The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1902-04-23

loped up and tu!d him that The enemy
were close by in the p2rrcii"! streets.
a company OF them having come
through byruad that rad not been
pickctrd. a.;: lhat mere Were pchlna
them. The situation WAS critical. II
tlc enemy succeeded in Wcdging IN be-
tween the retrcating army and It's
cavalry. The rear guard, it would
entail disaster. The cavalry would
thus be cut oil from covering the re-
treat ard the bridge across the river
which it was essential to burn after
the crossing was completed, If left in
tact, would afford the Federals the
opportunity of swift pursuit. Not 4
moment was tO be lost. The cavalry
leader must be able to both think and
act with the rapidity OF L flash OF
lightning, and that Hampton did on
this occasion. He realized that an
ounce OF prevention is worth a pound
Of cure in war as We'll is in disease ana
that one mans services in the nick Of
time NAV be more valuable than that
OF 4 thousand 4 few minutes later. SO
calling 10 the scout and two members
Of his stat! to follow him and picking
up three privateS from Company N,
Fourth 5. c. c. 'Char;eSton Light
DragOons) and also one man said to
be from Wheeler'S command the
general dashed around the corner and
gave the order Charge. His seven
followers-there were no Others IN the
charge-obeyed with alacrity and all,
the general leading, flung themselves
upon the FederalS. who were drawn up
in the street. These fired vol.ey
with their carbines but by that time
the ConfederateS had struck them and
confused by the suddennesS of the at
attack, the fierce assaults aud the
powder smoke they did not realize the
small number Of their aSSailants. so
they tried to wheel about to run, but
among them were pistol balls at
close quarters, and the hack and thrust
Of sabreS. Less than a hundred yards
down the street was turn at right
angles to the left into the byroad by
which they had entered the town and
by which they were endeayoring now
to escape. Here they became jammed
together in confusion, all organization
lost and their purSuerS cut and thrust
like devils incarnate, as the fugatlveS
probably thought. Eleven EederalS
we're killed and u captured and the
rest, many of them wounded, fled in
wild panic carrying CONSERVATION to
their friends with excited tales of hun
dreds of men in bucbram, as the best
will do in such circumstances. The
only Confederate casualty was the kill
lag of a fine mare. Thus was the cross
inc of the river secured to the Con-
federateS. Hampton had grasped the
situation and solved the problem.
After the close of the war Gen.
Hampton resumed his cotton planting
operations but was not generally sue
cesSful. He spent good portion CT
bis time looking after his Mississippi
plantation and this gave rise to the
charge, made by his political enemies
some years later. that he was an alien.
Just here it may be well to tell how
it was that Gen. Hampton came to
head the movement that led to the re-
demption Of South Carolina from Radi-
cal rule.
In December, 1875, he came to the
distinguished South Carolinian who
was at the head of the white incipient
organization. He was then on his way
to Mississippi He asked what was
going to be done and asked specifically
could the people Of the State be arous-
ed to do anything. He was answered
yes that they had determined to
madea straightout fight and win or
die. He said, That is the only hope
for the State" He was then asked:
If we nominate you will you lead
the 6ght?" 'On that PLATFORM" he
answered, II will make the fight to a
finish, not for the Office but for the
principle" Gen. Hampton went on
to his Mississippi plantation and in
the meantime Col. Hoyt'S paper in
the up-country and few others began
to help the white leaders. The State
convention was called for May. but
Chamberlain'S t'uSiOniStS were so
strong that all that could be done was
to adjourn the convention without ac-
tiOn. The FuSionjStS c0ntended ii
that convention that Hampton was a
FusioniSt. Gen. Hampton came back
to South Carolina IN June and went to
his home in the Sandhills. When he
got back ne was in bad health and 1t
looked as if there was but little hope
for the State. He Was sent to the
mountains to GET his health back again
and the convention was postponed I'm
til August. Early in July he went to
Walhalla and OF in the mountains.
Early in August q letter was sent him
urging him to come TO Columbia and
be present in person at the convention.
He was of in the mountains hunting
but he got here the night before the
convention and the next day was on
the floor. After hard fight his NOM
ination was won and then men who
had been lighting the white leaders
all day came over that night. while
prevailed in Columbia.
Gen. Hampton returned to the noun
tains and opened the campaign at An
derson. The leader referred to above
stated yesterday that he had made the
greatest and grandest campaign ever
conducted He connected his fight
within the bounds Of perfect law and
order and on all occasions displayed
the wisdom Of a Solomon.
Friday was the anniversary Of the
day upon which Daniel II. Chamber
lain turned over to Wade Hampton