Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1899-10-18
BIG MEN IN BEAUFORT S. c.
The Chief of Police Is GIFT. o in. and
There are Others.


The little town of Beaufort, S. c., n
few miles from Port Royal, and one of
the earliest settlements in this country,
has produced more men of exception
ally great height than any other place
of double the inhabitants in the world.
Her tallest representative was In the
Confederate army. He is in Column
bin now, and according toa authentic
records obtainable. he was the tallest
soldier in modern armies of the world,
having an advantage Of one inch over
Capt. Oswald Ames, of the second light
guards of England, who was u feet .
inches, and headed the queens Jubilee
procession. The tallest man in the
United States army, regular or yolun-
teers, in the war with Spain was y
feet q inches. Jacob Eberhardt of Col
umbia, G feet inches. volunteered, but
the surgeons said he was out of pro-
portion, and would not accept him.
Under army regulations. he would have
been required to weigh 210 pounds.
Eldred 8. Tickling, formerly of Beau
fort, and for many years after the war
chief of police at Columbia, and still
on the force, is @ feet 8 inches In his
stockings. A man of medium height
can walk under his arms extended
horizontally. Mr.. Fickling's father. an
eminent lawyer. was feet . inches.
while other members of the family are
exceptionally tall. When he was fif-
teen years old Mr. Tickling says he
went with his father to Charleston.
They were i'm the lobby of the old Mills
House, when several other Beaufort
men came in. Some one remarked
that it was the largest gathering of
Bcaufortonians he had seen that day,
and suggested that they try how far
they could walk up King street Six
Of them started out. but before going
half dozen blocks up the street, had
to enter stores and separate. The
crowd following blocked the street. Il
was not nearly grown then" says Mr..
Tickling, land only measured feet
q inches. but the tallest man was u
feet inches Two were 9 feet inches
and the shortest feet 3 inches.
+. ). Tickling entered the Confeder-
ate army in 1861 in the famous Hamp-
ton Legion. going with 1t to Virginia.
Ii may be remarked here that the
Hampton Legion of 1,2O0 men FUR
nished the Confederate army before
the close of the war with seven gener-
ais. rs follows: Wade Hampton, colo
mol: stephen ID. Lee. captain; Mart w.
Gary captain; G. NJ. Logan, second
lieutenant: Johnson Pettigrew, private.
on r, turning from Virginia. Lieut..
Tickling entered the Beaufort artillery
and thereafter was ut Fort Sumpter
participating in many of the eventful
incidents of that time. On beautifui
drinking fountain, erected on the bat
terry in Charleston By the women OF
Charleston to the men, living and dead,
who first used the torpedo boat in
Charleston Harbor, and so in the world
appears the name of Eldred ;. Flick
ling-of all those names he is the only
one living.
When the nameless confederate ram
attempted to sink the union lronsides
in Charleston, Lieut. Tickling was In
command of the fighting men of the
boat. The anchor chains of the Iron
sides entangled the torpedo of the
confederate vessel. and the Ironsides
was struck by slanting and harm
less blow.
Speaking of Beaufort men. Mr.. Flick
ling SAYS that when he was boy Mr..
Cuthhcrt of Beaufort told him that he
was the centre Tile of the old Beaufort
artillery WDcn tIlHI OTSuitiEutiVh
turned out in 1925 to meet Lafayette.
Mr.. Cutlibert was q feet l inch. and
there were seventy-four men of great
CT height Iii the artillery, whose mem
hership was 150
Some big men lack courage, but that
mas never been charged in this case.
Fourth of July, 1881, Chief of Police
Tickling. armed With baseball bat,
went to the rescue of one of his men.
being beaten to death by a mob of
drunken negroes. He did rescue him.
Then tic negroes came ut him with
knives drawn. The leaders were two
giants: they were laid low when they
entered six-foot circle. The others
lialtcd. and bloody riot was averted.
Colun,bians still talk of wagon
ward riot of sixteen years ago, when
white despcradoes swore they would
not be arrested, and had punished
half dozen policemen before the ar
rival of the chief. He stalked in with
n club. broke heads right and left, col
Jared the two wanted and brought
them out. There are many similar
incidents of great courage and gigan-
tic strength related of him in peace