A VOICE FROMSouth CarolinaTwelve Chapters Before Hampton and Two
Chapters after Hampton |
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A VOICE FROMSouth CarolinaTwelve Chapters Before Hampton and Two
Chapters after Hampton |
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| CHAPTER EIGHTH - JOURNAL OF A
PRISONER As all the facts connected with our jail experience must be gathered from the journal already mentioned they may come fresher to the reader's notice, if quoted directly from its pages. The writer will, therefore, make free use of it in what is to follow. "Union Jail, April 4th. Yesterday we had a most unpleasant wagon ride of thirty-five miles, through a cold, drizzling rain, to the common hall of this jail, which we reached long after night-fall. Our overcoats, etc., were completely saturated, and the jailor could furnish us with no dry blankets, as he said all of his had been burned up in efforts to stay the recent fire in this town. We had no lights, and only tthe fragments of our noon-day lunch. Yet we had our first "family prayers; " the acting chaplain repeating the 23d Psalm from memory, with the bible in his hands, and singing the hymn beginning, 'There is a fountain filled with blood. ' Good Capt. Me. afterwards declared, that while these exercises were going on, for the first time since his arrest, he felt a flood of light and comfort flowing into his soul. With floors covered with several coats of tobacco juice, and with such moist bed-clothes as our bundles furnished, we did not enjoy our night's rest. Our kind friends in Union, Col. Young at their head, have provided for us a bountiful breakfast, spread just in front of the jail, and which we can see through the bars; but as we are to take the train for Columbia, and it is nearly time for the whistle to blow, we begin to fear that our gallant little lieutenant intends to cheat us out of this creature-comfort too. Columbia, April 5th. The apprehension expressed in the record of yesterday was too well-founded ; as we were kept under lock and key until the first whistle blew, and then hurried by the well-filled breakfast table without a chance to touch it. But we were only in a fitter plight to appreciate Mrs. Elkin's kindness at Alston. When we stopped there, all of us were crowded into her little reception room, where she soon presented herself with a two gallon coffee pot, quite full, and with the necessary trimmings. This Christian charity warmed our hearts as well as bodies, and we will not soon forget it. Here West gave the first symptoms of that pneumonia, from which he is now suffering so,intensely. That cold wagon ride from Laurens was too much for his feeble frame. We re ached this jail about sunset on yesterday, and were marched here from the depot some half a mile, "two and two, Newgate fashion." The procession was a gloomy one; thirty-six hungry and jaded men encumbered with all the baggage we had, and moving through the middle of the street with a mob of negros of all ages and of both sexes, cursing and jeering at us from both side-walks. There was some delay at the door of the jail, until some negro convicts could be moved from the lower corridor of cells, to make room for us, when we were ushered into their places, and assigned six to a cell. Again supperless and without lights, we had our family worship, and, gloomily enough, passed our first night in Columbia. West becoming seriously ill, the jailor summoned the jail physician, who turned out to be Dr. Talley, whom had I known from his boyhood. From West's critical condition, he ordered him to be transferred to the second floor, where there were two adjoining rooms, with windows and fire-places, intended for officer's quarters. He also detailed me to nurse him with such assistants as I might deem necessary, and for whom I would become responsible. This was carried out this morning by placing West in the smaller of the two rooms, and in my calling for eight assistants, including all of our number who were fat and infirm. I would have called for more if accommodation could have been furnished them, as the doctor, in his kindness, had not restricted me in that respect. Our Presbyterian friends first found us out this morning, and as we had a case of u sick, and in prison," the ladies were about the first to " minister to us," and our back rations were soon abundantly made up. April 6th. From our experience on yesterday, I would most heartily recommend to any Ruling Elder who may be sent to jail, to select the institution in Columbia, particularly if he has a father's reputation to fall back upon. No Moderator of a Synod could have received more attention, nor could he have fared better than I did on yesterday. Not only "the Elders who were in that city but the "mothers in Israel," and, outside of all church ties, representatives from almost every class of the old regime kept dropping in upon us. Thus our Laurens delegation soon found themselves transformed from Ku-Klux prisoners, ordered about by dirty little turn-keys, or dirtier little Lieutenants, into something like moral heroes or certainly