Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1901-08-21
WALHALLA, 8. c.:
A NOBLE LETTER
From Northern Man Who Was Member oil
the Yankee Garrison Here.
Henderson Daily Mail, August 10

[Anderson Daily Mail, August 10.]
Through the courtesy of Mr.. j. A.
Brook The Daily Mail publishes the sub
joined letter from Mr.. II. A. johnson, of
Worcester, Massachusetts, who was a
Lieutenant and Post Adjutant in the gar.
rison hero just after the war, and who
made the acquaintance of Mr.. Henry A.
Of the garrison here. There is a little
bit Of romance connected with the origin
Of that friendship. While he was oon-
fined as prisoner Mr.. Shanklin's affi-
anced, who was then Miss Virginia Ro-
binson and afterwards his wifo, visited
at her sistor's, Mrs. r. f. Moore's, on
Groenville street. Mr.. Shanklin was
anxious to call on her, and knowing that
Lieutenant johnson was a Mason, ho
to call on hor he would pledge himself
as n Master Mason to return in two hours.
Tho pledge was accepted and redeemed
and their friendship began. Tho senti-
ments contained in this lettor are noblo
and beautiful and breathe the spirit of a
Christian
Worcester, Mass, August 3, 1901.
Friend Brock: Yours with obituary
notice of tho death OF our old friend,
Henry Shanklin, received, and, like You
felt it a personal loss, although many
long years have separated him and me,
yet it will take many moro to make
either of us forget his sterling worth, for
he was ono of naturo's noblemcn, if
thore was ono. No matter if ho had
lived almost the allotted age Of man it is
a loss TO bo regretted by those ho leaves
behind for his example living was worth
much to his community and State. Truly
it is sad to know such mon arc to DO with
us but short timc longer, and the great
est compliment and record ho leaves be-
hind him is his scrvico for the Confede-
rate States, where he was willing to risk
his all for what he thought right. Wore
III position whore l was called upon
to employ mon from the South tho first
recommendations would be, was tho APP
plicant a soldier wearing tho gray during
the civil war, for that, all other things
boing equal, would be proof at once that
ho was man you could trust and who
had tho courage of his convictions. Tho
saddcst thing in my present life is to
read daily of some Confederate or Union
soldier answering their last roll call, for
God knows they were a lot of mon that
any nation may be proud of.
Havo you read Winston Churchilps
last work, "The Crisis?" 1t treats of
the time when you and wore not as
good friends as to-day, but it describes
80 we'll the situation South where fami-
lies and friends had to decide this great
question when it cost something. If
you have not, it would be doing mo all
honor to send you a copy for tho younger
members of your family to lot them
know, If they do not, the kind of material
the South was made of and what it cost
to have an opinion and live up to it, oven
If it cost sacrifice for four long years
My dear old comradc, God knows 1
wish it had bcon possible for both our
sections to have been victorious with
honor to all and prosperity for our ma
tion, and while l and you know the
South is hundred times better of in
the way the strife was decided, yet
could your people have been spared the
humiliation of defeat after their heroic,
manly, brave and honorable struggle
against odds that no human being stu
atot as you were could have prevented
or overcome, no man with heart in
his body, certainly no Union soldier but
what would have asked it might have
been possible for sacrifices like yours
should have had their reward as YOU
then deserved, yet, dear friend, thorc was
q Providence in the way the Uatter was
decided, as much for tho South as for us
here.
Pardon this looking backward almost
older grow tho more am forced to ap-
preciatc your sntfcripgs, and not a com
plant from your half dressed and at
times poorly fed veterans. You always
appeared on the firing line with cheer
ful face and dry powder in your muskets,
bat With lean havcrsack by your side,
yot you ate enough to fight well and
your ycll was enough at times to send
chill down my spno, and not alone, |
fear, if the truth were told.
You arc too busy man to use your
time in reading my impressions of those
far,,gono days, but love my country so
well that no section has an exception,
and cannot forget honest efforts whc-
ther or somc one else thinks it right
or wrong
Yours faithfully,
III. a. johnson.