Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1900-03-23
HISTORIC ABBEVILLE.
South Carolina County Which Has
Had An Interesting Record.

Had An Interesting Record.
In the Baltimore Sun of recent
date is thearticle which follows, hav-
ing for its caption the above heading.
1t was to Abbesille that the father OF
the Editor of the CITIZEN FASTENED
from 1.-The Citadel" the military
school at Charleston, to attend the
first secession meeting, and it was
there few years later, that he acted
as one of President jefferson Davis
escort. In Abbesille, while the faith
er was serving as staff officer under
Beaureguard, this writer first saw the
light of day. Little wonder then
that the following should have riv-
eted his attention.
Editors Baltimore Sun:-South
Carolina has always been an inter-
esting figure in the galaxy of States;
erratic in her course she may some
times have appeared to the outside
observer, but notable always, and
shining with a distinguishable light
among her sisters. Fields rich wit b
material for the historian and the
novelist are everywhere to be found
within her borders, and the fancy of
the poet will some day delight
to cast the glamor of romance about
scenes and incidents worthy of the
pen of any writer.
In the history of the Palmetto
State it las fallen to the county of
Ab3eville to be conspicuous aud
important actor, and many of the
most interesting chapters in the
story have that county as back
ground. 1t was in the county of
Abbeville, the birthblace and home
of John Q. Calhoun, that the South
ern confederacy had both Its cradle
and its grave. The first ordinance
to the secession OF the State from
the Union and the formation of the
Southern Confederacy was adopted In
the county convention at Abbeville
Courthouse, aud there, too, within a
stones throw of Secession Hill, the
last formal meeting of the Confeder-
ate Cabinet was held, jefferson Da-
Wis being then on the retreat into
Georgia, where he was captured a
few days afterward.
Not only was Abbeyille county the
birth place of the Secessionists of the
South, but it is today, and has beer
for nearly three quarters of century,
the educational stronghold of the Sc.
ceders of the South, the name APP
piled to the Scotch or Psalm singing
Presbyterians of the Southern coun-
try, stock which largely settled the
Mecklenburg section of North Caro-
lima and asserted independence of
mother country in the famous Meek
lenburg declaration, nearly thirteen
months before the Declaration of In
dependence at Philadelphia in ire.
For the last fifty years fully ninety
per cent. of the ministers of that de-
nomination in the South have re-
ceived both their collegiate and the
illogical training at Due West, lit
tie college town in Ab5eville county,
devoted peculiarly to education and
pervaded in its private life by al
strictness very similar to that which
is said to have characterized the Cow
enanters of formor day, of whom
the Seceders are the religious descen-
dents in this country.
The constituency of the county,
early impressed with the qualities of
both the Scotch-Irish and the HUI
guenot, by whom the county was
originally settled, has ever been no.
ted for its intelligence and high mo-
rality. In 1914, Benjamin +. Perry,
of Greenville, S. c., afterward Gov
ernor of the State, in an address before
the students of Erskinc College, at
Due West, spoke by name of four
men then living, sors of Abbeville |
county, any one of whom, he said,
would shed luster on the annals of any |
State, namely, John q. Calhoun,
Langdon Cheves, George IcDuffie
and James L. Petigru.
"When we see such a cluster of |
great men," said Mr.. Perry, GALL |
spriaging from one county, we'll may |
that county claim to be the Athens |
of South Carolina" j. &. j.