VOL. XI., NO. 29
"REMINISCENCES."
Biographical and Historical Sketch
by IK. r. S. Hicks, Treating of
Local Persons and Scenes.
The second battle of Manassas I also
witnessed, but a long way off, so I
could only get what is called a birdseye
view of it. It was at the time I had
charge of the forge and my position
was well in the rear. The battle lasted
three days, Thursday, Friday and Sat
urday. The battle would usually begin
about an hour after sunrise, just after
we had finished our breakfast, and end
about dusk; and later on in the
evening the firing became more general
and terrific. The musketry was a con
tinual roar, the artillery a general
bombing and at the same time the
shells bursting in the elements so fast
that it is impossible to describe them.
The Federals had the advantage of the
battle grounds, they were sheltered
mostly by the woods, while our men
were out in the open field and without
breatsworks at all. That was an ex
citing critical period of the war; the
third day (Saturday night) closed the
scene. When Sunday morning came
the Federal troops were all gone ex
cept their dead and wounded who were
left lying on the field. The Federals
sent in a flag of truce asking to be per
mitted to care for their weunded and to
bury their dead. It was granted.
'fhe federals and confederates ail
worked together caring for their
wounded and burying their dead. I
know this to be a fact for I saw it.
Now back to g.»ing into winter quarters
the second winter. A week or two be
fore my company went into winter
quarters I was taken sick in camp, with
a severe pain in my side. It turned
out to be side pleurisy as we called it
then. I was fearful and felt the danger
of what was corning. I was anxious to
be taken to a hospital where I could
have proper attention. To hurry this
up I h d to play off a little and make
oui 1 .vat Jc&cr wab. j[
stopped eating, or looking after my
rations and paid no attention whalever
to anything. 1 was pretty soon hurried
off to Richmond and I was not hurried
off any too quick either. I was about
two dajs getting there. After arriving,
then I was kept over all night and halt
the next day in the distributing hospital
with »U the pain I could possibly bear
I was sent from there to Chimboraso
hospital. There I was given medicine
and a blister put on my side eight by
ten inches. In two or three days the
blister had drawn its full size and I
was a little better. But, my readers,
if you were ever skinned alive you can
tell about how I felt. The doctor con
sented for me to send for my wife,
God bless her dear soul, in three days
she was there. She brought me lots of
nick nacks, apple brandy, wine and
everything she could get that she
thought of. Readers, I can't tell how
much good it did me, her attention and
tenderness in nursing me. I mended
very fast. The doctor went with her
and found a nice boarding house near
by. She stayed a week or so then left
me and went home. People «iay say
what they please about its being out of
place for a woman to go to see her hus
band, brother or father but I think it
is a mistaken idea. It's cheering, sooth
ing and it's beneficial both to the mind
and body to have the tender hand and
care and presence of a dear loving
mother or wife or even a dear sister to
come to see you if you are a soldier and
in soldier quarters sick and with no one
around who loves you. I have been
right there and I know the feeling.
God bless the women who did attend,
the best they could, their fathers, hus
bands and brothers in the late war.
I continued to mend and soon was
able to go to the dining room to eat,
and that was my greatest desire, I
could eat two men's rations at one time.
I often would do that on the sly. The
table was not long enough for- all to
eat at once so sometimes a friend of
mine, Mr. Weldon Hunter from Tar
bo *o. and myself would exchange hats
so as to disguise ourselves and march
in the second time and eat again. We
were not allowed to go out* of the en
closure without a permit, and colored
women with "snacks" for sale were
not allowed to come inside but there
was a plank off the wall and then the
"snack peddlers" would collect, they
outside and we, the soldiers, inside.
The rush was equal to that around a
circus ticket wagon at the beginning of
a show. Every soldier wanted some
thing extra to eat and every colored
peddler wanted to sell I
remained at Chimboraso only a month
or so. One day an order came for
about seventy five or one hundred con
valescents to be .sent to Huecanout
Springs hospital. The number of men
9he ft&eku Mcunt Record.
PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY BY THE ROCKY MOUNT PUBLISHING COMPANY.
were drawn out to go, I wanted to go
but missed it. Hunter was one to go.
I decided within myself that I would
go too, now how to do this was a trick.
I pretty soon found a man by the name
of Smith who lived in Richmond that
was assigned to go and did not want to
go, I told him I could fix that when
orders were given to fall in line to go,
1 would fall in and answer to his name.
I did it and all worked well. He stayed
and I went and I never heard anything
more from Smith. When We got there
the roll was called, Smith's name wa*
called but he didn't answer. I told the
roll caller that there was a mistake in
name, that my name was Hicks and
not Smith, so that was alright. Well
we marched from Chimboraso to the
James river canal boat station and put
on board the tow boat. That was
drawn by horse power, and so con
structed that it was drawn by three
horses. They traveled on a tram road
or a little straight path right beside the
canal one horse right behind the other
and a man on the rear one with a long
lash in one hand and a horn in the other,
and away he went up the canal lashing
his horses and blowing his horn. Oc
casionally we would stop at a lock, the
water would become too shallow to
travel on they .would shut the gate
down behind the boat to dam the water.
