The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1908-06-24
(Continued.)
E4'44R% ,s'HIR EE4E,
+ The Last Raid on Upper South
: Carolina, Confederate War.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES I4.+l;s
w. ID. S.

|
up of the Confederate war in South
Carolina. General Stoneman's com
mand was pursuing President Davis
through Spartanburg and Laurens coun-
ties and they went into camp the first
day of May, at Samuel Bolts, on
Rabun creek, in Laurens county, S. c..
They took possession of his farm, tore
out the end of his corn crib and scat
tered three hundred bushels of corn
over the horse lot and surrounding
woods to feed their horses. What the
horses did not eat was tramped into the
mud and 5asted. The officers made
their headquarters in his dwelling house,
took his meat out of the smoke house,
Killed his chickens, brought in his cook
TO get their supper, put the food on his
table and then invited him to sit down
and eat with them. This made him so
mad that he said it would have choked
nm to have eaten one morsel with them.
On that night news was brought in that
General Johnson's army had surrendered
in North Carolina, the war was over
and hostilities to cease Afterwards
meeting Mr.. Bolt | asked him how the
Yankees treated him. | was sorry that
mentioned the subject. | could al
most feel the steam of the expletives
as he rolled them from his mouth. This
incident and his Imprisonment in Ku
hluX times were two things it was best
not to mention in his presence. Next
morning the Union men were swarming
all over this section stealing every mule
and horse they could lay their hands on
and taking negro men to lead their
stock. About daylight | heard some
one halloing get up there. Wife that
Is Yankees voice. On opening the
door there stood a file of men with their
muskets cooked on me- We want YOU
as guide to Cooley's bridge. lam not
gong. You can get negro out there
IN the cabin. put on my clothes and
walked out and by that time they had
my horses out and were trotting down
the road. One of them called out we
are borrowing your horses and will give
them back by the guide from Cooley's
bridge. The thunder you will! was
letting some warm words come out.
This was squad of couriers with
Charley Simpson plotting them to
Cooley's carrying the news that Gen
eral Johnson's army had surrendered
and the war was over, still they were
stealing our horses. The marsh ponv
they carried off was put in the posses
sion Of their commanding officer, who
SAID that he was going to carry it home
for his wife to ride. 1t was the pretti
est pony that he ever saw. These were
the words that my negro man brought
back when he rode up with Charley
Simpson on an old crippled mare. The
Yankees forgot to return my stock or
pay for them until this day.
| The Union men were trailing Presi-
dent Davis, who had passed through a
lew days ahead of them just like
hound dog would follow rabbits
track. They went right on the trail by
Boyd's bridge, then towards Rasor's
bridge on Saluda. Wheeler's men had
fired this bridge and the column turned
up to Erwin's bridge and out towards
llonea Path and Anderson c.. II. Gen
eraI Lees men were coming through
every day on their way home. Often
they would call me out and ask for
something to drink. | had Jug of
Whiskey made out of sorghum skim
mings that neighbor had given me for
getting his mule back from one of Nor
gan's men. | would fill a glass and
hand to them and they would turn it up
and drink | never had man to drink
a glass or ask for more. Talk about
your one x dispensary. This stuff was
about the meanest that ever run out of
STILL
Two weeks after this Confederate
soldier rode up to the lot gate and asked
directions to Darlington. He was
dressed in a roundabout coat. After
asking him about his command and re-
ceiving no favorable answer he saw
that he had me non plussed. He told
me he was General Samuel Ferguson
who commanded President Davis es-
cort. He went into camp at Washing
ton, Ga, and drew rations for | 500
men. That evening news came up on
the Georgia road from Augusta, Ga,
that Gen. Johnson had surrendered.
His men commenced saddling up and
going off in squads during the night.
Next morning about 100 were in camp.
| II I,1 4 4