Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-09-19
OUT OF THE PAST.

OUT OF THE PAST.
A. McNeel Is his name, and accom-
panied by son, aged 80, he came back
to Yorkville last Saturday night and
put up at the Shandon hotel for day
or two, while he again went over the
scenes that were familiar to him and
inquired about the people he knew
during his stay in Yorkville as SOL
dier from the spring of 1871, until late
in the summer of 1874.
Complete strangers were Mr.. McNeel
and his son, and clothed as they were
in neatly fitting blue serge suits OF
somewhat peculiar cut, and black felt
hats of style that Is not commonly
affected in this locality, they looked 1t.
People who saw them, father and son,
walking leisurely along the streets,
looking at the buildings, the trees and
other objects with close attention, and
stopping here and there while the
elder man was evidently explaining
something to the younger, became
quite curious about them; but there
was nothing in their conduct to war
rant impertinent inquiry, and 1t re-
mained for the elder stranger to make
known his identity and his business In
his own way as he saw proper.
The writer was sitting under the
street Sunday morning when the
strangers came along and began to
make inquiries. They told me that
Mr.. Grist lived here?" inquired the eld-
er Of the two. Yes. sir, that Is my
name" was the reply. well, my name
Is McNeel, and this is my son." the
stranger continued. Il was here as a
soldier thirty seven years ago, and
am back to look over the old place
again; but things have so changed that
would not have recognized anything,
or anybody. / met a Mr.. Gordon down
street a while ago, and after talking
Rip Van Wrinkle. / imagine l must
feel very much as old Rip felt after
waking up from his long sleep. But"
he concluded, as an expression OF sad.
ness came into his face, while have
not been asleep, l have been dreaming
of the old place for thirty-seven
years."
with a little encouragement, the
elder McNeel began to tell his story.
He came to Yorkville as member OF
company c, 18th U. S. infantry in the
i.
geant Of his company and as such had
more or less to do with arresting the
Ku-K and for quite q while had
charge of the guard at the Jail. He
had been on friendly terms with many
of the prisoners, all Of whom had his
sympathy, and during his three years
stay in the town had got to know many
of the people, some more or less inti-
mately and others by sight and repu-
tation. The associations he formed
then made lasting impression upon
him, and although he had left the army
for good after his discharge in Au-
gust, 1874, the impressions Of his army
experiences and acquaintances had be-
come indelible and he had never been
able to Danish them from his mind.
Especially has the desire to return to
the old place been growing stronger
and stronger since he lost his wife to
whom he was married a few years af-
ter his discharge and who died eleven
years ago.
Among the older citizens about
whom Mr.. McNeel inquired were the
late Sheriff Glenn Clerk Of the Court
Joseph F, Wallace, Col, w. H, NC
Corkle, Capt. L. M. Grist, Mr.. s. A.
McElwee, Mr.. H. F, Adickes, Mr.. A. F.
Mcconnell, Mr.. James Fayssoux, Mr..
n. -. olihuss, MI, VI. ~. ~ hSo'J' hA'
]. r. Bratton, and a number of others;
but as the answer to his roll call was
so invariably dead, dead, dead" he
found 1t difficult to conceal the emotion
that he evidently felt. He remarked,
however that knowing as he did for
certain that 1t was the same old town,
he had been able to distinguish a few
familiar landmarks; but If he had
landed here from balloon he did not
believe he would have been able to find
himself at all, But my friend" he
said, "thirty-seve years Is a long
time"
In reply to a question as to whether
any of his old comrades had remained
in Yorkville after their discharge, the
writer was able to remember George
Phillips, Pete Marquette, Tom Vance
and Ike Van Tassell, all Of whom are
dead except Ike Van Tassell, who lives
few miles south of Ynrkvllle.
OF his old company officers Christie
pher, Hire, Whitehead and Benner, he
said he thought Capt. Hire Is still liv-
ing, Capt Hire succeeded Capt. Chris
topher, after the latters suicide, Lieut..
Whitehead had been dead for num-
ber of years. Lieut.. Benner, as all the
older people of Yorkville remember.
volunteered short time after leaving
here to take a steamer load OF sup
plies to the yellow fever sufferers In
Memphis, Tenn, took yellow fever and
died. He was buried in the Federal
cemetery at Vicksburg, where there Is
a handsome monument to his memory
erected by the government, Mrs.
Benner is still living in Chicago and
Is enjoying good health. Her daughter,
Belle Benner Is the happy mother Of a
happy family, Dady Christopher, a
son Of Capt Christopher, died in an
insane asylum. story that he shot
and killed Whitehead was only myth,
Mr.. McNeel said he had kept up with
his old comrades as well as with the
company officers and their families, as
well as he could and he talked quite
interestingly about them: but as all
except those. mentioned are practical
ly forgotten In this section, the story
would hardly be worth reproducing,
Asked about himself, Mr.. McNeel
said that after leaving Yorkvlle. he
worked as a farm labOrer for some
years, finally bought a 70-acre tract of
land near New York, married, worked
for many years raising hops for brew
ers, and wheat and oats. All the while
he kept a number of cows; but he did
not make more than living until some
ten or fifteen years ago he accidentally
stumbled on some alfalfa seed, which
he sowed In a more or less laundering
manner. The crop turned out nicely,
and he began seeding more of his
land and adding more cows. Now he