The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1905-04-14
A STRANGE STORY.
Dissertation of a Grave Seems to Be
Fulfillment of A Premonition.

n Fairfield county. say the Column
bia STATE. brings to mind a romantic
story and one which has its pathos.
This card was as follows:
TO the Editor OF the State:
The grave OF Col. Provence at
Rock Greek church was dug up ard
the casket broke open a few nights
ago by parties unknown. We under
stand Col. Provence was buried about
3! years ago.
Something should be done by the
right parties. whoever they are. to
see II the perpetrators could not be
apprchended and dealt with accord
ing to law.
Is it possible we cannot rest in the
grave?
The friends and family will regret
10 learn this. Not knowing the ad-
dress of any OF the family I take this
way Of notifying them and hope you
will publish same.
Blair's, April !. J. w. Blair.
In course OF conversation yester-
day. Mr.. w. H. Lyles told of GER
tain circumstances which make the
act If vandalism doubly strange.
Mr.. Lyles knew Col. Provence we'll,
for they made their homes on adjoin-
ing plantations, and although Col.
Provence was at the time of his death
about 90 years old and Nj. Lyles was
a young man. the friendship between
the two was strong.
The account OF the dissertation Of
the grave of Col. David Provence"
said Mr.. Lyles. "arouses in my mind
sincere regret, as it seems to be the
iulfilment of a p~remonition which vas
entertained by Col. Provence for
months before his death.
For many months before his
death he frequently spoke to me OF
his dread that his remains should
some day be disturbed, or that the
plowshare should turn the soil above
his grave. At that time my family
owned the land on the other side Of
the public road from Rock Creek
church. and on a beautiful knoll op-
posite to the church and a few feet
from the public road was large rock
with a V shape opening facing the
church. His special request to me
was that he might be buried in that
opening in order that his grave should
be protected forever from the plow-
share. This was done, and when the
tract of land was subsequently sold
a small square was reserved on &C
count of the grave. Now. 81 years
after his death the thing that he
dreaded has come to pass: the casEet
has been torn open and his bones
ruthlessly scattered upon the surface
of the ground.
He was a man of brilliant intellect
and of rare qualities of heart. He
had served CALAMITY in the Mexican
war and was promoted on the field OF
battle at Buena Vista for gallantry
and received a captains commission.
He was one of the principal heroes
of the defense of Port Hudson dur
ing the War of the C~onfederacy as the
colonel Of one of the Arkansas regl-
ments holding the centre OF the works
of defense Of that town, and it was
said of him in this account OF his lite
from which | read that during the
entire siege he left his post only when
he sailed forth to destroy the enemy's
works or thrust the bayonet into his
loins. Although in feeble health,
neither dangers o privations, nor
exposure, nor physical infirmity
abated one jot of his martial valor or
his ~unceasing vigilance. Having mar
ried Miss Hall, of Fairfield district,
he purchased and settled on a planta-
ton adjoining my fathers, and in the
troublous times subsequent to the
war | came to know him well."