into martyrs, in the eyes of those whose opinions we most valued, and the transition was a most grateful one. Here follows the record of days and weeks of unwearied kindness and liberalty on the part of our Columbia friends. During all our fourtveeks sojourn in their midst we never ate one morsel of jail rations, and our larder was kept constantly supplied with the best the market could afford. We knew that hams, turkeys, roast-pigs, fish, oysters, etc., were more frequently on our board than on the table of any hotel in Columbia, and our gratitude was in proportion. When it was ascertained that our stay was to be protracted, the ladies organized regularly for this work. Some would collect contributions, mainly from the merchants on Main street. Others would purchase and see to the preparation of the supplies, and a third party would see to their safe delivery at head-quarters. Mrs. John B. Adger was supervisor and treasurer, and at the close of our term in Columbia, she wanted the writer to accept, for distribution, in cash, the forty-five dollars surplus, then in her hands. This was declined, with many thanks, as we were then going to equally hospitable friends in Charleston. More than a year afterwards, when the writer had left Laurens, mainly on account of these very troubles, and was seeking a new home, with very limited means, Mrs. A. handed him this identical amount, as the representative of those for whom it was intended. Mrs. Dr. Woodrow was the most constant of all our lady visitors. The Dr. would leave her at our door when he rode to deliver his lectures in the College, arid call.for her on his return home. Her bright face, sparkling wit, and cheery talks, became a necessity to us, and if ever she was prevented from dropping in, the day seemed lost. Her name has become a household word in all that section of country, from which the prisoners came, and in the heart-gratitude of those loving ones whom she may never see in the flesh; she already has her reward. Mrs. Clara Leland, the step-mother of the writer, was as indefatigable as her other engagements would permit, and, had circumstances required it, would have shown the same self-sacrificing devotion to the son which she had already illustrated in the case of the afflicted father. As to the sick man, West, the attentions of the ladies were unremitting. Mrs. Adger, particularly, became very much interested, and furnished his sickroom with new bedstead, bedding, bed-clothes, and many other conveniences. When his wife came down to see him, she sent her back with a large trunk of clothing for herself and her children. West, himself, soon began to convalesce under the tender nursing he received, backed by the constant attention of Dr. Talley. In three weeks he was strong enough to return home, and was presented by Mrs. A. with all the furniture of his sick chamber and the expenses of himself and family home. We will throw the mantle of charity over his subsequent career, which is an act of great forbearauce on the part of a fellow-prisoner. There were others of the good ladies of Columbia, as Mrs. Howe, Mrs. Peck, Mrs. Plumer, Mrs. Mc-Master, and others, whose alms and prayers we had constantly, but whose nerves shrunk from such a jail. Mrs. Howe and Mrs. Peck did venture once, however, and the effect on the latter I will not soon forget. She had been the life-long friend of my sainted mother, and her wild, distracted look is before me even now. John Leland! are you in this horrid place ?" Then glancing across the passage at the long row of assassin-looking negro convicts, and at the bars and bolts all around her, she choked down and said no more. I doubt whether an actual visit to the "Spirits in Prison" could have affected her more. But that mother's arm around my neck, and that warm mother's kiss meant more than all she could have said; and I went "in the strength thereof for forty days," at least. Other lady friends were frequently with us,but a simple record of their names must suffice just here. We kept a register in our "Bible," and now have the autographs of Mrs. C. D. Melton, Mrs. George Symers, Mrs. Preston Hix, Mrs. LeConte, Mrs. Goodwyn, Mrs. Taylor, Mrs. Boatwright, Mrs. Thornwell, Jr., Mrs. McCormick, Mrs. Horace Leland, Mrs. N. W. Edmunds, (the writer's only surviving sister; she and Mrs. Horace Leland did not reside in Columbia), Miss Percival, Miss Gussie Waltour, Miss Fickling, Miss May and Miss Smith. Of the numerous sympathizers of the sterner sex, probably Dr. Plumer, and his son-in-law, Mr. S. S. Bryan, were the most constant. The latter was a Pennsylvanian, yet, though his powers of locomotion were very feeble, hardly a day would pass without his kind sympathy and pleasant words. Dr. Plumer brought two tin pails on his first visit, the one with a gallon of tea, ready sweetened, and the other of chicken soup. As there were more of our number complaining besides the sick man, these proved very acceptable. Every day after that, Sundays excepted, his rockaway would be seen at our gate; and balanced by the same tin-pails, with precisely the same quantity of tea