The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1904-04-13
Who Was the Victim?

OAO UL1SOSllRS5
in the Richmond Times Dispatch says,
there can be seen on the streets of
Wytheville two farmers, simple and
retiring in their tastes and habits,
vino were called upon to undergo as
trying ordeal during the War Between
the States as any soldier on either
side of that memorable struggle.
At the several Confederate reun-
ions which have taken place in Wythe-
vile during the past three years it
has been the pleasure and privilege OF
these tillers of the soil to take an
humble and unpretentious part in the
exercises as foot cavalrymen," and it
was by a mere accident that your cor
respondent learned Of the notable
event which he narrates below:
The old Confeds to whom l refer
are Mr.. Joseph Headrick, as have
stated, a farmer, who lives on and
owns comfortable country estate
lying on the waters Of Stoney Fork,
nine miles west Of Wytheville, and
Mr.. Jackson Grubb, likewise the po'
SCISSOR Of a goodly country home fe"
miles south Of town.
They, like thousands Of other young
mountaineers Of southwest Virginia,
answered promptly to Firginia's call
for volunteers in 81, and later became
members of the Sixty-third Virginia
regiment, which was afterwards as
signed to and became a part OF Gen.
Palmer's brigade in General Hoods
army, and while in that command
they were captured by some of Gen.
W. T. Sherman's men at Midway Sta
tion, nine miles west of Branchville,
in South Carolina. q hat was on the
7th day Of February, 1865.
Some days after their capture fed
eral soldier was found dead in the
swamps not far from Orangeburg, in
that State. There were marks upon
his person which indicated that he
had been beaten to death with clubs.
A hasty conference..of the federal of.
fcers was held, and they determined
upon retaliation; so 100 OF the 40C
Confederate prisoners In their charg.
were marched out, and Joseph Head
rick and Jackson Grubb we're with
them.
Three federal officers accompanied
them, and without any explanatlor
the prisoners of war were lined up
The three federal officers took position
at b short distance, one of them hold
ing above his head a cigar box, while
the other two acted as guards. The
Confederate soldiers we're then com
manded to March one by one between
the guards and by the one holding tine
cigar box, and draw therefrom a SllE
of paper.
The ordeal of that moment can bet
ter be imagined or pictured than told
Familiar scenes Of dear old home
many of them far away, and of kindly
faces of loved ones came rapidly be-
fore them, and with the possible
chance Of ever being permitted 10 see
them again.
The fearful agony aud strain which
80 of the soldiers endured was soon
over with, for the orders were Soor
executed, and the die was cast. "
Jackson Grubb was fortunate in that
he was among the first to draw and
he drew a white ballot, which evident
ly meant life, home and loved ones in
old Virginia again.
Joseph Headrick was not quite sc
fortunate, being late to draw. 10Th IN
number, but he drew white ballot
also.
The one who paid the awful penal
ty was number 81 to draw. AS soor
as he drew the black ballot he was
halted, told to step aside and the
drawing ceased. He was at once
marched off to Gen. Sherman's head
quarters and in an hour or SO after
wards gun shots were heard and the
fullest terms Of war retaliation hao
been met and satisfied.
1t is said that the prisoner who was
shot made a manly plea for his life
when he appeared before Gen. Sher-
man to be sentenced, but that mercy
which blesses twice, Him that gives
and him that takes" was not melted
out to him, and as Robert Emmet
said: "The man dies but his memory
lives"
Mr.. Headrick in speaking Of the
event to the writer, said that he never
learned the name of the soldier who
paid the sacrifice with his life, for an
act, the killing of a federal soldier.
which was never proven to have been
that of Confederate soldier, but
that he was from South Carolina, and
was the father Of seven daughters.
When Mr.. Headrick recalled to me
the events Of that moment tears came
into his eyes, and he said that he had
often faced cannon loaded with al
of the deadly missiles Of war; that fol
four days and nights he had been ex'
posed to the shot and shell of the fed,
erals before Nashville, but that none
of them were as trying as when he
faced that 'irar box with it's 100 bal
lots on th; ring morning in 1865.
He added that even to this day, now
80 years have passed, that he never
sees a cigar box that memories OF Or
angeburg are not vividly recalled.
AS to Clemson Scholarships.
President Nell of Clemson and Mr..
R. w. Simpson, president of the board