The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1916-12-27

by N. A. Bull & Co. The firm was
composed entirely of northern men,
and among their numerous employ
ees were four young men from way
up north-Connecticut. They were
George H. Curtiss, John C. Pike, Lee
w. Hitchcock and William A. Church
When the call for troops was made
these four young men promptly
answered the call and enlisted in the
Edisto Rifles and as efficient, faithful
soldiers fought through the entire
war and as good fortune favored
them, neither of them suffered any
material injury. After the war was
over Hitchcock and Church went back
north. George Curtiss went into bus
when last heard of him he was a
prosperous and well thought of citi-
zen. John G. Pike located in Orange
burg and went into the mercantile
business there married and died few
years ago, respected, honored and low
ed by all who knew him. About fiji
teen or twenty years ago, Church paid
visit to Orangeburg for the first
time after leaving it to enter the con-
federate service. He stayed quite
awhile and while there joined the
Camp of Confederate Veterans and
before he left he was awarded the
Confederate bronze cross, of which he
was exceedingly proud. He afterward
wrote back to the commander of the
camp at Orangeburg, that he was new
er so proud in his life as when he
was walking the streets of his home
city with his cross conspiciously
displayed on the lapel of his coat. No
doubt-as he said-it attracted much
attention and kept him busy telling all
about it. But there was another
northern man who enlisted in the
Edisto Rifles at the very beginning
of hostilities who calls up many more
memories and for much more talk
than the four I have already named.
This fifth man was Ira T. Shoe
maker. He was born and reared in
Herkimer county, N. Y, and was a
graduate of Yale His health was not
very good, so some few years before
the war he came south, hoping that
a warmer climate would build him up.
He stopped in Orangeburg county,!
S. c., and commenced teaching school
in one of the academies which the an
te-bellum planters used to maintain
for the pre-college education of their
children. 1t so happened that he was
employed to teach in our neighbor-
hood and I went to school to him for
two years and it was due to his
thorough and efficient work that was
enabled to enter the sophomore class
first year at the university. While
teaching the first two years after
coming south he boarded in the fami-
ly of one of the wealthiest planters of
that section of the country. There
were three or four very nice and at
tractive daughters in the family and
naturally enough there was soon
love affair on between the pedagogue
and one of the girls. Of course there
was opposition by the family, but only
because the schoolmaster was north
ern man and not rich. But this made
10 difference to the two parties chief
ly concerned and the result was an
elopement and marriage. This sever
ed diplomatic relations between the
two families, but it did not seem to
faze the bride and groom a bit. They
moved into our section and Shoemak-
er was then employed to teach the
school at the academy where went
to him. His father-in-law and fam
lily completely ignored him and his
wife for year or two, but he lived
tc see the day when he was prouder
OF Shoemaker-and for mighty good
son-in-law that he had and he had
four or five. When the war began
Shoemaker promptly enlisted and
made as. brave and efficient soldier
as ever wore the Confederate, uni
form, and although in many severe
and holly contested battles he came |
through to the end without a scratch.
He was twice specially mentioned by
the commanding officer in his report
of the battles for conspicuous BRAY |
cry and heroic conduct on the battle
field and though only private was
recommended for commission. At
the fall of Fort Fisher, on the 18th of
January, 1866, he was captured and
was, with a number of others, taken
as a prisoner to the federal prison
at Elmira, N. Y. Shoemaker's home |