The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1903-10-14
SOME ANCIENT HISTORY.
A Strange Burial at the waxhaws.


b IN. CD News and Observer.
further north with his wife and two
ohildren, and settled in the unbroken
forest on Twelve-Mile creek, in what
ls now Union county, 10 miles from
Monroe, the county seat of Union.
end eight miles from the Wsshaw
settlement. There is no evidence on
record that he ever purchased this
land. Anyway, he built g rude log
house, cleared small patch and raised
MS afst crop. But bis end was resr i,
and in February of the second year he
died, leaving Mrs. jackson with two
yonng sons, and ready to give birth to
the third; and in her loneliness and
helplessness, she turned to her
brothers-in.law, the Crawfords, for
assistance. The friends and relations
from Waxhaw came, took the corose
in hand and prepared it for the final
ceremonies. The Irish wake Miss
Edgeworth characterized as ga mid
night meeting held professedly for the
| Indulgence of holy sorrows, but usu-
ally converted into orgies of unholy
JOY" Tradition has doubtless mag.
! nised the true report Of this less v;g:!
over the remains Of Andrew Jaoksen,
Sr., and as it - handed down from
generation to generation IS an heir
loom held in fee simple, and entailed
from generation to generation, it will
continue doubtless to gather in de.
tails. The Oldest inhabitant is r.w
the authority to whom all are referred,
and he very religiously quotes Reese
Massey, who died few years ago.
The tradition, as it is told, runs as
follows:
When the friends and relas;cns
from Waxhaw reached the little home
OF the JaokIou fsa;ly, after much
lamentaticn over the deceased, they
prepared the body for burial. Then
the compap> was regaled with good
cheer, Q. which whiskey formed q
very important part, while they re-
counted the many excellent qualities
OF the deceased, aud the night termi-
mated in noisy and almost riotous
demonstration. The oldest inhabi-
tant says that Reese Massey said the
corpse came In for his share of the
refreshments, as the warming ;nAu-
ence of the spirits converted lamenta-
tions into revelry. When morning
ap1na5ed preparations were made for
the htsle journey back to the Wax-
haS church. There were no roads
through the deep forest, and no wae-
ons or carts upon which to carry the
body. A rough, wooden sled was
made just wide enough for the corpse.
q horse was harnessed TO one end. and
the funeral procession started down
to Waxhaw. The journey was long
and tiresome. The rough sled was
dragged along through undssbrush,
between saplings, over ravines, along
the hillside. When about four miles
OF the journey was covered, the pro.
0e5siou Same 20 halt, and refresh
ments were served. Reese, Massey
knew where they halted. Here the
spirits we're revived, some imbibed too
freely and in tEis condition the pro.
cession started again. Soon thew
came to Waxhaw creek, It was neces.
sary 9er che driver to go up the stream
q short distance win she corpse in
order to find q suitable forG;og place.
and again the procession halted and
proceeded to fll up. Reese Massey
could locate this very spot on the
banks Of Waxhaw creek.
The funeral party was by this time
in . very hilarious humor, and as soon
as they heard the voice OF Pat, the
driver, hallooing up che creek an
;nouncing that he had crossed, they
started on in advance ready for q
frolic or fGht. 10 the meantime the
driver, thinking less Of the corpse and
more as to whether the procession,
would leave him alone in the gloomy,
ghost.ridden forest. spurred his horse; !
along as fasf as he could to oyertake
the party. Presently one 81 the
party, looking back, noticed the sled
;bsancing $. aud down ii ! vsry.light
way, rocking frst one way then an
Other. Hs waved the driver down,
oaationing him in; the language 81 an
intoxioated mourner e have 4 sare. I i
Then Pat stopped short Oh. Horror .1o Z 81
! horrors I be had stthe body. Resse
Massey heard this from Pat ,.esher-) J
Tn HI arfsss an, 4 !, 81. :. "a t s2