The Pickens sentinel. (Pickens, S.C.) 1911-2016, 1922-09-14
Am OLD EX-SLAVE VISITS THE
SCENES OF HIS BOYHOOD DAYS

| Among the few old time slaves of
other days IS William Washington of
near Greenwood, S. C. Before the
war he was the property of Mrs. Sal
lie Child Robinson, wife of Dr.. George
r. Robinson, late of Liberty, Pickens
county.
Just few days ago he came to
Pickens to see his white folks" Mr..
[. e. Robinson, son of DR.. Robinson,
who was baby and whom he helped
to raise while he was slave. To-
gcther they visited the scenes of Mr..
kobnson's birth and the boyhood
days Of William, at what is now the
Presbyterian parsonage near Carmel
Presbyterian church N the lower part
of this county.
1t was indeed pathetic to see. Will
liam as he tried to recall certain
spots or locations about the place.
lle pointed out the place where the
Doctors office stood and where the
skeleton was kept. He showed where
! row of houses were located where
the negroes all lived. He looked at
the acres and acres IN cultivation and
would say call this was in woods"
and call that was in cultivation"
pointing to the fields which had grown
up in pines. He showed where he
fitched the horses to the old Crock
away" and drove his young mistress
to cid Carmel to preaching and whore
/, he sat high up in the gallery. lie
recognized the old building and the
grounds around the church for it
looks very much as it did then.
| William is now 80 years old, is
! we'll and strong and his mind is bright
and clear. He is preacher of moro
than ordinary ability and stated that
he served one church fer 27 years.
He went to Richmond in 1868 as
the "body servant" Of DR.. Robinson
and remained until the close of the
var. He was in the regiment COM
inandcd by Gen. Jenkins, in which
regiment Dr.. Robinson served as
surgeon. His principal duty while a
battle was going cn was to hold the
doctors horse and keep him iii read
mess for mounting.
He said they would often dig tren-
chcs 30 feet long, and wide and deep,
and dump the bodies in as so many
logs and in any kind of fashion. That
some times these trenches would be
SO full that only about foot of
earth was required to cover them.
He grew hardened to war as evil
dcnced by the fact that he said on
one occasion when they were in pur-
suit Of the Yankees he saw one of
them leaning in fence corner and
noticing that he did not move decided
to make an investigation. Upon ap-
| preaching him he saw that the man
was dead, whereupon he inspected
his pockets and was happy 70 find
fifty dollars which he cheerfully APP
i propriatcd to his own use.
One of his trying experiences was
when he had to do without something
TO eat for more than two days at a
time; and another one was when a
bullet went through his hat on his
head.
lie remembers vividly the Black
Staunron river red with the blood OF
the dead and saw numbers Of bodies
floating down the stream.
He was a happy young "nigger"
| when he was told that the war was
over at Appomattox and when his
young boss said "Comc on Bill, let's
go homc' SO they mounted hcrses
and in company with the late e. IL.
Shanklin of Pendleton and others
they wended their way home.
He was the nephew of "Old Nanny
Sal" who spent her entire life with
Mrs. Elizabeth Child and her son
Rufus a. Child who lived the greater
part Of his l:fe at Pickens.
There are few of the old ante
bcllum negroes living, and it is rare
: that one can be found of Williams
, strength Of mind and body at his
advanced age. 1t was indeed plea
sure to his "young white folks" to
have a visit from him and hear him
rehcarsc many incidents of the past.
One thing especially that was pleas
ing was tic praise for his formc"
, master for his kind treatment while