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CHAPTER TENTH - JOURNAL CONCLUDED
"April
28th. We heard from the Clinton delegation to-day, and they informed us
thatythey had rather a rough time of it going down. After they had been
paraded through the streets of Columbia, in handcuffs, they were locked up
in the same car, with the colored witnesses against them, including the
famous Ferguson. Arrived in Charleston, they were marched a mile and a
half through the streets to the House of Correction, formerly known as the
'Sugar-House.' But kind friends were awaiting their arrival, and they were
faring now even more sumptuously than they had done in
Columbia.
"Under the inspiration of this letter, I immediately sat
down, and penned the following doggerel lines, addressed to Sim. Pearson.
Its insertion here is only excusable on the same ground that Dr. Johnson
professed himself pleased with the dancing-dog— not that the dog danced so
well, but that the dog could danced all:"
My dear friend Simeon,I have the opinion, Tour
motto is now grown bigger; "Whatever is, is right!" " Let it come Jay or
night, From heaven, earth or hell, man or nigger."When I saw you
hand-cuff'd, I thought now he is bluff'd, No chance, now, to show the
"Old Rebel;" But, as if led out to dance,You seemed seeking this chance
To spite both Joe Crews and the debble.In this right down hard luck,I
admired your pluck, And will publish it home and abroad; Let man do his
worst,Though with rage he may burst, " Old Sim' mocks them, with
strength fresh from God. I have missed you, my friend,In my snug little
den ; Though friends have heen kinder than ever I miss all your
capersYour burning my papers, Your cooking and sweeping, so clever,
Friend Craig, too, I need my newspapers to read, He gone, I can't make
an impression,I'm afraid he'll grow bold,With no Captain to scold, Each
sin, and each little transgression. Now, the Captain and I Can go under
the sky, And sit in the sun, when he shines; Though we know 'tis still
jail,And we cannot give bail, None hear from us murmurs or whines. Still
our lady-friends come,Each fresh from her home, To cheer us in this long
confinement; We love their sweet smiles,We admire their wiles, To cheat
us all back to refinement. We had ice-cream to-day,A large churn,
without pay, Sent by these same ladies, God bless them! Each ate his own
dish up,And even friend Bishop Was so full that he wished to caress
them. West went off to day,Quite bright and so gay; With a trunk from
these same ladies' bounty Rich gifts and some pelf For his wife, chicks
and self; (He's made money by serving his country). Now, Simeon, my
friend, Where will this all end? "That's not on us now!" You say with a
bow; Well, I believe you are right, So, "old fell,"good night ! Don't
kick up a row, Nor get "under cow.'
April 30th. The Captain and I have had to
apologise to our friends, both ladies and gentlemen, for trespassing on
their kindness and hospitality so long, quoting the language of Charles
II. on his death-bed, that he was an unconscionable long time in dying,
and he hoped his friends would excuse him, as he would never do so again.
Their reply was that they had had their jail visits as a part of the
programme for each day, for so many weeks, that they would feel at a loss
when we left, and would miss the excitement and the stimulus to patriotism
and good works.
The Captain and I, "true yoke fellows" are the only
occupants of our large room. From the morning of our arrest to this
pleasant afternoon we have never been out of the reach of each other's
voices, excepting when I went to Church, through his kindness. I can
safely say that in all these days, nights and weeks no unpleasant word,
act, or look has ever passed between us. Neither one of us is remarkably
good-natured at home, but our temperaments seem to be exactly fitted to
one another in jail.
It is astonishing how human nature can
accommodate itself to any change of circumstances, however violent the
transition may at first appear. Here I have been in jail for one whole
month, on a charge of "conspiracy and murder," and am constrained to look
back upon this time as one of tlfe most pleasant visits I have ever paid
to Columbia. Physically, I have been very comfortable. Could rise as early
in the morning as I pleased, and, from the abundance of hydrant water,
could indulge my amphibious propensity for bathing, to the top of my bent.
From the generous supplies of loving hearts, I could have my meals at any
hour to suit my purposes, and our old family servant, Polly, a
distinguished laundress, kept my " chest" well supplied. Socially, morally
and intellectually, the list of names, already given in these pages, the
books and papers they so constantly furnished us, and the sweet and
frequent correspondence with loved ones at home, and with old College
friends and former pupils, both in and out of the State, all show that
there was little danger of time hanging heavily on our hands.
And
then our religious privileges, not only in listening to some of the best
sermons we have ever heard, but in holding sweet converse with these
eminently gifted and godly men.
With all these resources within,
how contemptuously could we look down upon the pigmy tribe of Radicals and
scalawags, who were trying to convince themselves that they were
persecuting and degrading us. Joe Crews, sometimes comes sneaking along
the passages, but any stranger would take him for the culprit, nor would
he miss it, either.
I forgot to record, in the proper place, that
we were assured in a mysterious way, when we first arrived, that by paying
$250 each, we could all be released. In response, we passed a unanimous
resolution, that we would not pay one cent more than the law might force
out of us.
