The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1901-10-23
ROMANCE OF TWO ASMIas.
& Sword Returned to Its Owner Af.
Ter Many Years.

Cr1SoDer CT yCu[h VINO CommaaQeO
company CT tie 67th Norta Carolina.
TIE lnion soldier begged to keep his
sword, The request was courteously
refused as be was prisoner Of war and
could not keep arms or weapons upon
his person. The Confederate officer
pledged himself to return TIE sword if
both survived the war. That lledge
vas kept Friday. Il speaking OF tie
matter The State says:
Capt. J. K. P. Nsathsrry cf bis city,
was the Confederate officer wao gave
the pledge ard after 36 years he has
found the man to whom the blade be.
longed, Capt. Reuben Waterman cf
Meli]eo, Com
After the var Capt Nestherry made
jrquiry Of every msn from Connecticut
zht N he net, but be could bear moth
ng Of Cspt, Waterman. Last winter
Mr.. Auos Il Oborpe Of Waterbury,
Conn watch manufacturer, stopped
in Co!um5ia on his vay to Florida.
Being prominent Odd Fellow be was
at the u Getting OF the Palmetto Lodge.
Capt. NeatherrJ who is the grand mas
.tr for South Carolina, told MI. o..
5crre Of tie incident OF the battlefield
and Mr.. Osborne promised to Try to End
Capt. Waterman G. hisrelati7es.
Yesterday Capt. NestheTr3 received
latter from Mr.. O.bogne statirg that
Capt. Waterman is alive and we'll, aud
oVe,j,yed at the prospect Of the return
Of his battle blade.
Capt. Waterman is a member OF Mer.
ram post No. 8 OF the G. A R. ct
Me1iden, Com. Albert A. May, tie
commander Of that pest, in writing to
Mr. 0 borne said: 1t has been
thought advisable by some Of the msm
sers Of the post, if agre esble to you, to
have Cspt. Waterman receive the
sword in & public manner. Psrbaps We
can arral &, a meeting in our hall
where, surrounded by his friends, ne
can again receive tha. which was given
to him esrly in the War Of the Rsbei-
iioa." (Caps. N>asherry Riaced a.
ttst VOID The cspssin IS been in
formed OF the finding Of the sword
AID is more than delighted to think
that he c.n again lave it. Trusting
that very pLessat occasion may be
bad Of this matter, I an, etc. Tits
letter is a;tessed by Charles Brewer,
the adjataHt of the camp.
In Lis letter transmitting this, Mr..
Osbo7ne writes Capt Nsa:herry to
come up snd ioin IN the festivities.
Bowever, if Capt. Naatherry could not
20, Mr. U;borne would attend ior him
The G. A r. pest wanted photograph
Of Capt. Nesiherry. IL looking for oue
Of b,s best looking llkenesses, Capt.
Naa!hercy cane scios5 one in the uoi
fc1m OF Confederate soldier. TAst
sound, merry face Of youth Of l6 tor>
little rese bisnce to the tall, besrde9
usn Of 56-or thereabou'e, Che cspis'n
- too nice man to take advautsgs OF
By telling his exact sge.) Il would
ike to send that," said Capt Nessher-
ry, "iu, an afraid Caps. Waternan
mig 1t tee! badly to think that be had
surrendered to sush ycuib."
Cops j. K. 7, Nss:hery is the last
Of his Lame, and so far SIS he knows
me last CT his race. He is = nati7s #
eastern Norih Carolina. When child
ne was impressed because Of the Joba
5Eoan raids asd other cu,ragas
against tn south. At Tie outbr, ak Of
i:oS;ili.i:s he vas at the University OF
N;rth Carolina as s companion 10 az
elder hIo:her, Afterwards min 10
the Confederate amy. Lacking =evea
u.or,hs of being IS yesra cid, scarcely
abs 10 lift SnsIps's Iif tie lad
jyinsd the Eighth Nor,h Carolina, com.
nsaded bg Col. SbaR, and part Of
the brigade If the immortal Gan.
homas L Clingman. In 1868 Meath
Try vas transferred to an l. d pendent
bastslioD, which subsequently bsosne
the six ,--ev, n:h Nor.h Carolina. Here
ne was lieutenant and was
assigned to tie command of Company
D. Though never commissioned cap
tain he CON maroe6 the compsny until
lie close Of the war.
At the bloody battle Of Wiso's Fork
GEAR Kinstou, in March, 1865, the SIX
ty Seventh North Carolina was pitted
against the fifteenth Conrectieut, and
Capt. Waterman became the prisoner
OF Lieut.. Neatherry. Waterman begged
70 Aeep his sword. Nsatherry replied
shat he would be pleased to let him
Keep the sword, but as prisoner Wat
srmsn would be bereft of it sooner or
later, an6 it would be better for Meath.
s1ry to keep it and return it, a. he then
pledged himself to DO. They we're bojs
then, far past the prime of life nov,
and the return Of the blade after many
years is remarkable Incident. But
Cspt. Nea,he1ry is such ap ardentex
Confederate that he could not let him
self be carried aWsy by even such a
romantic af II and he surrelders the
sword without becoming q captive to
The 1ew sentiment which is forgetting
the traditions Of tie cid south IN the
gush over tie reunited ccuntry. In his
letter transmitting the sword there is
90 fulsome speech, but a sincere ez
preston Of personal regard. He says:
Calt. Reuben Waterman, Mericen,
Conn.
Sil: I take great pleasure in fulfill
ing promise made you on the battle
lie. IN 1865, that if survived the war
ana ecu d itad you l would return the
eword captured with you.
He blade b. n yer been disho1 ored
-tcu tncughG you were right, I knew
was. So u@cer elsher fsg it dIG hon
oraole service. ! now enIrust it to sou
s5 the fist owner, l-usting you wall
never have occasion TO deem it duty
10 again drawn i, against the soutt;
butt 8. SURF you hat shculd such be the
,ssz | will npaE YIN Eth one AZ good