The National tribune., 1899-06-15
FIRING ON I
FORT SUMTER.
Experience of a Northern Me-
cEianic in Charleston.
BY " MALLET."

Nov. 10, 1860, found ne walking down As
scmbly Street.-The principal thoroughfarc OF
Columbia, S. C.-iostled on either side b. an
anxious and excited crowd, al Sllrging aicng
towards the Old Capitol building, where the
lawmakers, VINO, by common consent, con
sisted of the wealthy shareholders, were to
meet in convention and there, in solemn con
claye, declare the Uni,n Of the States broken,
and especially the State Of South Carolina
forever ahsolved from all allegicncc TO the
National Government. --.-.--.
This rash and bold step was to be taken
simply because the Electoral College, thc con
stititionally authorized tribunal, had declared
Abraham Lincoln lawfully elected President OF
the United States.
But We were all disappointed Cn arriving at
the Old Capitol TO find that these brave and
yirtIous lawmakers had not arrived they could
not face the smallpox, which had been cpl
dcnlc for over two months.
The disappointment CT the crowd found vent
in various ways; chiefly, however, by cursng
the Government and the Yankees and singing
songs Of defiance, verse OF one OF which here
append as sample:
80 there is Horace Greeley,
Who speaks so mighty freely,
With his abolition sentiments accordin';
If he comes down South,
Well either step his mouth,
Or send him to the other side of Jordan"
The next day, Nov 90 there was great re
ioicing all over the State, but especially at
Columbia for news was that day received that
the slave holders and lawmakers had met in
the CITY of Charleston and passed the ordinance
of secession.
Great excitement and talk of war was the
result of this STEP The following words of q
song will suffice to show the state OF public
feeling. Tune, Root Hog or Die
''Thc boys of old Carolina arc all sincw and
If no other State will back us we must go out
alone
We can not stand the insult which on us now
is prest
So we enc and all must go and fight the abo-
litionist'
1t did not require close observer to notice
That the loudcst mouths in singing were those
who had no slave property. and were largely
r"mposed of that class called by the negroes
d , white trash"
\ new organization came into existence
about this time called Minute Men, whose
duty il was to take note of every word of dis
loyalty TO the cause of secession and report the
same to their ASSEMBLY" which met every
night. Lists of suspects were also furnished
members. who were known to each other by the
letters M. NJ" always displayed in some
inconspicuous place about their clothing.
They would often resort to detective work
and deception in order TO lead out an unguarded
suspect and thereby cntrap him into the COM
mission of some disloyalty which would bring
the victim TO a limb of a tree. The least severe
punishment the victim could expect in such
cases was to be drawn up by the thumbs, and
while standing on his toes, to receive on his
bare back from 20 to 80 lashes well laid ou
He was then generally placed on train and
sent North.
After having witnessed such scenes, and
being informed that had been reported twice
At the meetings of the Minute Men, took the
advice of Mr. George Crane-a friend of mine
and aNorthern man, who had only assumed the
secession role that he might save some of the
many Northern people who were living in the
city. MIR. Crane was a prominent figure
among the Minute Men, and he told me that
my case had been so represented that he could
save me no longer without exciting the sus-
picion of the Minute Men; therefore, he advised
me to join the militia that was going TO Charles
ton the next day, and there might slip on
board north-bound vessel for home
Mr.. Crane was man of mature years, while
Iwas barely out of my teens; therefore availed