The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-10-13
TILLMAN'S DEFENSE
OF GENERAL GARY.

interest in the scenes of 1876. Wh9n the
neonie rose in their night and threw off
the yoke of Radicalism.
In order to throw additional light, upon
those events, we reproduce in to-days issue
the remarks of Senator Tillman in the
constitutional convention when an effort
was made to call Saluda County by the
name of Butler.
We are now laying the foundation, for
the truth of history; besides the people al
ways read will interest any remarks OF
Senator Tillman.
Senator Tillman spoke as follows:
Allusions have been made to Butler and
Gary linking their names together as the
heroes of "76". l acknowledge that But
ler did his full duty, but he was not th9
peerless leader the other man was ana l
assert here. from personal knowledge, 1t
is Garv's bravery and audacity which won
the fight for AnglO-SaXon civilization IN
that trying period and redeemed the
State from the thraldom and degradation
in which it had sunk.
TWO STARTLING INCIDENTS.
Memory brings to mind two incidents of
that memorable campaign and l cann0t
refrain from relating them, as they will
feelingly illustrate the temper and charac-
ter and services of the two men. -,
Tho of YOU who are old enough Will
remember that after the famous joint de-
bate with Chamberlain, at Edgetleld Court
House. on the 18th Of August, in which
that dirty carpet-bagger had been so bad
ly worsted, the troops were sent to Edge
field and pretext was sought TO declare
martial law. The Radical managers felt
that the wave of liberty was sweeping
them out to sea and that something must
be done to stem the tide. Notice was sent
out Ito negroes in Edgefield of mass
meeting to be hold, at which Chamber
lain would again attempt to speak under
the protection Of troops, and, naturally, a
large number of colored people We're on
hand the day appointed.
WHEN EDGEFIELD WAS UNITED.
Geu. Gary, who was county chairman
had organized Edgefeld more thoroughly
than has ever been known in the history. OF
any people. Every man in it able to ride
a horse belonged to some company with
regularly elected officers, and many of
these companies had armed themselves
with improved weapons, and such was the
state Of feeling that Gary could at any
time mobilize and concentrate thousand
red shirts in ten hours. Chamberlain,
however, did not come. He was too cow
ardly to risk it. The speakers who ven
tured into the lions den, for Edgefield was
as much in state Of revolution as Paris
was in 1894, were two or three Of the mi
nor State officers, including Jillson, Nagel
and Smalls. Gary had sent out orders for
a large number of red shirts to be on
hand and upward of one thousand were in
and about the public square when! the
hour for the Radical speaking to begin
had arrived.
THE EAGLE DID NOT PECK AT FLIES.
It was decided that such game was un-
worthy the Eagles talons, but to show
that the presence Of troops had not cow
ed the spirit Of liberty in the whites it was
determined that red shirts in procession
should march by the stand where theme
groes were assembled, and then disperse
to their homes.
While the procession was forming Gen.
Butler took it on himself to ride in advance
and pick out the line of march. He had
conference with a scalawag white man,
who was acting aS>marShal for the negroes
and agreed that the procession should
take route through the Academy Grove,
upwards of one hundred yards from the
stand. When the Bald Eagle, at the head
of his red shirt legions, making process.
sion over mile in length, reached the
edge Of the grove he was met by the Rad
ical marshal and told Of the agreement
which Butler had made.
In voice which rang out so that the ne
groes and whites could hear him he eX-
claimed: Get out of my way, you damn
white puppy. This is public property, and
I will ride on it where / please" And he
headed the column straight for the Acade-
my, passing within twenty yards of the
stand, about which the negroes were mass
ed, forcing some Of them to move to keep
from being run over.
Another incident gives even more
ward in behalf Of my dead friend that he
deserves the honor more than any other Of
redeeming the State.
On the day of election there were twelve
companies Of United States infantry in our
county. They had been sent there to over
awe the whites and encourage the negroes
to vote. Six of these companies had been
distributed at various election precincts
in the county, where the heaviest negro
at Edgefield Court House, under command
of Gen. Ruger. The negroes in large
numbers, probably 5000, massed at the
Court House before day the morning of
election. Gary had anticipated this, and
the evening before the election about 500
picked men, over half Of them from Salu-
da, with their baggage wagons, provisions
and arms, had taken possession of the
Court House and Masonic Hall, and were
in readiness to obey the orders of their
chief, whatever they might be. There
was no sleep. The camp fires cleaned
out brightly for it was cold and drizzling
rain, and Oakley Hall, the generals resi-
dence, was like a military headquarters,
while fiddling and dancing were going on
in the two buildings l have mentioned.
1t had been agreed between Ruger and
box in the Court House, while the negroes
should vote at the school house. another
precinct one-half mile away. A white
company was detailed to watch the bal
loting at the latter place, and all day
long the voting went on at both very
rapidly at the Court House and very
slowly at the school house.
Late in the evening Cain, the mulattC
county chairman, finding that it would be
impossible to vote his men at the school
house determined to make a desperate
move and try to capture the other box
At the head of his black phalanX of 2,50[
negroes, armed with clubs and pistols
he marched towards the public square.
swift courier notified Gary that they were
coming. He Immediately ordered that
the Court House be packed, steps, porti
cos and all, and promptly and thorough
ly was his order carried out that flea
could not have crawled between the meI
standing on the steps. The upper win
dows in the Masonic Hall, in which the
rifles and other arms had been PLACED
were manned with sharpshooters and al
the other men who could be spared were
ordered to mount their horses and mass
themselves on one side Of the square.
HOW CAIN AND HIS BLACK COHORTS WERI