The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1900-05-03
What a Staff Correspondent Of The
Herald Saw and Heard Along the
County's HIGHWAYS and Byways.

patriotic that they bring tears to my eyes
as l stand leaning over the iron paling
which surrounds the holy spot and with
dimmed eyes read this inscription, On the
modest stone that marks the last resting
place of those gallant heroes who fought
the good fight" and died, stubbornly bat
Ting the foe, with their set, white faces
turned detiantly toward the serried ranks
of Sherman's victorious cohorts:
In memory of the
CONFEDERATE DEAD,
Who fell in battle at Rivers Bridge,
February 4th, 1863.
"Soldiers rest, your warfare DER,
Sleep the sleep that knows no breaking,
Dream of battletields no more,
Days of danger, nights Of waking
Twas here on Thursday last when the
annual exercises of tribute to the memo.
ry of the dead was paid lovingly and rev.
erently by upwards of two thousand peo-
pie. listened to the singing, heard Col.
Bob" Aldrich's statistical resume of the
gallant part the Confederate soldier took
in the war that followed secession, and
applauded the splendid tribute
paid to Southern women in that war by
that talented and progressive representa-
tive of Southern womanhood, Mrs. Vir-
ginia D. Young. I met here many OF
those who took part in that splendid
old and gray they are be:
coming, how dim of eye, how feeble OF
body! In few years they also will be
laid to rest in the sacred soil they fought
to defend, and the time will come, and
that not long hence when, of all the great
army who wore the gray there will not
remain single individual who took part
in the struggle, and can speak of it as a
portion of his own experience-tell Of the
fights and trays, skirmishes and ambush
ments, retreats and advances, as seen
with his own eyes: The great conflict
will have passed into history and that
history can only be truthfully written by
those who come after US, unless we leave
to them as sacred heritage accurate and
sufficient data upon which to base their
estimates and deductions. And this
suggests to me matter that in
tended to present to the members OF the
Association on Memorial Day, but forgot,
which was: The advisability of select
ing competent historian to gather up
the flotsam and jetsam of the Rivers
Bridge battle, and having arranged his
web and woof, weave it into i coherent
and sequent history of the only import
ant battle that took place. in Bamberg
county during the four years struggle.
The Association, as understand it, will
not meet again until just before next Me
mortal Day, when formal action in a
matter so important could be taken, but
I trust that there is some authority which
will admit of the appointment Of histo-
rian before that time As / stated in my
last letter the actual participants in the
battle and those who saw its aftermath
are fast sinking into the "sere and yellow
state of life, and no time should be LOST
in getting the history of the battle and
the true history of the Association into
coherent shape:- Can't historian be put
at work upon the material already in
hand and afterwards to be gathered to-
gether, at once? I refer the matter to
President Mcmillan and Secretary Jenny
for an answer.
think it was the unanimous verdict OF
the many who took part in the memorial
exercises that they spent a splendid day
The weather was superb, the provendcl
was abundant, and there were so many
pretty girls to be seen that it dazzled
ones eyes. The politician, hungry fol
office" was there also-a perfect army OF
him. Four counties were represented
Bamberg, Barnwell, Colleton and Hamp'
ton, and met one solitary representative
from Aiken. They shook your hands
until your arms ached. Speaking o. the
politicians naturally inclines ones
thoughts to politics, and this reminds me
that gentleman-a sensible, level-headed
planter. a man of means and influence
who is not politician and never was and
never will be candidate for office, but
who, nevertheless, desires that we have
good rulers, explained to me in nut
shell the political situation in Bambere
county. Said he:
1--WE have multitude OF candidates fol
the county offices, and it is safe to say
that good men will be chosen for the va
rious positions. The candidates for leg
islative positions, however, will have te
face the people with well-grounded con
victions on certain subjects. Those who
can stand the test will BE elected, and yor
mark my word for it. The county offices
are simply executive or administrative
positions, and honesty, sobriety and tht
nece sary business qualifications for th'
POSITIONS are the requisites that will vii
for the man possessed of them. Our 1egis
lators, however, can do us great good,
great evil, or nothing at all. The people
know this, and they know:what they wan
and want badly. Two questions are para
mount in the public mind at the presen
time-good roads and better schools
The desire for these two important ad
juncts to better and more perfect civil
zation has become universal"
NV informant hesitated for momen,
and then with a shrewd smile, continued
The people will put the aspirants 10
legislative positions through severe cat
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