The Pickens sentinel. (Pickens, S.C.) 1911-2016, 1912-06-20
Mr.. GONZALES Is
AN AMERICAN
For the First Time Editor W
State Gives History of His
Family in Reply to Attacks

Family in Reply to Attacks
Mr.. w. E Gonzales, in a re-
cent communication to the
Winnsboro News and Herald,
in answer to an attack made on
Mr.. Gonzales by Mr.. Johnson,
for the first time gives the his
tory of his family, which shows
that he is an American and a
South Carolinian. 1t has been
the pet scheme Of many politi-
clans, Ewhen opposed by The
State, to call the editor Of that
paper a renegade Cuban. The
part of the letter which refers
to his family, only. is given, and
is as follows:
II have never before made
reference to lineage; it is rarely
done with good taste. | neither
lean upon nor admire those who
go for support or shelter to fam
ily trees. No favors have been
asked by us of South Carolina
on account of family history,
military service or otherwise.
None will be. But since false
hood has been told by the sena-
tor from Fairfield county, it is
the right of the people of that
county to know the truth.
While Cuba has contributed
to the world men whose names
would honor the roll of patriots
of any country, am a South
Carolinian; a South Carolinian
by right of $50 years reside-ce
of my people; bound to its soil
and to the loftiest sentiments of
the state by their honorable
part in every epoch of colonial
and State history, including the
signing of the Declaration of In
dependence. Lands coming to
them as grants from the lords
proprietors are theirs today. Ny
great grandfather, William FL
lott, whose name was given to
me, was, according to O'Don-
nell's standard work, History
of Cotton" the grower of the
first successful crop of cotton
in South Carolina" in 1890. A
hundred years previous to 1870
that cotton-grower's great
grandfather was planting in
South Carolina, but little later
was "a member of the colonial
assembly, y
Fifty-odd years ago, when my
father, then long a citizen of
the United Estates. landowner
and STAKEHOLDER in South Caro-
lima, and carrying scars of bat
in the glorious cause of liberty,
volunteered for South Carolina S
war against the United States,
there was no cry of ''Cuban.''
When he, with others of the
staff, was publicly thanked by
Gen. Beauregard for service at
the reduction Of Fort Sumter.
none cried Cuban
When he was chief of artil-
lery for South Carolina, Georgia
and Florida, and built forts and
personally got cannon to mount
in them to protect our long coast
line from the enemy's menacing
fleets, the only cry I find record
ed in the press of that day in re-
gard to him was one Of thank
fulness that the energy and the
skill of A. J. Gonzales We're be
tween the people of the interior
and the would-be invaders. 4
half century ago, when he was,
by appointment, the personal
representative of the governor of
South Carolina in military af-
fairs on the coast of this state,
it was not as a Cuban.
When A. J. Gonzales surren-
dered at Greensboro-three
weeks after Appomattox-as
colonel of artillery. Confederate
States army, chief of artillery
of Hardee's corps and acting
chief of artillery of Joseph Z.
Johnson S army, and began that
weary march through desola-
ton toward the stark chimneys
where his home had been on the
coast of South Carolina before
Sherman,s raiders applied tht
torch and left gaunt want to oc.
cupy the county behind them
[ do not believe. Mr.. Editor
there was one Southern:r OF
that period so despicahle as tc
yelp Cuban" at the confeder,
OTTO soldier who freely offered