.
They remained at Canp Hampton until
about the first cl Jaly. when ;i:e Legion
Vas move. to Camp Manning III the 81
bErhS Of Eicamond, Va, and RENAME az
th:s Camp auul FrIia. thc 10 til July,
when they received ordrlS a.,, moved Il:
once TO the front, reaching Manassas Jiiic-
ton on Sunday mornin". the 2iSt about
daylight, aud ;st;:r !. l:.i.i breakfast were
moved rapidly Ii: Tie direction cttae r"ar-
ing c:,nnon w4ic:! ;o!,i rs that TIE great
struggle had comincEced. The Legion
St'S'
aud with few Interruptions until the close
OF tL%t memorable struggle. The Manning
Guards lost five IueE-king LyrcE, Scar
borough, rouchberry, and Wise in this
their first battle and about twice this num-
Der wounded, among them Lieutenant
liaynesworth, mortally.
Thencrforwar,i their History is written
with that Of the army OF Northern Viz
ginia.
The company had four captains during
the war-Capt Manning, Capt. q. Allen
Higgins, Capt. ". Theodore Lesesae and
John Harper james.
My impression is that the company WAS
named in honor of Clarendon 5 distinguish
ed son, Gov. Jno. l.. Manning. though
il honor of the town Of Manning,
There are, think, ten survivors of the
original company now living in the COM
ty They are Col. H. L. Benbow, I. ".
Brailsford, John ". Clark, W. T. Cob!a,
John Cutter, e. II. DukeS, J. N. McEaGGiD
G. ", Plowden, John Strange and IL. N.
Mcknight.
There may be some others, and If so.
trust they viii pardon an old comrade for
not recalling their names after so many
years.
Respectfully yours
T. NJ MCkNIGHT.
The survivors came home from the war
and, turning their swords into plough
shares, they started life atreSh. The COM
pany was reorganized in 1887, s!Xty-fve
strong, with 4 Levi, captain; W Bon
ham, lst lieutenant; Is 4 johnson. 2d lieu
tenant; B Thames, 81 lieutenant; Louis
Appeit, lst sergeant.
When this company was reorSanlZed the
people remepl beIed the history Of the gal
liant corps that followed Hampton and they
came to the assistance Of the boys in pro-
curing uniforms. \ far wns beid aid
through the efforts OF our business men,
conspicuous among them was Mr.. Moses
Levi, contributions were received from
numerous quarters. The ladies turned out
en- masSe aud, under the leadership of Mrs.
F. n Wilson, the court house WAS convert
ed into bower of veilueSs for three days
and nights, and beauty, chlvalry, flowers,
bunting and music relgned supreme, and
enough money was raised to buy the uni
forms.
Captain Levi, Just from military school,
soon bad the boys we'll mp in the manual
and when they went into encampment AT
Spartan burg they made the "hit" Of the
camp They also wen. into encampment
al Greenville and engaged in the sham bat
tie at Columbia under the captaincy of |. l.
Bagnal.
Later W. C. Davis became captain and
when lie received orders from Governor
Tillman on account of the burlington
Riot he responded and endeavored 10
carry his company. About ten members
obeved orders: the others were persuaded
By citizens to refuse. This affair resulted
in the Governor issuing ar order dismiss
ing all who refused to obey. At that time
factiona! politics was running high and
this was, in a large measure, the cause OF
the citizens obstructirg the governor IN his
efforts to execute the law. Not alone did
some of our citizens persuade the boys to
''refuse," but it so happened that Mr.. A. Z.
Jones, the present State chairman OF the
Prohibition executive committee, was here
that memorable night and he also worked
hard with the boys 10 prevent them from
"helping Tillman to enforce the clSpensary
law" Ever since this unfortunate affair
there has been a coolness against the COM
pany. Those who were dismissed regarded
the Governors action in expelling them
and publishing them to the world arbitrary
and unjust. The result was that very few
Of the town men were members Of the COM
pany at the time war was declared.
When Captain Davis undertook to almost
treble the size of his company as required
by the United States authorities he found
that old feeling still existing, enough at
least to furnish an excuse for not voluu
seer!ng, but he did at least expect the
unmarried members of his company to
stand by biru, and it was these who re-
fused, that keenly disappointed him. He
got up his company and is now IN camp
hoping that others from Clarendon will
rally to him and sustain the reputation o!
the old Manning Guards so mer!t0rionSiy
made in the war between the States.
The Clarendon boys need more men and
thev want them from home. so that this
comfy will have place il history should
the opportunity be afforded. Ii any CT our
Young men would ike 20 Serve their coua-
try we hope they will communicate with
Captain Davis at once.
The writer visited the camp last Sunday
aad we found tie boys happy and content
ed all Of thcm were enjoying health and
thev were please, with their quarters ard
the treatment by their superior officers.
They had not as Yet been put through the
medical examination and several are afraid
they will BE- throwa out The company
was ordered 10 the First Baptist church,
but later, on account OF that church being
crowded the order was changed to the EpIS-
copal cn"rcb, attar service they returned
to camp and the color bearer vowed that he
never did see Baptist folks so on SO be-
fore" He said the preacher and a lot OF
boys had on froclls" it was sight to him
land, he WAS constantly wondering Why
people went on so Sundays The boys
invited Us to dine with them but previous
engagement prevented our accepting Sew
eral recruits have gone TO the company
and Lieutenant Davis with Private Epps
were detailed to come home and look for
more men The people OF the county will
! be kept posted on the movements OF the
bows, and MS often ats We can, We will visit
! them The Guards are made up Of :,Iate