Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1905-12-22
CHAPTER vi.
THE COUNTER STROKE.

From the hour he had watched the
capture of the armory old Stoneman
felt in the air current against him
which was electric, as If the dead had
heard the cry Of the clansmen's greet
ing, risen and rallied to their pale
ranks.
The daring campaign these men
were waging took his breath. They
were going not only to defeat his dele
cation in congress, but send their own
to take their seats reinforced by the
enormous power Of suppressed negro
vote The blow was so sublime in its
audacity, he laughed in secret admira-
ton while he raved and cursed.
The army corps took possession Of
the hill counties, quartering from five
to six hundred regulars at each court
house; but the mischief was done.
The state was on fire. The eighty
thousand rifles with which the ne
groes had been armed were now in
the hands Of their foes. A white rifle
club was organized In every town, VII
lage, and hamlet. They attended the
public meetings with their guns, drill
ed in front Of the speakers stand, yell
ed, hooted, hissed, cursed, and jeered
at the orators who dared to champion
or apologize for negro rule. At night
the hoof-beat of squadrons OF pale
horsemen and the crack Of their re-
volvers struck terror to the heart Of
every negro, carpet Dagger, and seal
awag.
There was a momentary lull in the
excitement. which Stoneman mistook
for fear. at the appearance of the
troops. He had the governor appoint
a white sheriff, a young scalawag from
the mountains who was a noted moon
sinner and desperate. He arrested
over a hundred leading men In the
county charged them with completely
in the killing of the three members
of the African Guard, and instructed
the Judge and clerk of the court to
refuse bail and commit them to jail
under military guard.
To his amazement, the prisoners
came into Piedmont armed and mount
ed. They paid no attention to the
deputy sheriffs who were supposed to
have them in charge. They deliber-
ately formed in line under Ben Came
ron's direction and he led them in
parade through the streets.
The five hundred United States reg
ulars who were camped on the river
bank were Westerners. Ben led his
squadron of armed prisoners in front
Of this camp and took them through
the evolutions of cavalry with the pre-
cision Of veterans. The soldiers drop
ped their games and gathered laugh
ing, to watch them. The drill ended
with double-rank charge at the river
embankment. When they drew every
horse on his launches on the brink
firing a volley with single crash,
wild cheer broke from the soldiers and
the officers rushed from their tents.
Ben wheeled his men, galloped In
front of the camp, drew them up at
dress parade, and saluted. A low woro
of command from a trooper, and the
Westerners quickly formed in ranks
returned the salute, and cheered. The
officers rushed up, cursing, and drove
the men back to their tents
The horsemen laughed. fired Volley
in the air, cheered, and galloped back
to the court house. The court was
glad to get rid Of them. There was no
question raised over technicalities IN
making out bail bonds. The clerk
wrote the names of imaginary bonds
men as fast as his pen could fly while
the perspiration stood in beads on his
red forehead.
Another telegram from old Stoneman
to the White House, and the Writ OF
Habeas Corpus was suspended ana
Martial Law proclaimed.
Enraged beyond measure at the sa-
lutte from the troops, he had two COM
panies of negro regulars sent from
Columbia, and they camped In the
Court House Square.
He determined TO make q uespeia'e
effort to crush the fierce spirit before
which his forces were being driven like
chaff. He induced Bizzel to return
from Cleveland with his negro wife and
children. He was escorted to the City
Hall and reinstalled as mayor by the
full force of seven hundred troops, and
a negro guard placed around his house
Stoneman had Lynch run an excur-
sion from the Black Belt, and brought
a thousand negroes to attend a fina
rally at Piedmont. He placarded the
town with posters on which were
printed the Civil Rights Bill and the