Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1899-09-13
HE WAS A GOOD SOLDIER.
Some Remiscences Of Billy Whitaker, O.
the Fifth.

the Fifth.
Yorkville Cor. News and Courier.
William Whitaker was one of the
first to volunteer for the war for south
ern independence, and those who are
familiar with his record say there was
no better or braver than he in the 5th
South Carolina regiment, of which
Colonel Asbury Coward, superintend-
ent of the South Carolina Military
academy, was colonel.
"Billy" Whitaker survived the war
and is still living in this section. He
was only a private. Being without
education, he did not receive promo
tion, as many perhaps less deserving,
but better qualified by reason of pos
sessing those qualities essential to the
proper discharge of official duties did.
Notwithstanding the lack of educa.
tion and high social position, Whitaker
was recognized as a man with more
than the average amount of native
wit, and as result was favorite not
only with the rank and file of his i'm
mediate company, but with many OF
the commissioned officers in the regi-
ment, and furnished no end of amuse-
ment to his companions in arms by his
droll and pertinent replies to questions
propounded by them around the camp
fire, and his comments on occurrences
in camp, on the march and on current
events.
Since the surrender, and he was
present at Appomattox, he has devot-
ed a great deal of his time to relating
war experiences, rather than to the
more profitable and necessary occupa-
ton of accumulating and saving a
competency for old age, which is now
on him, and finds him unprepared to
enjoy that ease and comfort, which in
the minds of many who toll and save
is the one joy to be desired above all
others in this lite.
Billy Whitaker is without an in
come today and depends on his daily
labor for a livelihood, but notwith-
standing this fact is hapdier and better
satisfied with the world and himself
than is J. D. Rockefeller, George Van
derbilt or any of the Vanderbilt fami-
ly, or any of the other immensely
wealthy or moderately wealthy men
of the day, and as for Hetty Green it
is quite likely that she would gladly
exchange half her gold for Billy's con-
tentment if it were purchasable.
Your correspondent has gone fur
ther into details than the Importance
of the hero might ordinarily merit, but
his object is to place the reader in
position to appreciate a recent deliver
ance credited to this brave but hum
Bile defender of our beloved south.
The deliverance was brought about
in reply to question asked MIR. Whit
aker by a gentlemen living in bis
neigborhood, and who was only a
small boy during the war, and there
fore not participant. The question
was about as follows:
"Mr. Whitaker, what was the most
trying occasion you experienced du-
ring your four years service as a
member of the Fifth regiment, or in
other words, what was the most un-
comfortable position in which you were
placed ?"
"Wall, I reckon it was when our
fellows was lynn behind a ridge or
earthworks and the Yankee sharp
shooters was a poppin' away at US,
and their artillery was tryin' to
drap shells among us, and the whole
business was spilin' fer fracus, an
Colonel Coward would ride out in