The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-12-07
SHOTWELL: HERO,
PATRIOT, MARTYR
He Rendered Faithful, Fearless
and Heroic Service to the State
and Was the VicariOuS Sufferer
For the Ku Klux Khan

the late capt. ftaHuolpH -. oilot"Ch
was presented by the Daughters to the
North Carolina Room in h Confed-
crate Museum az Richmond. Va. The
story of Captain Shotwen is full
CT interest and pathos. A mon
unnent erected by pubnc con-
tribution marks his resting place on
the hill in the Confederate plat of
OakWOOd cemetery in Raleigh. lie
was SO intrepid and had
such an attractive personality, suffered
so yicariously, and labored so patrioti-
cally as an editor in North Carolina
that he won a lasting place in the
affections of North CarolinianS, par
ticularly those who keep green the
memory of Confederate heroes. The
portrait presented by the Daughters
shows that he still lives in h hearts
of that body Of Southern women, who
labor to preserve the deeds Of Valor
Of Southern soldiers.
Randolph Abbott Shotwell was a
son Of Rev. Nathan Shotwell. D.. D.,
and Martha Ann Abbott, and was born
at West Liberty, West Virginia, De-
cember 18th, 1S43, and died In Raj
eigh, N. c., July 31st, 1885. He was
attending Media College, Pennsyl-
Vania, when the War Between the
States began and he braved danger
to return to Virginia to enter the Con-
federate army. He had numerous ad-
ventures on his way South, and perils
toO-(trading a Yankee picket out of
his skif in order to cross the Potomac,
WAS discovered. the boat shot to
pieces. but he escaped to an island,
where he was subsequently rescued)-
before reaching Virginia, where he
joined the Eighth Virginia Volunteers
just in time for the battle of Leesburg.
He participated in seventeen battles,
1a6 tho chorr Chootarc IN IDiatrn%f'~ al
vision at the battle of Gettysburg, re-
ceived a special commission from
Secretary Seldom by order OF PreSi-
dent Davis. was confined as Drisone4
at Fort Delaware and was kept three
months after the surrender at Apo
nlattox. In 1859 his father had moved
to Rutherfordton, n. c.. as Presby-
terrain pastor, and when released from
prison Captain Shotwell joined his
family In their North Carolina home.
DESCRIBING h sword he took up the
pen and until the day OF his untimely
death welded it in the interest Of
those principles he believed TO be,
right. He shortly moved to New
Bern a@1d there with Col. Stephen y
Pool established the New Bern journal
of Commerce. After two years he re-
turned TO Rutherfordton and estab-
Hshed the Rutherfordton indicator.
through the coiumns of which he,
week after week, denounced in scath-
ing terms the "carpet-haggers' Of that
region. No man lacking moral and
physical courage could AVE rendered
such fearless and much needed
service to the people whose civ
l1lzatlon was in jeopardy. He be-
lieved that Reconstruction was
worse than war and that if Southern
men submitted to the ~indignities Of
the "carpet-bag' government the
would lose their splendid civilization.
SO believing, he fought the Recon-
st~ructionists with all the vigor his
ardent and patriotic spirit could com
mand, and so embarrassed their
movements as to win their hatred and
secure their malignant and v]enornous
persecution. The Red Strings was
the organization name for the band of
Observation-Disclosures organized to make
the South the agency of carpet bag
and "ScalaWag' government. and Can
tain ShotWell's exposure Of what he
called the Red Strings es''
cheered h hearts of thousands while
1T brought him arrest, conviction. i'm
prisonment-made him the editor who
bore the punishment for the spirit of
resolve and antagonism Of Reconstruct
ton. felt by the patriotic White men
of North Carolina. He was selected
for punishment and his life was in
Jeopardy, and when his friends saw
lid tIS pOWcIIul e1S1ne or Recon
struction officers could crush him.
some of them urged him to flee to
Texas or Mexico and save his life.
With characteristic frankness and
courage he refused. saying: mo.
have done nothing, nor said nothing.
except VIA / believed to be for the
best interest Of my people. and 1 shall
remain and defend my course with
my honor, and my life. if
need be-" The blow soon fell.
and in July, 1871, without capias.
he was arrested, thrust into an iron
cage With three negro felons and
'hree white murderers, where he was
tchflned for two months, not even be-
ing allowed the de1icacies prepared
10 eat hV loved ones over ~ 49,