Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-11-23
WILLIAM GILMORE SIMMS.
Story of South Cardinals Greatest
Novelist.
FACTS NOT VERY GENERALLY KNOWN.

FACTS NOT VERY GENERALLY KNOWN.
An Interesting Sketch Of His Life-His
Powers az conversationalisf-
Woodlands" the "rolIand House,
Of South Carolina.
News and Courier:
William Gilmore Simms was born In
Charleston, in 1906: he died there In
1870.
So for the first fifty years of his life
he lived in the most brilliant period Of
South Carolina history. But during
the last decade, he went through the
furnace Of affiiction, wore sackcloth
his people, for whom his great heart
yearned as a father for his children.
Simm's life began In storm and end
ed in gloom, between which extremes
he saw life in all its phases. Few
men have tasted such liquor In the
chalice. and few have drunk such BIT
ter lees at the close Of the banquet
His father was also William Gilmore
simms and his mother Miss Singleton,
of Virginia. His, grandfather (mater-
naD owned the square on which the
South Carolina Military academy now
stands BY the death Of his mother,
Young Gilmore was left to the care Of
his grandmother and his father being
Of an adventurous turn, went west, as
Kentucky and Tennessee were then
called.
Simms was sent to Charleston col
lege, which he calls "a kind Of gram
mar school," at this period. and he
speaks Of the conduct Of the institu-
ton as bad" His father wished to
enter him at the University Of Ken
lucky. but to the arrangement his
grandmother sternly objected. There
upon ensued legal fight for the pos
session of the ten-year-old boy. Gil
more was forcibly seized by his uncle
In the streets of Charleston, who had
come on to get him, but needing his
cries, neighbors came to the rescue.
Proceedings were then instituted be-
fore Judge Bay at chambers. Yancey,
father of the celebrated William L.
Yancey, and Repson represented the
father, while Robert Y. Hayne, after
wards distinguished in the senate, and
Richardson represented the son. The
court exercised equity jurisdiction and
submitted the decision to the boy, who
promptly chose his grandmother as
his guardian. and this decision led to
an estrangement between the father
and the grandmother which lasted for
years.
Simms says that he dabbled In trans
lations In his early days. having picked
up little Latin, Spanish. Italian.
French and German; but this was mere
bv-play. He soon devoted his time to
the more solid accomplishment Of Eng
lish composition, in which field his vic
tories were to be won.
AS an evidence Of precocity, 1t Is re-
lated that at nine years Of age he put
the leading events Of the war Of 1912
into doggerel verse: at twelve he wrote
drama, full Of red paint" as he
says: at sixteen he was publishing
verses in the newspapers; at seventeen
he was editing a Juvenile periodical;
at twenty-one, besides practicing law,
he was conducting a new monthly and
after this he became one Of the edi-
tors and proprietors Of the Charleston
City Gazette.
Before this he had studied medicine
and pharmacy, and had some expert
ence as chemist.
Opposed Notification.
The Gazette venture cost him dear,
for he opposed with vigor (and Simms
could oppose no other way) the pre-
vailing doctrines of notification. He
was hissed by a mob and he stood at
the window as the procession filed by
and called them towards. Later on, 1t
is at least current tradition, that his
office was wrecked and his printing
naraphernalia thrown into the street.
It is also related that Simms faced the
mob. with a copy Of the Gazette In his
hand and defied them. The same ira
iition, which Is believed to be trust
worthy, asserts that Simms told them
they had no right to be angry; that
they knew nothing. read nothing, and
were incapable of judging. "You may
call a man a thief and a liar In South
Carolina, and he can outlive it,. but II
YOU once call him literary, you might
as we'll bury him." Scornful words
these, born of a bitter experience. In
the same connection 1t is altogether to
the credit Of Simms to recall that later
On he changed his opinions about Cal
houn and did not hesitate to say SO.
He was great enough to follow truth
anywhere.
There was one fortunate outcome Of
the Gazette affair; it sent him to lit
erature. The bridges were burnt be-
hind him; his property was swept
away; he was a widower with one
daughter, for his wife, whom he mar
ried when he was twenty. died within
two years. There was the stern ne
cessity behind him and the high stand
ard before him that are the chief in
centives to success.
Before this he had challenged atten-
ton by publishing a number Of poems,
among them being a monody on Gen.
Charles Cotesworth Pinckney two vol
umes of verse in succession, Lyrical
and Other POEMS" and Early Lays"
Some Of these were instinct with beau
ty of conception, all were we'll receiv-
ed, and at least some should have sur
vived to a later age. For instance,
there is something exceedingly light
n the touch and suggestive in this de-
scription Of a maiden's grave:
"'Tis a lowly grave, but it suits her
best,
Since 1t breathes Of comfort and speaks
Of rest;
IT'S a shady dell where they laid her
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