Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1909-09-02
DUTY WELL DONE
Senator TiMman to the Red
Shirt Survivors.
SOME STORMY TIMES

view-What the Older People Did
to Redeem South Carolina In the
Hampton Campaign.
Several thousand people heard and
frequently heartily cheered Senator
Tillman in his address at Anderson
on Wednesday before the convention
of the survivors of what is known
as the Red Shirt organization, which
supported Gen. Hampton in the
dangerous undertaking of redeeming
the State of South Carolina from Re-
publican rule and Reconstruction in
1876. Senator Tillman was particu-
larly interesting in his remarks
touching that memorable period in
the States history, and what he had
to say was listened to with the clos
est attention. He appeared to carry
vivid pictures in his mind Of that
time, when he was young and i'm
questionable. What he had to say
is also of interest from the view
point of his own political history
and personal character. He spoke
for the most part in the high pitched
voice so characteristic of him when
speaking on topic near to his feel
ings. He said:
There has been more or less dis
cussion in the papers OF the State
recently about the origin of the red
shirts as the Democratic uniform In
| 1875. / shall leave it to others
to sift the evidence and determine IL
it can be done, just where the credit
| lies. l want to tell what l know
about the bloody shirt and its eff
fective use in that memorable cris-
is. In my story of the Hamburg
riot l have mentioned the drumhead
court martial which condemned and
executed prisoners after the fighting
or firing had ceased.
The last man selected to he shot
was notorious thief by the name
or Pomp Curry whom 1 had known
from boyhood. He had furnished
the names OF all whom he recognized
TO District Attorney Stone and this
evidence caused warrants to be is
sued against practically all the MEM
Ders OF the Sweetwater Sabre club
and few others who were not MEM
bers. We were charged with murder
ana conspiracy to murder, and the
sherin or Aiken county was ordered
TO make the arrests. Like a wise
ana prudent man he did not ATTEMPT
TO execute the warrants, but COM
| municated with Col. Butler, our can
.aln, and by common understanding
all or the men thus charged assem-
| bled at Lower Cherokee pond, a place
near Col. Buffers home. and started
tor Aiken. The procession was led
by the sheriff in a buggy. followed
| by the so-called prisoners, armed to
the teeth, and accompanied by bag
gage wagons with supplies for hors-
es and men, cooks and a full camp
ing outfit except tents. Rev. Will
liam Shaw who owned a plantation
two miles west of Aiken. the dwell
ling house on which was occupied
mad kindly offered 1t for our use.
we reached this place some time be-
fore sundown. took up our quarters
for the night. Court was to con-
vene two days later and we were
thus early on the ground in order
to give the lawyers who had our
case In hand opportunity to draw up
the papers and prepare for obtain
Ing bail If we were to be allowed to
return home. Gen. Butler who was
under Indictment. Hon. George w
Croft, Hon. ID. S. Henderson of the
Aiken bar and Maj. William 7. Gray
were acting as our attorneys
Among those whose interest had
induced them to accompany us was
nv 'rother, Hon. George d. Till.
man, who had been nominated as a
candidate in our congressional dis
trict. He had been in correspOu.
dence with Gen., afterwards Senator
j. u. George, of Mississippi, the mar
whose constructive craftsmanship il
devising means to safeguard South
ern civilization by the elimination
OF the negro vote will cause his nam,
to shine for all time as a great con
stitutional lawyer and benefactor O
the South. 1t was under him tha
Mississippi led off in dlsfranchis
ing the negro and practically ever,
Southern State has followed suit
Mississippi had thrown off the car
pet-bag yoke two years before tha
) and Gen. George advised my brothe
! TO have the South Carolinians i'm
! press the negroes both as to ou
p, strength and the purpose of tn
whites by using a spectacular uni
3 form and urged the parade of loni
. professions of armed white me-
. through the country.
i The Hamburg riot had cause
such furore throughout the Mort
r and the Republican press OF tha
r section was waving the bloody shir
D., with such frantic energy that MI
: hliman suggested to Col. Butle
that we, though then assembled a
6 prisoners. should wave the blood
: shirt in reality as a token Of defiance
: The idea was seized upon by all c
/ us and Luther Ransom and myse