The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1921-03-30
THE LAST SHOT OF
THE CIVIL WAR
{afrs. J. r. Vandiver, in the Green
Vile News.)

{Afrs. J. r. Vandiver, in the Green
vile News.)
The Wan Between the States be-
pan and ended in South Carolina.
Historians tell about the Citadel
cadets f-ing upon the Star of the
West a. she steamed into Charles
ton harbv-, ..ori! q, 1861, bringing
supplies of war to the Federal garrl-
son at Fort Sumter. They also tell
of later attempts upon Charleston
from the sea, and of the gallant de-
tense, but no history has told Of the
last shot fred in the war, because 1t
took place away off from the seat OF
var in a section which, though it
sent many soldiers to the front, bad
escaped the actual fighting.
It was in Anderson County on the
arst day of May 1865. A body OF
Arsenal cadets commanded by Col.
Thomas, had been defending some
xorsifications above Greenville
military company which had been
organized to guard life and proper
. Capt. A. D. Hoke, of the Butler
yards, it's captain, DIR. John A.
:oadus, afterward a prominent
Baptist preacher, and W. F. Price,
member of the South Carolina
Legislature, were its lieutenants.
Mr.. Price had opened the State
trmory in Greenville and equipped
he company with arms. On account
# this act, which might bring down
vengeance on his head, Mr.. Price at
the approach of a Federal company
which was also retreating before the
advancing enemy, and the two uni
ted. They travelled the highway be-
tween Greenville and Anderson.
They camped near the home of Mr..
William E. Long, northwes. OF Pied-
mont, and stacked their arms near
we'll and being very tired, threw
themselves upon the ground to rest.
many of them falling asleep at
once.
Coming from Pickens on that
same road was party 9f Yankee
cavalry on its way to destroy
bridge over the Saluda river just be-
low Piedmont, also in search OF
horses. Fearing no danger they
came yelling and firing pistols,
awakening the sleeping Confeder-
ats. A few of the younger Arsenal
aoys in their sudden alarm ran away
leaving their guns. The greater
part, however, stood their ground
and fired such a continual volley in
. the approaching party, not having
% stop and reload because as their
.hrres were exhausted they threw
aside their own guns and picked up
chose abandoned by the fleeing
cadets, that the Federals retreated,
surning into the White Plains road |;
and were soon out of sight, giving !
up their plan of burning the bridge. !
They left behind them one man |!
badly wounded who would have been
dispatched by the maddened boys
except that some of the women of
the community came upon the scene,
begging for his life. One of them,
Mrs. Moore, took him into her home,
zhere he was carefully nursed until 1
aIe was able to ibe carried to hospi-
tal in Greenville.
Among the Confederate party was
a young man named Paul Allen,
Charlestonian, who, it is said, fired
the first shot at the Star of the West
having been a Citadel cadet at the
time and who, just to complete his
record in a satisfactory manner,
fred the, last shot at the retreating
Federal cavalry road away off in
Anderson County, ending, as he had
begun, one Of the greatest wars in
IN history.
The following boys, who were or
have been citizens of Anderson
took part in this final skir-
mish: James L. Dean, D. S. McCol-
Tough, F. A. Silcox, J. B. Lewis, G.
v. Sullivan and E. A. Smyth. The
three last named are still living.