Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1912-12-23

Bryce, who was justice Of the peace,
feeling sorry for these men in the
ring, called out, in clear and loud
voice, "Oh, yes; oh, yes; in the name
Of the great Commonwealth of, South
Carolina, hereby command peace on
this muster-ground." In minutes
time all men and manner Of men re-
spected the law and the fighters were
separated and peace restored. Then
the belligerents, with the assistance
of friends, would wash off and all
shake hands, take a drink of brandy
or whiskey, and all was we'll.
On another muster day in August
they had fine time. Muster over,
the boys soon felt good. The good
christian mothers had plenty of
cakes and cider, and Uncle Nat Hull,
John Dowis and Tom White had, as
usual, all kinds Of whiskey. l and
the small boys climbed up trees so
we could see all at once. l heard
sound like mules crossing bridge;
looked and saw that Jas. A. Doyle,
with left fist, had knocked Alb Hyde
down, had bounced on him and bit
Hyde's nose off before he could Be
pulled of. Capt. Doyle gave Hyde
good, horse, worth at least $50, to
make UP the fight. Hyde's friends
put his nose back and tied hand
kerchief around his head, and his
nose got all right, but it always
LEANED; to the right" The citizens
In that section after that, on seeing
Hyde riding his horse, would say,
"yonder comes Alb Hyde riding his
nose that Capt, James A. Doyle gave
In place Of his horse. to make up and
be friends" James A. Doyle was
afterwards elected Sheriff of .Pickens
District and he served for many
years.
write of this old muster-ground
and locality things that once occur
red, but the like OF which that sec
ton will never see again. James
Keaton and his brother John were
famous fighters Of this section in the
old days. I have often wondered If
1T was not James A. Doyle or Alb
Hyde who struck that famous "blow
that felled Billy Patterson" Just
across the Tugaloo river at that fam
Gus Georgia law ground. 1t Is still
on record in Franklin county, Geor-
% No.
that this 800 will be paid to know
the man who struck Billy Patterson.
l feel sure that the heirs Of James A.
Doyle or Alb Hyde are Justly entitled
to this 500 and the long accumulat-
ed interest on same.
Often, in my boyhcod days, and on
many Christmas morning I heard
the old Richland cannon make this
entire section ring. The young men
of the neighborhood-the Hulls, the
Abbotts, the McDonalds, the Dendys,
the Gillisons. the Jaynes and Doyles
would fire off this old gun every
Christmas morning and greatly en-
joyed 1t.
Another incident Of historic value
to old Richland was a Fourth of July
barbecue given in honor of two Rev
olutionary soldiers, one being Col.
John Werner, while the other, I am
told, was Col. Ben Cleveland. Just
why this should have occurred at
Richland I cannot say, but it did oc-
cur within hundred yards Of the
old log PRESBYTERIAN church. Major
jim Boyd told me he rode behind his
father on horseback and was there
and heard these two old soldiers
speak and enjoyed the barbecued
beef, mutton and kid. He was about
four years old, but heard them speak
and heard the Declaration OF Inde-
'pendence read. They picked up
these two old soldiers In chairs, sat
them on the stand and had O great
day. Lots OF people were there. I'm
Gle Hugh Harvey, who lived on land
OF my mother for years, and an old
negro man belonging to some OF the
Striblings barbecued all the meat on
that memorable day. The trench
where the meat was cooked is still
there. We school boys often. fell
into this old trench more than 65
years ago when Dlayinp base and hail