The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-04-01
w. Gilmore simms Library.

In his paper of "reminiscences of "Sher-
mans March 10 the Sea- read before
Wisconsin Commandery, Military Order OF
the Loyal Legion, Judge f. H. Putney
told some good stories of that noted stra-
tegic movement, in which several Wis
consin regiments were engaged, says the
Milwaukee Sentinel The fact that he
was enabled to protect temporarily the
library of William Gilmore Simms from
destruction is an interesting one, although
the library subsequently shared the fate
of other venerable and historic South
Carolinian homes that had sheltered
Greene, or CORVALLIS, or Tarleton."
Judge Putney was a lieutenant in the
Twelfth Wisconsin Infantry during Sher-
mans march. He says:
Il was riding on ahead of the column
with another staff officer as our custom
was, for the purpose of getting to the
camping ground before nightfall so as to
look it over by daylight and be able to
guide the regiments TO their places, when
l noticed a plantation house near the road
with all its buildings unframed and its
dooryard free from squads of foragers.
sAs we came abreast of the place a gem
tleman of middle age and of good bear
ing came hastily out to the road and be-
sought me with most appealing looks and
words to give him a guard for his prop
erty. l answered briefly, and probably
coldly, that l had no guard to give him,
and that he would have to take his
chances Upon that he renewed his en-
treaties more urgently, and asked me who
was the general in command and where
he could find him. He added that he
was sure any general would protect his
library from destruction, at the same
time waving his hand toward a detached
one-storied frame building near the
IT.
twenty-five or more feet square, on a re-
mote plantation piqued my curiosity, and
l asked him his name
Every man who is old enough to re-
member the pleasures which, in the ff
ties, Richard Hurds' and Border Bea-
giles and their authors other stories gave
to reading boys, will understand what a
thrill of excitement and interest ran
through my veins as my interlocutor an
swered, with bow:
William Gilmore Simms, sir
"All my indifference vanished instantly,
and his hope rose perceptibly as | told
him of the joyful days and nights which
the creations of his pen had brought me
in my faraway Wisconsin home His
heroes had been as real to me in my
teens as are the great captains of the
Wilderness and Atlanta to the youth of
to-day and I told him that l owed him
debt of gratitude which l would be glad
to try to pay.
Very soon the head of the column
came up, and I went a once to Gen.
Ewing to report the reason of my delay
on the road and to intercede for Mr.. Simms
and his library. On learning whose place
it was and the nature of the owners re-
quest the General ordered guards to be
detailed and placed there, but to, remain
only until the brigade had passed, and
then report to their regiment. The Gen
eral then explained to Mr.. Simms that
he would have to seek like favor from
the next following brigade, and so on
until all had passed. Having done what
I could in return for the many happy
hours given some years before, babe Mr.
Simms goodby and rode rapidly on to
make up for the time | had waited there
I confess I did not feel very sanguine
that his books and buildings would es-
cape unscathed, and so when some years
after the war, I read that they were all
burned l was not surprised but I was
singuarly grieved that they were so I'M
fortunate as to be in the pathway of
war"