Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1899-08-19
BIG MEN IN BEAUFORT $. c,
The Chief OF Police Is eft. in. and
There are Others.

There are Others.
The little town of Beaufort. s. c., a
few miles from Port Royal, and one Of
the earliest settlements in this country,
has produced more men OF exceptions
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
bia 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 y
inches, and headed the queens jubilee
procession. The talleSt man in the
United States army, regular or yoiun-
tcers, In the war with Spain was y
feet inches. Jacob Eberhardt Of Col
umbia, 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 21o pounds.
Eldred $. Tickling, formerly OF Beau
| fort. and for many years after the war
chief of police ut Columbia, and still
| on the force. is feet q inches in his
stockings. A man OF medium height
| can walk under his arms extended
| horizontally. Mr.. Fickling's father, an
eminent lawyer. was 9 feet 3 inches.
| while other members OF the family are
| exceptionally tall When he was fif-
! teen years old AIR. Tickling says he
| went with his father 10 Charleston.
| They were In the lobby Of the old Mills
! House, when several other Beaufort
men came in. Some one remarked
/ that IL was the largest gathering OF
! Beaufortonians 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 9 feet
9 inches, but the tallest man was q
| feet inches. Two were feet 9 inches
/ and the shortest 6 feet inches.
f. $. Tickling entered the Confeder-
ate army IN 1861 IN the famous Hanp-
! ton Legion. going with il to Virginia.
/ 1t may be remarked here that the
Hampton Legion of 100 men fur
nished the Confederate army before
| the close Of the war with seven gener-
ais. as follows: Wade Hampton, colo
mel: Stephen ID. Lee, captain. Mart w.
/ Gary. captain: CT. M. Logan, second
| lieutenant; Johnson Pettigrew, private.
On returning from Virginia, Lieut..
/ Tickling entered the Beaufort artillery
| aud thereafter was at Fort Sumpter
1 participating in many OF the cventtul
Incidents OF that time. On a beautiful
| drinking fountain, erected on the bat
4 terry In Charleston by the women Of
4 Charleston 10 the men, living and dead,
| who first used the torpedo boat in
| Charleston Harhor, and so in the world
| appears the name of Eldred s. Flick
| ling--of all those names he is the only
one living.
When the nameless confederate ram
! attempted to sink the union Ironsides
| in Charleston, Lieut. Fickling was III
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 a boy Mr.
| Cuthbcrt Of Beaufort told him that he
was the centre Tile of the old Beaufort
! artillery when that organization
| turned out in 1926 TO meet Lafayette.
| Mr.. Cutlbert was q feet l inch, and
| there We're seventy-four men of great
or height III the artillery, whose mem
bership was 800
Some big men lack courage. but that
fas never been charged in this case.
Fourth of July, 1881. Chief Of Police
| Tickling. armed with a baseball bat,
went to the rescue OF one OF his men,
being beaten to death by a mob Of
| drunken negroes. IIe did rescue him.
Then the negroes came ut him with
| knives drawn. The leaders were two
! giants: they were laid low when they
entered six-foot circle The others
| halted. and Il bloody riot was averted.
! Colunibians still talk of a wagon
| yard riot OF sixteen years ago, when
| white despcradoes swore they would
| not be arrested. and had punished
| half a dozen policemen before the ar
rival Of the chief He stalked in with
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 i'm peace