The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1933-09-05
Rev. E. N. Joyner One Of The
Leading Figures in Earlier
Episcopal History in Section
Was Missionary in This
Section in Pioneer
Days of Church
Bv MRS. SADIE S.. PATTON

Against the checkered back
ground Of national and church
history, for four score and 81,
years, time has sketched a vlvic
picture of changing, and chang
ed, conditions in the life of the
Rev. Edmund n. Joyner, who Is
now spending the summer II
Only July 26, 1917, Edmund
n. Joyner, the son of DR.. N0af
Joyner and his wife, Emily wa,
liams Joyner, was born on the the
old family plantation in Plt'
county. where he spent his early
bovhood days with the faithful
darky playmates, and under the
tender care Of a loving negro
nanny.
His forebears, of both families,
had been citizens of Pitt county
for two or three generations
Welsh folk, who had come from
Pennsylvania, by way of Virginia,
and to North Carolina. His ma
ternal grandfather, DR.. Robert
Williams, was surgeon IN the
Revolutionary var.
Later, during the period when
the Revolutionary officer, Col.
Andrew Joyner of Halifax, was
speaker of the house, Pitt county
was presented lin the legislature
by Mr.. Joyner's two grandfath-
eis,-Dr. Williams in the senate
and John Joyner in the house.
In the 18th year of Mr.. JOY
ner's normal country-lad life, the
south was thrown into the deadly
conflict between the two rival
sections of the country. Too
Young to realize the issues in
volved, he belonged to a family
whose father held decided Opin-
ions about the wisdom Of seces-
sion, but one who, when the step
had 0een taken, gave whole
hearted support to state which
rendered service equal, at least,
to that of any other in the South
ern Confederacy. While he knew
little about the discussion OF
these questions, early in the war
Mr.. Joyner's two older brothers,
then students at the University
of North Carolina, volunteered,
and with their going began the
growth Of a persistent desire
upon his part to become a SOL
der, too. In 1864, when he was
II years old, the state began
boys of that age, and he
Joined a light artillery company
then stationed below Wilmington.
This company was made up
largely of men from Pitt and
Beaufort counties, many OF
whom were from his own neigh
borhood, and well known to his
family.
From the camp below Whining
ton, Mr.. Joyner was sent, with
his company, 3D." 18th Battalion
n. C. Light artillery, to Fort
Fisher, where it took part IN
both of the battles therein
December, 1864, and again IN
January, 1865. On Sunday, the
third day Of the attack in Janu-
airy, Mr.. Joyner was struck by
which carried away
part of the side of his head.
Taken as prisoner to Point
Lookout, he was placed in the
hospital department of the pris-
or, where his youth and good
health enabled him to survive.
Three months and half after
the close Of the war, along with
Is of his comrades, he was set
free.-on his 18th birthday. Rid
ing a mule borrowed for the
tourney. he arrived at home on
July 80, 1865, at midday,-to
the Joy of family who had
heard nothing from him for six
and who were mourning
1im as lost.
Submerged in the poverty,
,haos and humiliation brought
lpon his people by the war and
he reconstruction days, further
education presented great diff
,ulties. He went to Davis school e