Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-02-24
Home of Late Captain Mitchell,
Norway, Contains South Caro-
lina's Secession Ordinance
NO DOUBT OF AUTHENTICITY
The Document Was Found BY the Late
Captain Mitchell During the Civil
War, in a Deserted House, and Has
Been Carefully Preserved These
Many Years-Iowa News.
Special to Times-Republican.

Ninton Feb. 24.-Hanging in a large
gilt frame in one of the rear rooms Of
the late home of Captain \. Mitchell
in Norway. Iowa, in southern Benton
county its existence known to only
a few, is the original ordinance of Sc
cesson of the state of South Caro-
lima. 1t sewers the relationship of that
state with the United States and was
adopted at II convention in the city
of Charleston. December 20. 1850
Up to the time of the civil war, not
since the declaration of independence
had document of such moment been
drafted Almost in an instant We're
the principles of union set aside The
work of years was cast to the winds.
The entire nation stood aghast when 1t
was learned that the state convention
of South Carolina, urged on by its
governor had shaken off the sovereign
rule of the United States and declared:
That the union now subsisting be-
ANCSil koOutIt N(tl oliIlSt anu otilSi st.itS'i
under the name of the United States
government, is hereby dissolved
The complete story of how Captain
Andrew Mitchell, of Company A, of the
Fifteenth Iowa. found this document in
deserted house in the outskirts of the
city of Cheraw, S. c., in August, 1853.
and wrapping it in an oilskin and care
fully preserving it all these years, will
perhaps never be known. capt. Mitch
ell died several years ago and altho
he often talked with his family and
friends concerning the happening, no
one now living is able to give the de-
tails of the story. OF the authenticity
of the document, there can exist no
shadow of a doubt: it measures two by
three feet in size and it is carefully
written upon heavy vellum paper, yell
low with age, and has the appearance
subject matter is written in a large,
bold hand, evidently the handwriting of
the clerk of the convention, Benjamin
F. Arthur. The signatures appear in
five long columns Of thirty-three
names each, and all are written in
firm, bold hand, with but few excep-
tons which have the appearance OF
having been written by men of age. No
seal is affixed, but the document is eff
faced by several large ink blots upon.
it's face On the whole it has the APP
peaance of having been carefully and
methodically executed.
In broken disconnected fragments,
the captains daughters repeat the sto-
ry, told thera as children by their IA
Their. His regiment accompanied Gen
eral Stevensons expedition to Monroe.
~ c., in August, 1863. The general
ordered the captain across the state
line to the city of Cheraw, there to
search a small tumbledown house on
the outskirts of the city, which had
lately been occupied as headquarters
of a confederate general and his staff.
The captain was accompanied only by
his orderly, a small negro boy named
Jack. Leaving Jack to watch outside,
he entered the house. StreWn all about
the floor were bits Of paper, half de-
stroyed maps and general orders, brok-
en- chairs and tables, telling the story
of a hasty exit. On a single nail hung
the half worn out scabbard of serv-
ice sword, and an immense amount of
paper ashes in the fireplace at the end
Of the room indicated that the occu
pants of the place were determined
that no trace should be left behind.
Making up his mind that the room
with it's broken furniture and scattered
bits of paper told no story worth re-
cording, Captain Mitchell turned to go.
and was passing out of the building
when his attention was called by
something white stuck between the
rafters of the house and the WALL di-
rectly over the doorway. Calling in the
orderly he lifted him to the ceiling and
directed him to pull out the object.
Upon examination it proved to be the
original ordinance of secession above
described. The captain sat down. read
it thru, folded it, placed it in an oil
skin. strapping it across his breast,
hurried back to General Stevenson, and
reported that nothing had been found
advantageous to the federal army, or
to this command
Had the south won, no doubt this
ordinance Of secession would have been
recorded in history as the second dec
laration Of independence, and the sign
ers thereof would have been regarded
as her foremost patriots.
Items From Traer.
Snecia1 to s-Repunlican
Traer. Feb 24.-Asa Ames, who has
haep snendinp the past several DAYS in