Charleston, May ist. I was interrupted, in my moralizing
in Columbia jail, yesterday afternoon, by the entrance of Mrs. Woodrow,
Mrs. Clara Leland and Mrs. Hix, who informed us that we were to be taken
to Charleston, on the night train, and that they had come to see us off.
Mrs. W. had brought wreaths for. our wrists, should we be handcuffed, and
they were talking quite bravely of what they had prepared to say to the
officials, when the time came. I told them we had no doubt they felt so
then, but when the time did come, they would find themselves much more
demoralized than when spiders and bugs fell on them. I had almost to force
them to their carriage, when the time approached, and it was none too
soon. Mrs. W. presented the Captain and myself each with a rose-bud,* to
be worn in our button- holes, charging us to keep them as long as she
would the "match-box," which she then and there appropriated. *(Both of us
have our rose-buds still—1878.)
Immediately after they left us,
there was a clanking of steel in the passage below; and on being summoned
down, we saw the tableau of Drs. McCoy and Black, bound together by "hooks
of steel," and standing as immovable as statues. Soon one of these
bracelets was adjusted to my left wrist, but when they attempted the
Captain, it could not meet. A second and a third pair were tried, with
like results. A fourth experiment caused the clasping, but only by tight
squeezing. The fact is, the Captain had the wrist of "a son of Anack" and
that saved us. I pledged myself to the Marshal, that I would hold his hand
in mine, all the way to the depot, if he would only release him from the
danger of strangulation, and this seemed to. touch whatever there was of
humanity in him, for he immediately released us all, saying, "If I can't
handcuff one, I won't handcuff any."
On our march to the depot, we
recognized the carriage of our friends, near a corner where we Jiad to
pass. As we came to the nearest point, Capt. Me. waved both hands, in
token of the absence of handcuffs, and three white handkerchiefs,
enthusiastically tossed from the windows of the carriage, was the last we
saw of these loving hearts, in our jail campaign.
We, too, were
locked up with our colored witnesses, in the same car; the design,
evidently, being to give them an opportunity to triumph over, and insult
us, if they pleased. In this, however, they were disappointed. These poor
creatures believed that they were engaged in a money speculation. They
were receiving a handsome per diem, and what seemed to them, large sums
for repeating, under oath, what had been put into their mouths; and this,
they thought, was the easiest way of earning money they had ever tried.
They felt no animosity against the prisoners. In fact, they tried to
entertain us with their songs and stories, and, at the different stations,
were always ready to wait on us, in purchasing supplies, whenever called
on.
Arrived in Charleston, we, too, were marched through the
streets, and conducted to the common jail. Here, as in every other change
of base, our experience was rather rough, at first. The jailor, receiving
us as " Ku-Klux prisoners from the up-country,"had us conducted to his
most secure stronghold. This was the third story of his " tower," a
cylindrical structure, with cells, on each story, opening on a narrow
circular passage—like the holes in a circular mouse-trap. In this passage
I am now pencilling these lines, in no very enviable frame of
mind.
May 2d. The United States jailor at the
"Sugar-house " claimed us as his guests, on yesterday afternoon, and, as
our board had cost him very little, so far, was glad to transfer us to
these more liberal quarters. Here we are again with our Clinton friends, a
large hall being assigned for our exclusive use. Our friends were
enthusiastic on the subject of Charleston hospitality. Abundant meals were
furnished, twice a day, in large hamper baskets, and facilities afforded
for spreading a regular table. At night, a lady surprised me with a
basketoisea-crabs,sent,ready-boiled; and I had to dissect and eat more
than a half dozen, before I could satisfy the curiosity of my up-country
friends. When I would take off the back of a she-crab, unusually fat, some
one would cry out, " Oh, Major, throw that one away; it's rotten." They
called my breaking into the house of a live oyster," eating them with the
bark on."
Hams and turkeys always did taste better to me, in that
latitude, than elsewhere ; particularly when flanked with rice, rightly
boiled—potatoes, where the " bark" scarcely adhered, and such vegetables
as can only be found in Charleston market. I am not much of an epicure,
but my jail experience has given a wonderful zest to such
creature-comforts.
W. D. Porter, Dr. Whitefoord Smith, Rev. Charles
Vedder, Rev. W. B. Yates, George H. Walter, Capt. F. W. Dawson, John E.
Carew, Dr. Parker, and W. Aiken Kelly, with others, spent the evening with
us, and it turned out a very pleasant reception.
Dr. Smith handed
me a letter from Rev. Thos. G. Herbert, an old friend, and " Presiding
Elder of the Spartanburg District." I knew this good brother was living on
"short commons,'* with his limited salary, and large family; and when I
found a $$ note enclosed, I was affected with a very choking sensation. I
had received many highly prized letters, filled with noble Christian
sentiments and sympathy; but it was left for this good Methodist brother
to superadd all his living—for that day, at least.
It is not as
fashionable here for ladies to visit the jail, as it was in Columbia, but
a very pleasant company did come round this morning, attracted by the
sight of a ruling elder among jail-birds. Mrs. M. A. Snowden, Mrs. Hibben
Leland, and Mrs. Cliapin, did form a very pleasant family-group, and made
me feel at home again.
