The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1912-06-12
MIR. GONZALES AN AMERICAN
For the First Time Gives History OF
Family in Reply to Attacks

MIR. W. E. Gonzales in a recent com
munication addressed to the Editor o.
The News and Herald, of Winnsboro
in answer 10 an attack made on Mr.
Gonzales by Mr.. Johnson, for the hrs
times gives a history OF his tamil!
which shows that he is an Americana
has been the pet scheme OF many po'
liticians when opposed by The State
to call the editor of that paper a
renegade Cuban" That part OF the
letter which refers to his family, on
w, is given here, as the readers OF the
Medium are not interested in the frs
part of it, and was as follows:
Il have never before made refer
ence to lineage; it is rarely done with
good taste. l neither lean upon nor adj
mire those who 60 for support OF
shelter to family trees. No faVors
have been asked by US Of South Car
DINA on account of family history
military service or otherwise. None
will be. But since falsehood has beer
told by the senator from Fairfield
county, it Is the right Of the people O
that county to know the truth.
Is a South CarOlinian
While Cuba has contributed men tc
the world whose names would honol
the roll of patriots of any country,
am a South Carolinian; a South Caro-
linian by right Of $50 years residence
of my people; bound to its soil and tc
the loftiest sentiments of the state by
their honorable part in every epoch o.
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. My great grandfath'
er. William Elliott, whose name wal
given to me, was, according to O'Don-
nell's standard work. History OF
Cotton" the grower Of the FIRST sue
cessful crop of cotton in South Caro-
lina," in 1880. A hundred years pre-
vious to 1890 that cotton-grower's
great-grandfather was planting in
South Carolina, but a little later Was
"a memebr of the colonial assem-
bly,"
Fifty-odd years ago, when my faith
er, then long a citizen Of the United
States, landowner and Shareholder
in South Carolina, and carrying scars
Of battle in the glorious cause OF lib
erty, volunteered for South Carolina's
wal against the United States, there
vas no cry of "Cuban!" When he,
with others of the staff, was publicly
thanked by General Beauregard for
service at the reduction of Fort Sum-
ter, nome cried "Cuban!"
When he was chief Of artillery for
South Carolina, Georgia and Florida,
and built forts and personally got
nannon to mount in them to protect
our long coast line from the enemy's
nenacing fleets, the only cry l find
recorded in the press OF that day
in regard to him was n Of hank
fulness that the energy and Skill OF
A. J. Gonzales were standing between
the people of the interior and the
would-be invaders. When he, a half
century ago, was, by appointment, the
personal representative Of the gov
ernor of South Carolina in military
affairs on the coast Of this state, 1t
was not as a Cuban"
When A. J. Gonzales surrendered at
Greensboro-three weeks after Apo
mattox-as colonel Of artillery, Con-
federate states army, chief of artil-
lery Of Hardee's corps and acting
chief of artillery Of Joseph e. John
ston's army, and began that weary
march through desolation toward the
stark chimneys where his horne had
been on the coast of South Carolina
before Sherman's raiders applied the
torch and left quaint want 10 occupy
the country behind them, I 10 not be-
lieve Mr.. Editor, there was IL South
erner of that period so d~espica5le as
to yelp Cuban" at. the Confederate
soldier who freely offered his life to
the Southern Cause and uncomplain'
ingly lost in that cause all that a MAI
of honor may lose"
William E. Gonzales,
Columbia, S. c., May 9th, 1912.