The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1903-03-26
The Old North State and Her War
Governor.


ence was made in previous communlca-
ton to Ex-Governor Zebulon B. Vance
who was born near Asheville in 1880. 1t
is said in his younger days though not a
worldian, it was his besetting sin to have
fun in any vocation he might be engaged.
He went out with the lamented State
Geologist, Dr. Mitchell, on geological
survey in the mountains of Western
North Carolina and coming on ruined
mill house he said with some gravity
Doctor, do you think that old mill house
is worth DAM"
In May 1861 he raised the second COM
pany in the Western part of the State
and in the fall of the same year was elect
ed to the coloneley of the 26th North Caro-
lima regiment, which he commanded until
August 1862, when he was elected Cover
nor, in which position he said he felt sure
he could be of more service to his great
old State than being in the army and the
subsequent facts proved it so. "Tis said
Vance's 26th regiment, commanded at
Gettysburg by Col. Harry Burgwyn, who
was killed there, suffered the greatest loss
in battle ever recorded in history. One
company was entirely annihilated, an
other had Lieutenant left, and others
came out with only three and four sur
vivors.
He was undoubtedly the greatest war
governor, not excepting Governor Joe
Brown of Georgia. In an address to the
MARYLAND Line after the war he stated
he had several blockade running steamers,
one the "Advance," making II or IA
voyages across the big Pond" and the
Others occasional trips to Nassau and
Bermuda These steamers came laden
with articles much needed, such as cotton
cards, scythes, 250,0O0 pairs shoes, 25o,Ooo
uniforms, $4,000 overcoats, rifles, ammunl-
ton, bacon, flour, coffee and medicines.
He turned over large quantity of CLOTH
ing to the Confederate government.
"North Carolina put more soldiers In the
field during the war according to the
Confederate records than any other
Southern State and kept them better shod,
clothed and supplied than any others"
Tennessee had a greater number OF regl-
ments-154-c Is, 900 or l2O, 600
men, but North Carolina had 124, 900 Of
all arms Her troops were, "The first at
Big Bethel, the farthest to the front at
Gettysburg and Chickamauga, and the
last at Appomattox." What a record
When President Davis bid Governor
Vance farewell near Greensboro, he
shook lis hand warmly, saying "God
bless you and the noble old State of North
Carolina"
A battalion of seventeen years old
South Carolina Junior Reserves retreated
ahead of Sherman into North Carolina.
After Johnson's surrender quite number
of these embryo soldiers concluded to
take Raleigh in their route home. Reach
ing the oity hungry and fatigued several
of them went round to the executive
mansion and asked for something to eat.
The governor met them at the threshold,
told them his family had left, his two
cooks were almost broken down, and be-
sides his larder was about exhausted. A
tall, tallow-faced fellow replied, saying:
"That's what we used to tell them Wheeler
raiders down in South Carolina, but they
always stayed until they got a good meal." "
The Governor says those boys got a
square meal before they left,
The Governor soon left the Capital for
his old home in the mountains, taking
with him what was left of the war, which
consisted of "saddle-horse, wagon and
a pair of old mules" in an old freight car
which had holes knocked in the side to
get air, Being crowded and harassed
by the disbanded soldiers and seeing q
"melish" boy climbing into one of the
air-holes, he drew his repeater and told
him to get back; he crawled on through
the aperture, dropped inside on the floor,
got up, looked straight at the Governor
and said: "You don't look like you'd
shoot" The Governor states his anger
passed and the brave, impudent fellow
got ride.
Ut may be that some of the South
Carolina Reserves are subscribers and
readers of The Herald, and possibly were
in some way connected with the incidents
related in the two foregoing paragraphs,
as company in that battalion was made
up in old Barnwell county,
Shortly after the war Governor Vance
went to deliver 9 lecture before a body
of students in law college in Washing
ton, D. c., and having to 60 on horse
back told them that he had law book in
one end of his saddle-bags and twas
none of their business what was in the
other end. This drought down the
house." and his address was attentively
listened to to the close.
General Hampton relates that years
ago while Senator Vance was travelling
in the far West he met westerner OF
eonyivial habits, and after they had con
versed on vaEious topics for sometime
the fellow said to Vance: LAS the Cover
nor of North Carolina said to the Cover
nor of South Carolina, it is now time tc
take drink" not knowing that he was
addressing the very governor to whom
the expression had been attributed. They
shook hands, took drink and parted
forever.
The maxim, "a prophet is not without
honor save in his own country" does moi
hold good in the case of Vance, for he
was greatly beloved by the people of his
native State, and until this day every
one has q good word for aeb Vance
whenever his name is mentioned.
! 8 O. IoIRNER