The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1903-09-30

company of about 100 Of the bes.
young men of the County were band.
ed together under the name of the
Palmetto Sabre Club. The organiza-
ton was perfected in 1870 and was
commanded by Capt W. T. Gary un.
til he caple to Richmond County in
1873.
In less than six months after the
Organization there had been \ big
tournament in which the men had
ridden fine horses aud caught rings on
the end Of the sabre from pole;
chopped the head off dummy men had
some cavalry drill and such like sport.
GOT THEMSELVES GUNS.
While the company was allowed to
organize by the governor on the un-
derstandipg that the organization was
to be sabre club it soon became rec
ognized throughout the State as o
band for the protection of the white
people by the white people of the
| County, and in few months every
maH il the company, as individuals
and not as a company, secured repeat
ing rifles and kept them handy.
The Palmetto Sabre Club at that
time was the only organization of the
kind in the State and was naturally
the envy of every white man in every
other County, and as it became more
generally whispered around through
the State tha. they were organized
really for the protection against the
negroes a longing for such an organi-
cation in other parts of the State jn-
creased.
In 1871 the fair association of Co.
lumbia sent an official invitation to
the Palmetto Sabre Club to attend
the fair and put on tournament. 1t
was only about so miles from Edge
field through to Columbia, perhaps a
little more, and the company decided
to accept the invitation and ride
through to the fair, which they did.
HooTED BY NEGROES.
As matter of fact the negroes did
not look with very much favor on the
club and when they arrived in Co.
lumbia and started to ride through
the streets to the fair grounds, going
through the heart of the city, they
were followed by mob of negroes of
every size imaginable under Is years
of age and jeered and hooted at.
Upon arrival at the fair grounds
they were received in military style
by the members of the fair committee.
A stand had been erected and the
company drawn up in company front
about 20 feet away from the stand to
hear the speeches. When the speak
ing started a crowd Of perhaps 200 me-
groes Z. pushed i themselves into the
opening between the stand and the
line of cayalry. Capt. Gary called
the attention Of the president of the
fair association to this and said his.
men could not possibly hear the
speaking, asking that they clear the
front. The marshals and police
were at that time nearly ali negroes
and the reply was that the president
had no way to clear the space of the
negroes, but asked Capt. Gary if he
could clear it.s. Capt. Gary replied
that if he were given specific orders to
clear that strip of ground he would
make mighty effort to do SO, and
the order was given by the president.
WITH DRAWN sABREs.
Turning to the orderly sergeant of
the company, Mr.. Stephen B. Hughes,
now merchant at Trenton, the cap
tain ordered him to throw four files
across the end Of the line facing down
the line. When this was done the
captain spurred his horse to the front
Of the men in this position and gave
the order:
Drew sabres; forward, march |"
In this way the negroes were forced
from between the speakers stand and
the cavalry company at the points OF
sabres furnished by their own politi-
cal power.
The following day after the fair au-
tthories came TO the captain Of the
cavalry company and told him shey
were 81 experiencing . great deal of trou:
bic and annoyance over at the race
track; that the negroes were interfer-
ing with the grand stand so much
the races could not be run. unless
something was done and wanted to
know if the company would not 60
over and handle the situation. The
explanation was mads that the me-
ygross had crowded into the quarter