The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1919-06-06
A REAL FIND.
(Index-J

thew Love at old Ninety Six in 1854
in this newspaper last week has re-
suited in a real "find", real contri-
button to local and State history,
through the interest of Mr.. A. j.
Sproles, of this city. Mr.. Sproles
has a copy of the "American Muse
um" magazine published shortly
after the Revolution, for the year
1887. all numbers bound in one. In
this bound volume among other
things of interest, is copy OF a
letter written to Governor Guerrard
by Judge Aedanus Burke himself,
giving full account of the famous
hanging. It is an official report and
is the last word on hte affair. Evi-
IDENTIFY it was not known or was not
available to either Judge O'Neall or
Gov. B. F. Perry, or their accounts
would have had some reference to
Judge Burke's own account of it.
The contribution to history lies in
the fact that Judge Burke specifically
states that Love was NOT taken from
the court house and hanged, but that
the party waited until court had ad-
journed and then went to where Love
was lodging and took him out and
hung him. He further says that they
observed "every precaution" to re-
spect the presence of the judge in
the town. Thus the stories as t.
what he said in court both as related
by Judge O'Neall and by Gov. Perry,
who wrote the account for Johnsons'
Traditions, were without foundation.
Judge O'Neall expressly states that
TRADITION ays so and So" Gov. Per-
ry relates his account as if it were
from unimpeachable sources. Thus
falls to the ground another piece of
"history."
The first part of the letter is taken
up with an account of the bloody
deeds of certain Tories in the district
during the Revolution and thus ex-
plains the strong feeling against
Love on the part of the patriots. 1t
appears that Love had run away
shortly before the close of the Revo-
luton and it was when he attempted
to come back to his old haunts that
he was arrested and thrown in the
Ninety Six Jail.
The letter from Judge Burke to
Gov. Guerrard, with the sketch of the
part of certain Tories before the end
of the Revolution, left out, is as fol-
lows:
"Copy of letter from Mr.. Justice
Burke, to the governor of South
Carolina, giving an account of the
execution of a man named Love at
Ninety Six, in November 1884.
Charleston, 18th, Dec. 1854.
SIR:
I arrived from my circuit this ev-
ening, and take the earliest oppor-
tunity to communicate to your ex-
cellency very extraordinary affair
which happened in the town of Nine
ty Six, on the 9TH ult. I suppose
your excellency is not unacquainted
: with the noted Tory, William Cum
ningham." He then relates the
massacres of patriots by Cunning
ham and says that "a man named
Love" was one of his principal lieut.
enants. owe was fiend in human
form. When Col. Hayes and his par
ty had surrendered and Cunningham
ordered them killed, Love went to
the work with the fire of a savage
and not only killed more than any
one else, but took his sword and went
: all around, thrusting it into those
who had not died instantly when cut
down or shot by others. 1t was said
that those already dead, he stabbed
again and gave many barbarous in
suits to the bodies of Col. Hayes,
Captain Williams and others of the
party of patriots which had been
massacred. The facts were related
by Majors Hunter, Downes and Null
wee who through the soft-hearted-
ness of member of the band, and
bv the intercession of their own