The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1906-12-11
THE HAMPTON UNWILLING:
Oul Veteran Thinks "Our Sons'.
Crowded the Old Confederate to
the Rear.

H.,
though some time after the unwilling,
is still apropos. It is written by an
old veteran, who attended the unveii-
ing and'who gives expression to what
most of them feel who were present
on this occasion:
On the morning of the goth Of No
vember the G N. & L. train landed a
goodly number of the old veterans.
sons and daughters, at Gervias street
station, IL Il. m. Naturally every
body went to the state house. The
parade did not start until 1890 D. III.
L had decided that I would not go in
to the parade, but was afraid that I
would be crowded out, so I had better
get in the procession, that the old vet
erans being guests of honor, would be
given place of honor near I'D to
the monument. With this though,
fixed on my mind. l went into the
state house, where the daughters
had dinner spread for the veterans. 1
was told to help myself, was waited
upon. After helping myself to all
that [ wanted, l felt like I was hero
and that it was our duty to go in the
procession and all Of us who were able
and some not able, some of us leaning
on walking sticks, some with crutches,
all so eager to show our love for tho
old chieftain, whose memory we had
| come to commemorate.
We, who had followed him through
the storm Of battle; some of us had
fallen all torn by shot and shell,
borne from the battle field, leaving
an arm or leg, manned for life, but
proud that we were alive to do
homage. We, who in '76 put on the
red shirt, and followed Hampton to
our state capitol, turned the usur-
pers out and placed our Immortal
Hampton in the governors chair. You
can imagine how our hearts beat with
pride as we followed our sons down the
streets of Columbia, just as proud
as we were when we marched along
this same street in 1861, keeping step
to the tune of "Dixie' and "The
Niil L lLclt bclllllu N1c.
AS the old soldiers neared the state
house, We were marched right obliquc
around and brought up on the other
side about seventy-five or one hum
dred yards from the monument and
left there. Our sons had deserted us.
There we stood, we could not and we
would not believe for some time that
our sons would treat us so, but they
did. I do not know why we were
| treated so, [ do not know whether the
plans miscarried or not. I am inclin-
ed to believe different, for there were
enough soldiers there, already
organized with their arms in their
hands to have formed a Gordon around
the monument and kept the crowd
back and given the old veterans any
place they chose. Under the circum-
stances [ am constrained to believe
that the veterans were neglected by
the committee on arrangements.
Our sons have deserted us, David
is still alive, but Absolom is declared
hAhS tAAu III" SllS upOl DuNlu >
throne. Like old David, we beg the
world to deal gently with the young
men.
1 thought rs I looked at the monu-
ment that if Hampton were there, he
would have asked to let the old sold
iers come nearer.
I say, our sons, I think that right.
When we look over the names of those
who went in with Hampton and the
names of those now in control, I find
they arc sons Of those men.
IF, instead of the monument, it had
been Hampton there, and he would
have looked over there and seen the
men, who had immortalized him.
crowded out and made to stand back,
that instead of sitting there the hero,
he would have dismomtcd and gone
and taken his place among the old
veterans, his soldiers and his COM
rades.
The whole proceeding reminded me
Of song the old privatcs used to sing,
called, "Thc Officers of Dixie.' In
stead Of Dixie T will substitute South
Carolina, and instead Of privates, We
will says veterans.
"The officers of South Carolina
alone