and soup, his venerable form could be seen ascending our stairs. Where he obtained such a constant supply of chickens, in a market so variable as that of Columbia, was a puzzle to all of us ; but they never fell short in legs or wings . One day, there was an extra newspaper bundle under one arm, and on opening it before me, (I can hear his deep tones now), " We don't want you to give up too much, at once! " Saying this, he displayed a goodly pile of hanks of the finest Virginia smoking tobacco! A very sensible present it was, as it reminded me so often of the kind donor every day, and caused me to bless him so early every following day. Rev. Drs. Howe, J. Leighton Wilson, Jos. R. Wilson, Adger, Smyth, Girardeau, and Rev. Messrs. Green, Manning Brown, Wm. Martin and J. H. Thornwell, were frequently with us. From such a list, we had no difficulty in getting two sermons every Sunday, and very excellent lectures at our family prayers. The Theological Students also frequently came round, and conducted evening worship for us. Dr. Plumer distributed some of his own books, and Dr. Adgcr saw to it, that every one who needed it should be supplied with a neat copy of the New Testament and Psalms, bound together. Eternity alone will develop all the fruits of these high religious privileges; but the writer knows of three cases, where they were most signally blessed. One of these was a gentleman of high standing, who, before his imprisonment, seldom attended church, and was rather sceptical in his views. A few weeks after his liberation, he appeared before the session of the Presbyterian Church in Laurens, on a profession of faith, and has since become a Ruling Elder and one of the pillars of the church. Whether such results as these did not compensate a thousand fold for all our troubles, is a home question, materially modifying the cry of "martyrdom." Our " fellow-citizens," who honored us by their visits, constitute a very formidable list. Among them can be mentined, Col. Thomas, Dr. Miot, Dr. Smith, Gen. Preston, Col. McMaster, Col. Palmer, W. H. Trescott, R. L. Bryan, J. H. Kinard, and many others. Col. Thomas and Dr. Miot were the most constant and regular of these, and their matinee visits were always anticipated with much pleasure. The writer can safely assert, that at no previous visit to Columbia, and for the same length of time, had he ever seen so many of his friends, and so often. General Preston's notions of spiritual comfort differed somewhat from the D. D's. His remark to us was, "well, gentlemen, we are all in jail in South Carolina; the only difference is, you are under shelter, and those of us who are on the outside, have to dodge the storm as best we can." Soon after he left, he sent us a five gallon keg of lager beer. For want of something better, we drew it off in water buckets, and thus distributed it up and down stairs. Never has lager beer been served in more generous bumpers, and never was a keg more expeditiously despatched. And as to the quantities imbibed, some found they had deceived themselves, while trying to deceive their neighbors. Neither were all efforts at entertainment on one side. Capt. McCarley, the oldest of our number, was the greatest ladies' man we had. Ben Ballou, with his whistling, accompanied by the guitar, would outdo the mock-bird itself at its own notes. And the irrepressible Sim. Pearson was the life of the whole party in practical jokes, and a cheerfulness that nothing could interrupt. He had spent some months in a Northern prison during the war, and his jail experience was invaluable to us. A very energetic, industrious farmer at home, he made the most of the small area he now had, for physical efforts. He was sweeping the floor constantly, while daylight lasted, and if any stray newspaper fell in his way, it was sure to go into the fire. He said he had not read one of them since the war, and he never intended to read one again. Once he was seen with his head bowed almost between his knees, as he sat on the edge of his bunk. Some one, rallying him on having the " blues," he said: " I was just thinking that my poor wife had been bothering me, all spring, to let her have the horses for just three hours to go and see her mother, and I always answered her that I could not possibly spare them. Now, just to think, she has had them for three weeks, to go just where she pleases!" Then with one or more perpendicular leaps, followed by successive somersaults, without regard to the impenetrability of his neighbors, he would scatter his cares to the winds. The only memorial he kept of his farm, was a small onion-set, planted in a match-box filled with earth, and kept constantly on the mantel-piece. Mrs. Woodrow fell heir to this, at last, and took it with her on her three years sojourn in Europe. Now that she has returned home, she has the same box with the same earth in it, and waiting for Sim. to renew his crop. When Mayor McKenzie presented us with a box of assorted candy, Sim. became confectioner with some mercantile devices not known to the outer world. |
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