Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1901-10-30
At PlCKENSVILLE MUSTER.
A Place Of Importance in the Halcyon Days
OF the Past.

"The Idlcr," a contributor to the
Spartanburg Journal, gives the fol-
lowing "Reminiscences of Old Pickens-
vile, which will be relished by our
readers
One old Southern institution, how
ever, has departed for always. The
changes of the manner of life, the
development of the country, the con-
centration of amusements and organ.
izations in the towns, large and small,
are the reasons for its going. That
was the muster. 1t is gone but not
it's memories. have heard the older
people talk of mustcrs and my Irish
blood has been raised by numerous
"reminiscences. l have heard old
men tell Of the great crowds, the gay
dress, the gorgeous drunks and the
glorious fights that used to be feat
ures of the gatherings at the general
muster grounds in the up-country.
The militia was the pride of the State
and it was thick with generals and
colonels and majors and there was
vast pride in these and the minor Of
tices, and the wearers of epaulets and
titles did strut pow'ful." Aftcr
the reviews-oftcn by the Governor
Tho fun would commence. The
neighborhood bullies would 20
against each other and "fst and
skull fights" cnsucd thick and fast.
1t was cowardly to use knife or
pistol and the man who did lost his
social standing. Brandy and honey
was the favorite beverage and the
result Of the mixture of that scduc-
tive draught with enthusiasm, July
sun and militant ambition is not
hard to imagine. Cider and ginger
cakes were the delight of the sober
element and great articles of trade.
There were mighty fighters in those
times and the stage-bouts 81 these
days besides a muster day scrap
would be dumb show of fools.
Horse trading, barbecucs, and dane
ing to the music of the fiddle played
by fiddler added to the charming
features of the day and sank them
deep in memory. The people who
did this were the sincw Of the coun.
try and they were simply a little
rougher and more enthusiastic in
their sports, than we, their dcscen-
dants, arc with ours.
One of the most famous of these
old muster grounds and gathering
places of all the tribes was Pickcns-
vile, which was a hundred or more
years ago the court house town of
the part Of the State now comprising
Anderson, Oconce, Pickens and parts
OF Grecnville and perhaps other
counties. Pickensvillc was a place of
Importance, and was perhaps the
woolllest point on the map. In fact
it came to be disrcputablo and finally
became little more than name and
memory with many odious features.
There were a number of killings there
in the first half Of the last century
and public hangings had an cnor
nous attendance; killing and hang
ing were associated in those days
before tho gentle cxpcdicnt of in
sanity and self defense came into
fashion. Horse thieves Jared badly.
There were some remarkable fights,
some being pitched battles between
renowned bullics. Drinking, gamb-
ling, horse racing, chicken fighting,
and other sports still in vogue, but
more quiet, were INDUCED in with
frontier carncstncss, and many stories
OF financial and moral ruin had their
beginning thcre--and the fast days
and furious nights are inwovcn in