But I ought to feel very uneasy, as the morning
papers announce that the grand jury have found " true bills" against the
whole batch of us, for " Conspiracy and MurderV* They probably took up our
cases in the gross, without looking at the names at all, as they reported
one name, the owner of which is now quietly at home, never having been
even arrested. The docket is all clear, and our cases come next. Hon. W.
D. Porter, our lawyer, has been indefatigable in our behalf; and, as he
seems confident, I am determined " not to cross the bridge, before I come
to it."
May 3d. Our Laurens C. H. delegation, of four, have only
been in Charleston two days and two nights, when it was announced to us,
this morning, that Judge Bond had decided to adjourn the court, and admit
us all to bail in the sum of $5000 each!
Sweet has been the
sympathy of friends, during these weary weeks of helplessness, and their
unwearied kindness and attentions have deeply impressed our hearts; but
now the cry is Liberty and Home.
Loud are the encomiums and thanks
heaped upon my highly respected friend of happier days, the Hon. W. D.
Porter; but, without saying any thing about it, "see the hand of Joab" in
all this, and my heart is welling with gratitude to the earlier friend of
my halcyon days, my old classmate in Williams College, then called "Steve
Field" but now, "the Hon. Stephen J. Field, Associate Justice of the
Supreme Court of the United States." (Mr. Porter had no bill against me
for professional services but he has the life-long gratitude of many
loving hearts.)
But from the lowest depths of a heart, now almost
dissolving in gratitude, come overwhelming thanksgiving and praise to that
God "who ruleth in the affairs of men," and "who turneth the hearts of men
even as the rivers of water are turned.'
We were soon in procession
for the court-house, to execute our bonds. There were some ladies with us,
even at this early hour, and Mrs. Chapin was noticed to snap some
implement in her pocket, which sounded like the loud clicking of the
pistol-lock. Being asked what it meant, she replied, "just let one of
those darkies on the opposite side of the street dare to hoot at these
gentlemen, and I will show you what I will do!" They did not hoot however,
and we had a quick and joyous march.
My good cousin Vedder had
already prepared my bond, with Messrs. Robert Adger and J. A. Enslow as
sureties, and I had only to step to the clerk's desk and sign, when I was
once more free. But I stuck to my comrades till the last bond was signed ;
neither did it require much time, as the court-room was soon rilled with
willing securities.
I am now busy packing up for home, and jot down
these last lines, in this strange, eventful story. I must call on friend
Vedder, and "Miss Ammie," now under the same roof, and on George H.
Walter, on my way to the railroad, and then---------!
Now, that it
is over, I greatly prize this chapter in my history; for I have learned
much I never knew before. Without affectation or cant, I have seen and
tasted the goodness and loving-kindness of a covenant God, always faithful
to all his promises. I have experienced the transforming influence of his
presence on all things and every scene, however dark and mysterious. From
the beginning, and all through this strange episode in my life, I have
felt a large share of that confidence which inspired David to write that
precious Psalm, "The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want." My body has
been in the power of my persecutors, but the me at which they seemed to
aim was as far beyond their reach, and as safe, as the highest archangel
in heaven; for I felt that I was rotected by the same power, and comforted
with the same love. The following lines express, very beautifully, my
feelings, on closing this part of my Journal:
"Thy Presence has a wondrous power, The sharpest
thorn becomes a flower, And yields a rich perfume. Whatever looked dark
and sad before, With happy light shines silvered o'er, There's no such
thing as gloom! Thou knowest I have a cross to bear, The needed stroke
thou wilt not spare, To keep me near Thy side ; But when I see the
chastening rod, In Thy pierced hand my Lord, my God, I feel so
satisfied."
Over the joyous return home, the curtain must now
drop, and the reader left to his own imagination. It will be noticed, that
very little is said about home and its loved ones, in the foregoing pages.
This has not been owing to any lack of materials, as a much larger
collection could have been made from that source. But these are among the
sanctities of life, " wherewith the stranger intermeddleth not."
In
this connection, a single allusion to a now sainted daughter—my daughter
Rebecca—may be pardoned. She left us, not long afterwards, and her early
death was, no doubt, hastened by the shock of my arrest, and the long
weeks of anxiety and apprehension which followed. Her correspondence,
during this trying time, is treasured as the choicest legacy she could
have left us. The writer learned to reverence his own child, who taught
him much of that " wisdom that cometh down from on high." Her rapid
ripening for heaven was the theme of all who were brought in contact with
her; and the writer can now thank God that she has been removed to " where
the wicked cease from troubling, and the weary are at rest."
During
these five weeks, the exercises of the college had gone on without
interruption, through the kind offices of the Rev. Mr. Riley, J. Wistar
Simpson, Esq., S. R. Todd, Jr., W. W. Kennedy, and Miss Janie Kilgore,
who, either together or in turn, had attended to the exercises of all the
classes.
But an extra United States Court had been called for
August, and every interest in that county was in such a chaotic condition,
that the writer thought it due, both to himself and the college, for him
to withdraw.
As to the United Stated Court, there had been
silence the most profound, as to his " case," ever since his discharge,
under bail, in Charleston, May 3d, 1872.
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