Evening journal., 1910-01-07
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
Interesting Story About the
Siege Of Charleston
By "HoIIand.n


tempt to establish new nation was
doomed to failure? That is a ques-
ton that has always interested stu
dents of our civil war and one which
has been variously answered by not
a few confederate leaders themselves.
The venerable Frederick w. Sew
ard, who was nearly murdered while
defending his father the night Lin
coin was shot and who was assistant
and acting secretary Of state under
Presidents Lincoln, Johnson and
Hayes, told me one day that he almost
invariably put this question to the
many former leaders of the confeder-
acy whom it was his good fortune to
meet on terms of friendship after the
close of the war.
"Of course" said Mr.. Seward, who
is now in his eightieth year, "the an
swers were widely varied and all of
them were interesting, but ! think
the one that interested me most was
that given me by the late George A.
Trenholm, who was secretary of the
treasury for the confederacy from
June of "a on, and who, before then,
ran past our blockade lot of much
needed supplies for the confederacy.
He was one of the most successful
merchants the south ever produced
and he was born and lived in Charles
ton, S. c.
Il said to Mr.. Trenholm one day,
after we had come to know each other
as friends, following his pardon by
President Johnson and release from
prison: would like to know just
when it was that you began to despair
of the success of the confederate
cause. DO you mind telling me-?
"Mr. Trenholm was silent for a mo-
ment.
"T don't know that ever thought
of it just that way he said at last,
but l will tell you of an incident that
happened at the time the union army
was preparing for an assault upon
Charleston, and maybe it will tell you
what you want to know
AT that time almost all the able
bodied men of the south, at least of
the younger men, we're in the military
service. The few men of vigor who
were not in that service were en-
ployed upon the civil side and I was
one of those. When it was apparent
that a desperate assault was to be
made upon Charleston, and the union
forces were preparing to plant the
Swamp Angel" the big gun with
which they expected to lombard
Charleston, everybody who could hold
spade or WELD a pickax or trundle
wheelbarrow was called into SER
vice
I found myself at work throwing
up intrenchments facing the harbor,
and / remember of enduring blister
ing, exhausting labor. One day be-
came very much exhausted. 1t was
late in the afternoon. / stopped dig
! ging, to rest while, and turned to
tho sortl G NAN. aarily- .foilinef a. s,.s,
side, none other than Judge McGrath,
one of the leading lawyers Of South
Carolina.
Judge I said to him, as rested
on my spade, it occurred to me Just
now to ask you the question: What
are we doing this for; what is going
to be the outcome of it all?
"'With perspiration streaming down
his face, the poor judge stopped work
ing and leaned one elbow on the
handle of his shovel.
"'"Do you know, Mr.. Trenholme.' y
he began with an impressive slowness
that l shall never forget, that very
idea occurred to me just now.
asked myself the question, and have
answered it. It wouldn't do to say
this publicly, but I'll tell you privately
and confidentially that as / looked al
these embankments we're throwing
up, said to myself that while they
might temporarily prevent the fall OF
Charleston, nevertheless their ulti
mate purpose, I'm afraid, will be as
relics, to be visited here by many
persons, who will be told that these
are all that are left near Charleston oi
the visible efforts to establish a con
federate government. And the Wis
itors will say, Mr.. Trenholm, that
these are reminders of the unsuccess
full attempt of the men of the souti
to establish by revolution a new gov
ernmGNytt upon the American cont
nent. 30 at.
"MEee Trenholm paused for a mo
ment," continued Mr.. Seward, "theI
added:
al am inclined to think, Mr.. Sew
ard. It was at that time that botl
Judge McGrath and began to be per
suaded in our hearts that the confed
eracy was doomed.
Copyright, 1909. by r. J. Edwards)