The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1902-07-09
The Fourth OF July al Ps,zsr.

nos'ced ell that was going on, we cannot
Xoi Wo; oe oeterred from saying word abont
feIzer and its Fourth or Jnlv.
The entertain ment for the mes,os
tue best the writer ever attandad~ths~r
the pest with the least trouble snIi Tis'
turbance. and with an uniuuenass thst
would make the shades OF Washinpton
H;enosaou, anu later, Davis aud Lee, turn
they could not attend the heat of tba ra
triOtic fracas. o pa
We have never seen such f,reworka
such an abundance Of the genuine Lind
nor, eaw fireworks, with all legal and
deadly intents and purposes, do The de-.
stroying vengeance which these % did H et
Pelzer: The way the sham battle terror.
lied the Yankees, the way their b)ne
coats III out from the smoke and IRE OF
the gray, and landed, all who did not fall
or enter capture, far. as we supposed, on
the other side Of Bull Run, with their
faces turned from Manassas, was an in
spiration 70 the Southern young idea who
is learning to shoot.
We, the women, unlike the soldier wo.
men Of the old days who rocked the
cradle or read the blood stained letters In
their quiet cabius-we, the women of
the United States Of 1902, took our posi-.
tion upon the battlefield forming a side
battalion on the grand stand, ready to
cheer the victore, which, as in the old
Manassas, were our own, ready with our
chiefs AZ flags of truce or bandages, to
arrive from our reserve position to the
thick OF the fight; we were ready bnt
were not called upon, and expended our
barbarlc force In the inhuman wish that
the fight would last longer, or that the
Johnpies would do 1t again. We never
even quailed when within hundred
| yards of the canuons mouth-to the side
where the Rev. Bussy, or Mr. Wood
side, or both, or under their command,
the mohstrous throat Of the cannon was
stuffed with waste from the mills and
Anderson Intelllgencers and Greenville
Newses, gun powder and lucifer matches
and was pounded with a ramrod that
looked like pile driver down to its
iarynx, we never even quailed, and
~nen the mammoth ontburrt shot forth
from that cannon we held our breath Just
moment, stood with our ''arms' and
under our mufiied breath cried-pow let
them have 1t!
We need not tell the Intelligencer; for 1T
was there, how many thousands were
many around the vicinity OF Anderson
city, Tor number OF them were there,
and we know personally that they read
the !ntelligencer, and number Of our
people at Piedmont were there, and
crowds from Greenville and Greenwood
and belton were there as quickly az the
locomotives could puff them in; but we
90 tell everybod who could not come, and
VITO won't forgive themselves until next
Fourth, that thousands and thousands
were there, only, we were too busy look
ing at the pretty hats and handsome men
and gallant soldiers and thinking Of the
barbecue OF everything that stood on four
ieet and wss good to eat, supplied by the
Peizer Co. for the old aoldiera-our sol.
diers-to think OF enumerating people
whose number would run into Ave hg-
ures.
Our soldiers say they feasted like
Nero In his aromatic groves Some of
them said they remembered an old friend
In the '60's who, after the war, dined
sumptuouSly with friends. Having Jared
TO the last crumb Of his capacity and still
seeing more on the table became out
said, to see anything left and would try
| still another last crumb. The soldiers OF
the Pelzer Fourth might feel this way Z
deierence to the old starvation days; but
still the accumulations on the tables
would not down before the devouring
element Of crumbs or basketfuls, and
huge joints entire were compelled to be
carried away. Another feeling OF moro
aeathetic nature pervaded their spirits-
that they were, bv themselves, altogether
and alone, the only "old soldiors" under
the big trees that day at Pelzer. There
were no brethren, nor sisters, nor sons,
nor daughters OF this or that com iIiin-
gled with them to mar the toy of their
true old time fellowship. Those gray
boards know that the mustacbes Of brown
and yellow cannot feel the scars In their
hearts, the wounds in their bodies, the
lameness Of their wooden crutches, ard
the numbness of their empty sleeves; 30
| when the call to banquet or arms Ia given
"old soldiers" they want to know that
the reunion means "Them."
The old fellows marched through the
streets OF Pelzer, and we have seen some
Of them that looked younger after
the march. so great is the reiuvenatipg
power CT patriotism. They said tie day
| was hot and the dust dry, but my! how
| glowing they we're in the cheek, how
bright In the eye and light in step, and
we don't believe, efter all. that should q
war in the same principle occur again to-
morrow, that they would stay in the
house or complain OF Rheumatism or
crutohes. We don't, someway, believe
that the war is foughr-but that It is yet
to be fought and won-and we believe
that the classification In their hearts ig
the chief glow Of youth and prop OF
strength which brlghtsns and upholds
them for some future mystical, unlined,
but, In faith realized day when righteous
meas shall c0ver the earth a8 the waters
cover the sea.
We had left our own Piedmont inst
that our OVID In family might be with
the old soldiers, but great as was the
attraction OF tho Fourth's celebration at
Fled dmone. we are not sorry that we were
with the Fourth at Pelzer. In Piedmont
we were once informed that to COLLECT
crowd there, we must call and entertain
the children. Well, land, the Sunny
eoufh b, who can compel the attention and
admiration Of gatherings Of people by the
Innocence Of children and patriotism Of
men cannot be such a bad land, after all,
ana must In time ascend to its own height
OF meritorlous distinction. We know
that the South does not feel oppressed.
but 1t feals poor and proud end it is best
70 be that way rather than overbearing
under mastery Of some iniquitous con-
quest which 1t never would have nor
will desire.
We thank our friends In Pelzer for the
entertainment OF their Piedmont guests.
and wish them many happy "Fourths.''
r. r. Lee
Notice.