The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1901-05-02

lSn gentleman Is HOL " De IO- A-Su AZ
The backwoods.
Concerning the civil war he says:
The Shareholders escaped military
service and thrust the poor people uE-
der FIRE Guards impre5: ed men II
the streets and cons,riDts were sent
to Lees army in chains. At the tax
ing of Fort Pillow the negroes were
nailed to logs and burned alive. The
southern lady wGs bat tine hsad OF a
hareni. She was scft, elegant and
charming. but the civil war disclosed
an element in her character Of a dif-
ferent kind"
This is enough of the scandaous and
slanderous book and it is only popu-
lar at the north because Of its Wills
cation of the south. He fatters New
England and the Puri:ans and gives
praise to Benedict Arnold. who was
bern in Connecticut and more to old
John Brown than to General Lee.
These are the kind Of books that
northern children read and study and
believe. How can that section ever be
reconciled? And yet there are people
at the south who condemn us for de-
Tending the honor Of our ancestors and
OF it as "ex-confederate rot" Lord
Macauley said: A people who take
no pride in the achievements OF their
ancestors will achieve nothing for
their own children to be proud Of.
Some of our most gifted men are Sill
toadying to please northern appa-
tites. licking the hand that strikes
the blow" Of all such a patriotic
northern writer says beware OF t9e
chronic reconciler," the man who I'M
proves every opportunity to haul oIt
his faded Olive branch and waive 1t n
the eyes CT the people. When any
man, north or south, talks in mellow
way of his love for his old enemy,
watch him. He is getting ready 70
ask for something. Watch him. 1Ae;3
is something pathetic in the picture CT
the north and south clasped IN each
others arms and shedding torrent OF
hot tears down each others backs, bIs
the aged mothers on either side have
not yet learned to love the foe with
much violence. Nor does the crippled
veteran love the adversary who ROD
bed him Of his glorious youth and LETT
him a feeble ruin, nor have the pa
triot soldiers on either side deserted
the cause for which they fought.
But think of Virginia-the glorious
Old Dominion-the mother OF statsS
and statesmen. Her domain extended
from Carolina to Canada and from the
Atlantic to the Pacific oceans. Born
upon her generous bosom was Was1-
1ngton, Jefferson. Madison, Monroe,
Lighthouse. Harry, Robert E. Lee, Jce
E. Johnston and Stonewall Jackson.
Who would not be proud to be Vir-
ginian? Who can wonder at the pa
triotic pride ot those two veneraO
sisters. Miss Judith and Miss Anna
Thomas. of Southampton county, now
passed their eightieth year, the only
sisters OF General George H. Thomas,
and who, ev<r since 1861, when he ac-
cepted Office under Lincoln, have uni
formly declared that they once had
brave aud noble brother OF that name
and that he won renown in the war
with Mexico when he was a major in
Colonel Robert. E Lees regiment. but
that he died in 1861 and now th"y
have no brother. Ever since Virginia
seeded they have pathet!cally de-
clared their dear brother died in the
spring of 1851. Every Virginia Off 'er
Of the old army, save George Il
Thomas, promptly re igned and valun-
teered to defend their state. These
lonely old maidens seem really to be-
lieve that their brother did die. TIE
county CT Southampton had presented
to Major Thomas on his return frc:n
Mexico a beautiful sword and after
our civil war he wrote to his sisters
and requested that the sword Ee seat
to him. They replied that they could
not part with it, for it was the only
memento of very dear brother VINO
died in 1861. They still live alone and
in poverty in the same old mansion in
which they were bron, but neither
friend nor neighbor ever presumes to
mention General Thomas in their
presence. These venerable and VEN
Grated ladies are but type Of the O d,
Virginia aristocracy. Well, may they
be proud Of their state and their an
cestry.-Bill Arp in Atlanta Constitu-
ton.
P. S.-I do not know Colonel Gus
sons nor the price Of his little book.
nor have any interest in advertising
it, but | do wish that every veteran
and every veterans son had it, His
address is Glen Allen, Va, and he is
the publisher. l suppose that 81 will
buy it postpaid. B. A.