The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1903-02-04

tons, but the exceptions proved III,
rule.
Gen. Hampton was a notable exam
pie Of the kindly master, always sole
ltous Tor the welfare and we'll being oil
his slaves, who manifested their an
probation by their affcctionatc regarc
for him. The negroes were happy
and contcntcd under his mild ano
temperate governmcnt-an ideal status
Tor them IN their then condition. l,
was q cruel wrong and crime for Ole
and New England to wrcst them by
force from the savage freedom Of Their
Wild habitats in Africa; it was fortu.
nate for these victims Of a~varicc aud
cruelty hat they were sold into slave.
ry TO humane Southern masters. who
did so much TO alnclioratc their con
dition and lead them in paths towards
enlightenment aud civilization. While
this class If Southern slave owners
OF which Gen. Hampton vas such a
conspicuous and illustrious. exponent.
held the rein, OF public AaHairs. no
scandal ever cast its balcful shadow
over their official lives or poisoned the
polltica! atmosphere with It's nox;ous
vapors. Their rule Of conduct in dis
GUESSING public questions was to en-
i!oy reason aud argument and %intclli-
gcncc and never to descend TO the
tricks Of the petty Icmagogue By ap.
pcal;ng to passion and prejudice, or
SOIL their political crminc by personal
traduccmcnt aud vitupcration.
1t would be Improbable. ucrhaps
inappropriate, to speculate now what
effect their absence from participation
III State and National affairs will have
on the fate Of our constitutional and
popular institutions. 1t is sufficient
to say they hcwcd closely to the lines
laid down by the Fathers in the con.
struction and administration Of the
best system Of humane Government
ever Devised by man.
The preservation Of the reserved
rights OF the States and Of the peoplc.
and cordial, liberal support of the
Federal Government, when acting
within the sphere Of its constitutional
power and jurisdiction, were the guild
ing stars III their political ornament,
from which th.;r course never dcvia-
ted.
1t will be impossible within the
proper limits of an address like this
and on such an occasion to give more
than Il meagrc outline Of Gen. Hamp-
tons brilliant military career.
When the war was on between the
Confederate States for their indcpcn-
dence and the remaining States OF the
Fedora Union and almost the entire
civilized world he applied to the Gov
ernor of South Carolina, +. w. Pick
ems, for authority to raise a mixed
command. The authority was given
and the Hampton Legion, composed Of
eight companies of infantry, four of
cavalry and one battery, afterwards
Increased to two, of horse artillery,
was the result. It may be we'll to note
in passing that ~ IF this command
there were two Lieutenant generals,
one major general and three brigadier
generals commissioned in the Confed.
crate armies.
Tbs Legion, or the major portion OF
it, was assembled in June, 1861, about
three miles east of Columbia, on the
road leading to 'Milwood," the home
of the Hamptons. Gen. (then Col
onel) Hampton assumed command and
here it learned it's preliminary lessons
for the long, perilous and splendid
career ahead of it. How family did
those incompatible soldiers then real
ize what was in store for them.
During tho month Of July the Lee
gion was moved to Virginia and halted
for a time in Richmond and vicinity.
The infantry portion reached Manas-
sas in time to participate in that
memorable battle, aud played a CON
spicuons part in defeating the Federal
army under Mcdowell and putting it
to fight to Washington. Col. Hamp-
ton was severely, but not dangerously,
wounded in the hip by a bucksho:,
doubtless from the explosion Of a
s%hrapnel shell-a wound from which
he never entirely recovered.
After the turmoil and excitement
created by the first battle Of Manassas
had subsidized the respective armies
settled down behind their entrench-
ments, awaiting another move on the
chess board Of war.
Col. Hampton moved the Legion to
BACON Race Church ahou, tuaptu