Evening star., 1901-12-25
WARTIME CHRISTMAS
GEMS. HAMPTON AND CAPERs TELL
INTERESTING STORIES.
Soldiers I'm q snow Battle-A Dinner
Of Turnfp Soup and Cold
Hominy.

A special dispatch TO the Baltimore Sun
from Columbia. s. c.. yesterday, saysi
Christmas this year will be especially
happy for Gen. Wade Hampton. whose
home is here: for during the year just end
ed there have been many manifestations OF
popular love and veneration for the soldier
statesman.
There was never any fighting on Christ
mas day during the civil war" said Gen.
Hampton. when asked for some reminie-
cences. ''It has been a long time ago. and
1 cannot remember much OF those Christ
mas times. We OF the army had other
things to occupy our attention. But Christ
mas was one day on which there was no
fighting. The men received messages ana
boxes from home. and camp life got an In
spiration on that day.
II remember that on one Christmas the
ground was covered with snow. The men
ranged themselves on sides like schoolboys
and tremendous battle ensued. For
long time the contest ragged. The lines
charged and were broken, formed again
and endeavored to execute strategic move
ments- Finally the sport became so ex-
citing and spirited that two men had
their arms broken and had to go into the
fight and declare a truce"
Gen. Capers Tells Reminfscences.
Bishop Ellison Capers. whose home is also
here and who rose to the rank OF brigadier
general In the civil war has not pleasant
recollections Of Christmas in war times
When asked for some "reminiscences the
head Of the Protestant Episcopal diocese
Of South Carolina said:
From the earliest colonial days in south
Georgia Christmas has been the time OF
family reunion and family fellowship; esps-
cially has this been the case In the low
country of the state. At the old planta-
ton homes 1t was common for three and
often four generations to meet at Christ
mas. But the civil war put end to all
this.
After the first battle Of Manassas OPEN
ed the great drama there were no young
men left to greet their parents and grand
parents at Christmas at the old home
Mothers. sisters and wives were too busy
making comforts for the soldiers in the
held TO enter into the Joyous festivities OF
the great holiday.
II doubt IL any family in the south en-
Joyed real Christmas reunion during the
war The Christmas Of 1890 was too full
OF uncertainty and intense excitement to
be enjoyed as happy family festival. All
succeeding wartime Christmases were too
full Of sorrow for the dead and sadness
and anxiety for the living to be days OF
joy and family happiness.
Turnip Soup and Hominy.
While an officer of the confederate army
L never spent Christmas at home during
the war. The Christmas Of 1851 was spent
on a scout on Seabrook's Island locating
the exact position of a federal gunboat In
the mouth of the North Edisto river, with
view to an attack upon her early on the
morning Of the 26th. II was late on the
afternoon OF Christmas before I crossed
from Seabrook's to Johns Island and re-
call distinctly contrasting my hunger OF
that afternoon and my dinner with the
feasting and the Joy OF other days.
Passing the cabin Of an old negro on the
Ms rtpt tfav, af Nv I-o ~ 4
stopped ndsasked the old NANNY who
was seated in her door smoking her pipe,
If she could not give me something to eat
She promptly replied that she had nothing
but some turnip soup and cold hominy, but
that was not 'fitten for you, mossa an Q
Cris-mass, too i dismounted and, handing
the good old nanny a quarter, ate her
turnip soup and cold hominy with q relish
that can never forget
Southern Homes Were Anxious.
Meanwhile what of the family at homer
The old folks were there. but there was
no merry-making. The men Of middle age
and the young men were all in Virginia, or
on the coast, or in the army OF the west.
and the thought of the old home was with
them. From every such home the Christ
mas box had been filed to overhowing
and had gone to the front. The arrival OF
the daily paper from Charleston was q
matter Of more intense interest than any
thing else, and IL the news was Of ap-
preaching battle the husbands and sons
were commended to the God OF their pa
triot fathers with the confidence of a GER
tain faith in His protecting providence.
Later in the war when the resources
of the south were taxed to the utmost to
maintain our men in the field and when
from every home one or more was missed.
never again to meet at Christmas time
with those who mourned them, there was
a pathos in the Christmas gathering that
made 1t more a quiet, loving commemora-
tion OF the heroes OF the home than a
great festival of happiness and JOY.
The Christmas of 1864 In South Caro-
line was a day of solemn commemoretion
for the dead and anxious prayer for the
living Little children, light hearted ana
free from care. were happy, but their ell
ders were contemplating the destruction
of their homes and the ruin Of their state
The devastating march Of Sherman through
Georgia had prepared the people of South
Carolina to look for like fate. Without
an adequate force to oppose his army the
Christmas that was before them was to
be a day of their bitterest trial. Never be-
FORE nor since. was there such Christ
mas In our old state. The old homes In
the low country were deserted, and the
torches that We're to fire them were being
lighted by thousands OF willing hands"