The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1911-01-03

ing upon the record Of those who bore
part in the war between the North
and South.
Young Schumpert had run away
from home at the age of fifteen, and
at the period we are writing about,
which was, as I recall it, in 1862, was
at the front in Virginia, having poin-
ed the Quitman Rifles, one of the first
companies ever mustered into the Con-
feredate service-one of the ten which
made up the Third regiment of Ker-
shaw's First brigade, McLaw's First
division, oLngstreet's First corps,
Army of Northern Virginia.
Judge John Belton O'Neall, known
to the annals Of the Bench and Bar Of
South Carolina, lived a neighbor, and
was on a visit to the Schumpert home.
The father, not wanting in patriotism,
but moved with natural affection, and
reasoning that the time had not come
for the sacr' Ace Of the extreme youth
OF the country, had made up his mind
to bring the soldier-boy home for a
period. Awaiting himself Of the op-
portunity afforded by the presence Of
his distinguished guest, he actually
sued out writ Of habeas corpus to
be served upon one Jefferson Davis,
president Of the Confederate States,
commanding him to have the body Of
Osborne L. Schumpert before the court
on a day certain, then and there to
show cause, if any he had, for his de-
tention.
A mandate, which at that stage Of
the contest, would have been respect
cd by the Confederated authorities, but
probably would not have been later,
when the South had been reduced to
such extremities as to press into SER
vice all able-bodied males from six
teen to sixty years Of age.
BUT to return to our story. The
mother having caught some intina-
ton Of what was going on between her
husband and Judge O'Neall, and going
at once into the matter, said: whats
that you all are doing there about
Os?' Upon being told that they were
fixing to bring him home, she an
swered with that spirit that carried
with it conviction that she meant it,
'FWell, you'll not do it-bring him
home under circumstances of humilia-
tion?" After a little while she made
sone pretext to get hold Of the papers,
and then refused to give them back.
And, he continued, 81 have those pa
pers in my trunk, now I recall say
ing at the time, that I would venture
that there was not another record like
it in the Confederacy.
said to him that I was going to
publish it. He answered, ''Well, after
I am dead" T did not wait, however,
until his death to tell this story more
than once, at meetings of survivors OF
some one or more Of our old compa-
MES at reunions in the county. He
told me afterwards that those papers
were destroyed in the terrible fire in
Newberry, in which his residence was
destroyed, some three or four years
ago.
This is the story, or the substance
Of it, as he told it to me.
It is no wonder that the son Of such
a mother should have proved his cour-
age and devotion to duty with his
blood, which he poured out on more
than one of the historic fields of Vir-
ginia, and returning home after the
South had been froced to yield TO
overwhelming numbers and resources,
distinguished himself in the service
of the State, never allowing his deVo-
ton to the cause for which he had
fought, nor his love for the surviV-
ors Of the heroic age of the South, for
one moment to wax cold or to abate.
The last time I had the precious
privilege to have the warm grasp Of
his hand was at last August reunion
at Spartanburg, when once more
looked into the eye that had flashed
with the light of battle on many
hard-fought field or cleaned in the
arena Of debate, and which, though
showing traces of weakening, still
gave out much of its usual lustre. I
little dreamed how soon it must go
out in night and become listless for
ever. o. Z. L.