The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1904-04-13
WHO WAS iEE VICTIM?
Tragic Incident Of Sherman's March
Through This State.

Through This State.
Most any Saturday or court day,
the Wythesville, Va. CORES pondence
in the Richmond Times Dispatch says,
there can be seen OF 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 placein 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 cayalrymen," and it
was by a mere accident that your cor
respondent learned Of the notable
event which be narrateS below:
The old Confeds to whom I refer
are Mr.. Joseph Headrick, as I have
stated, a farmer, who lives on and
owns comfortable country estate
lying on the waters Of Stoney Fork,
nine miles west Of Wythevllle, and
Mr.. Jackson Grubb, likewise the po-
SCISSOR of a goodly country home few
miles south Of town.
They, like thousands of other young
mountaineers Of southwest Virginia,
answered promptly to Eirginia'S call
for volunteers in 81, and later became
members of the Si1ty-third Virginia
regiment, which was afterwar as
signed to and became 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. That was on:the
18th cay of February, 1865.
Some days after their capture fed
eral soldier was found dead in the
swamps not far from Orangeburg, in
that State. Taere 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 400
Confederate prisoners in their charge
were marched out, and Joseph Head
rick and Jackson Gfubb were with
them.
Three federal officers accompanied
them, and without any explanation
the prisoners Of war were lined mp.
The three federal officers took position
at a short distance, one OF them hold
ing above his head cigar box, while.
the other two acted as guards. The
Confederate soldiers were then COM
manded to March one by one between.
the guards and by the one holding the.
cigar box, and draw therefrom slip
Of paper.
Then, for the first time, did it
drawn upon the prisoners what was
being eyacted Of them.
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 ofkindlY
faces of loved ones came rapidly be-
fore them, and with the possible
chance of ever being permitted to see
them again.
The fearful agony and strain which
80 Of the soldiers endured was soon
over with, for the orders were soon
executed, and the Idle was cast. y
Jackson Grubb was fortunate in that
he was among the first to draw and
be drew white ballot, whicE evident
ly meant life, home and loved ones In
old Virginia again.
Joseph Headrick was not quite so
fortunate, being late to draw. 18th In
number, but he drew white ballot
also.
The one who paid the awful penal
ty was number 81 to draw. AS soon
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. Shermans head,
quarters and in an hour or so after
wards gun shots were heard and the
fullest terms Of war retaliation had
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 bless S twice, Him that gives
and him that takes" was not meted
out to him, and as Robert Emmett
said: "The man dies but his memory
lives"
MI. 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 federal soldier,
which was never proven to have been
that of a 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 all
Of the deadly missiles Of war; that for
four days and nights be 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 cigar box with its 100 bal
lots on that spring morning In 1865.
He added that even to this day, now
80 years have passed, that he never
sees cigar box that memories OF Or
angeburg are not vividly recalled.
The Cotton Crop.
The Cotton Plant says farmers who
are increasing their cotton acreage are
somewhat reticent. They make no
boast Of it. From what can be gath
cred from county papers there will be
a reduction Of tobacco planting in the
eastern counties and consequent in
crease of the cotton crop. In these
counties they will plant 10 to Is per
cent more cotton than they did last