Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1921-10-26

There are in Edgefeld County no
spots especially historic in that they
have been the sites of momentous his.
toric events OF battles. 1t so happen
ed that Rowden, CORVALLIS and Tar
Teton saw fit to carry on the opera
tions of the American Revolution In
the eastern and northern portions Of
the state where were fought Kings
Mountain, Camden, Eutaw Springs
and the other battles of the War for
independence. The great battles OF
the Civil War were carried on around
Charleston and Beaufort. Sherman IN
his march north from Savannah passe:
ed to the east of our county. / have
bee,F told that only one insignificant;
battle of Indian warfare was fought
within the county of which we are so
proud. =;
& has so happened that all the
events of peace in the history.
South Carolina have their setting
snTther places than Edgefeld- most
ly in Charleston, Columbia and the
halls of congress. The Ordinance OF
had its. setting in Colum-
bia, and Charleston; the great drama
of 1876 had it's center in Columbia.
Added to that which tends to make,
the annals of Edgefeld short is the,
fact, that the little that has been
written concerning the history OF the
state has been written by men from
Charleston and Columbia, who, oil
course, have told the truth from the
point of view of the community from
which they came and its citizenshoga
No one has risen with temerity to
tell the truth without fear or favor
and without desire to cover up some
events and over-emphasize others.
Won Ranke, one hundred years ago
adopted as his motto: Vices
eigentIich gewesen," aTo telrstke
truth" If we ever expect to make
what we write considered byS6e
history-reading world, We must adSst
.ttliisssas a
'oIir events and Characters m thear
real proportions.
AS l have said, Edgefeld's title to
fame does not rest on accident OF
place or narrator; but it does rest
on the fame of her men and women,
and the part that they have played
for good and ill in the making of
South Carolina, and the events of its
history. believe that it is not the
empty assertion of self-adulator
to say that with the exception Of
Charleston, this little county has,
through the intellect and activity of
it's citizens individually and en-
masse, done more to mould the des-
tiny of the state and nation than any
other county in South Carolina. Ex-
cluding the colonial and early nation
al period of the history of this coun-
ty, Edgefeld, the leader of the rising
back country, has been more instru-
mental in directing the affairs of the
state than Charleston, the leader of
that section of the state devoted to
the decaying culture of rice and In
digo, and marine shipping. From the
time when the rude fathers of Edge
field played their obscure part under
Sumter, Pickens, and Elijah Clark
to the time within your memory when
a rude farmer from out of Edgefield's
red hills was political dictator of
South Carolina, our citizens have had
their over share of power in the
state. Edgefeld governors have fire.
quently sat in the state house; there
has hardly been a time until recent
ly when this county has had one
representative in the United States
Senate; and Edgefeld generals in
number commanded Confederate
troops. The story of this glorious past
would take volume. / must confine
myself to one phase of Edgefeld
dominance in the affairs of South
Carolina, which / have had occasion
in another connection to investigate
the campaign of 1875, which re-
suited in the expulsion of the ne
groes from political control and the
reinstatement in power of the white
people of the state. With the excep-
tion of the Secession Movement the
campaign of 1876 has had more eff
feet on the history of the state than
any other movement of South Caro-
lima history,