In a few minutes we would be elevated
six, eight or ten feet. Then we would
go ahead to the next loch and so on till
we got to the station. It was then
almost night. Hucanout Springs are
on the south side of James river. I think
about twenty or twenty five miles from
Richmond and about two or three miles
from the river. When we landed the
wind was blowing a perfect hurricane
and it was impossible to cross the river
that night, so we all had to camp in
some old vacant coal pit shanties. We
had no dinner, no supper and no bedding
at all and but little fire, the weather
was freezing cold. But as luck would
have it I had bought two full grown
rabbits and a lot or ioaf bread in Rich
mond before leaving there. I divided
with my /ri«^yHor?m "•;$ got
veryWi. "morning we crossed
the river and marched to the Springs.
There was a hotel and some other build
ings but they were then used for
hospitals. We were distributed around
in different wards.
Hunter and myself were given a
small room about eight by ten and twp
single bunks in it. Another man was
already in the room, so there it was,
two mer to a one man bunk. The room
had no fireplace in it, and the weather
was bitter cold. I sat down and asked
the man who was in the room, how
things were. "Rather rough," he said.
I asked about the ward master on that
floor, and the man replied, "He is from
Atlanta, Georgia, and we call him
Georgia, he is pretty rough and a young
"up start," knows nothing about war
and has no sympathy for a pick or
wounded soldier." The surroundings
in the room were very uncomfortable
for three of us, so I decided to go up
and see what could be done. I was
told that it would be np use that the
ward master would not let me in his
room. Alright, I will kick at the. moon
if I miss it, says I. I went to his room
and walked right in about midway the
room and stopped. "What will you
have?" he asked. I told him who I
was and what I would like to have.
"Go ahead," he said. I told him that
before the war I was Prof. Hicks, the
southern magician and ventriloquist,
but now I was a soldier in the army
and a convalescent in his ward and
wanted special attention from him. He
looked at me as if spellbound and then
gave me his hand. "Is this Prof.
Hicks himself?" he asked, I told him
it was what was left of him. He ask me
to have a seat, and said that he would
give me all the comfort and attention
in his power. "Here is a good fire,
there are two feather beds, in rny pos
session, one is mine and you can use
the other." He sent to that little
room for my baggage, and he was true
to his word, and did all in his power
for me. Of course I amused him with
ventriloquism etc,
In a week or two after becoming
more acquainted with the ward master
I found him to be a pretty clever fel
low, that is he was to me, he had a
feather bed, a plenty of something good
to eat and a nice warm room and every
thing pleasant, all of which he divided
with me.
The transformation from that little
cold room above spoken of was like a
fairy story only this is a true story.
In a week or so he asked me if I would
like for my wife to come and stay with
me a month or two, and if so he would
let me have a room with a fire place
and that I could have the feather bed
I was sleeping on and that he would
arrange for her to dine at the doctor's
table. Of course I gladly accepted the
offer and wrote for my wife and two
children which we had at that time.
To be continued.
FOCKY MOUKT, N. C. f IHIJESEAY, MARCH 19, 1908,
MR. E. L CHEVASSE KILLED BY TRAIN
Well Known Rocky Noont Nan Meets
- Tragic Death in Lexington, Ky.,
Where he Recently Went.,
The shocking intelligence was re
ceived in this city Tuesday morning of
the tragic death in Lexington, Ky., of
Mr. E. L Chevasse, who left here just
before Christmas to take a position in
the office of Shelburne & Sons, ware-
house. A telegraphic dispatch to
The News and Observer gives the fol
lowing details of the tragedy which
caused the death some hours later, in a,
hospital, of Mr. Chevasse:
Lexington, Ky., March 16—"Ernest
L. Chavasse, book-keeper for the local,
tobacco warehouse of Shelburne &
Sons, was struck by the Cincinnati Lim
ited, a north bound passenger train of
the Cincinnati Southern Railroad and
his death is momentarily expected at
St. Joseph's hospital.
He is suffering from concussion of
the brain, compound fracture of the
right arm, wound in the stomach, be
sides, it is believed, other internal
injuries.
Chevasse was en route from his*
boarding house to his rooming apart-,
ments and in a double track crossing,
was waiting, standing on one track, for
a freight train to pass, that he could
proceed upon his homeward journey,
when the passenger train turned a near
by curve on the track he was stanclifig
on and hurled him forty i'eet. His, wife
and two small children reside at Rocky
Mount, N. C. He was well and favora
bly known here."
Mr. Ernest L. Chevasse was born int.
London, Eng., 44 years ago and came
to this country in 1890, taking up nis.
abode in Henderson, where an uncle
lives. He engaged in the tobacco btsi-,
ness, in which he continued until his
untimely death in Lexington, Ky.
While living-in Henderson : he was united
in marriage to Miss Mary M, DaVega,
of Chester, S. C., *ho was attending
school jp f Thtj* • -g\
this city, where MrV.'Chevasse and the
two young children, a boy and a gir/
reside now. Prior to his going to Lex
ington, on Dec. 1, of last year, Mi
Chevasse v. as with the W. L. Petty
Co., as bookkeeper, and also did simila'
service at the Farmers warehouse. Hb
was very popular with his business a;-
sociates and liked by all in the cotr
munity who knew him, to whom hs
tragic death was a sad shock. He wa;
a mem >er of the Rocky Mount Tobaco
Board of Trade and the board will at
tend the funeral in a body this morning.
The remains were shipped here from
Lexington and will be interred in Pine
View cemetery at 11 ocl ck today.
Resolotions of Respect and Sympathy,
At a called meeting of tht> Rocky
Mount Tobacco Board of Trade, held on
the 17th day of March 1908, the following
resolutions, reported by a committee
appointed for that purpose, were unan
imously adopted:
Resolved, I. That we have heard
with deepest sorrow of the tragic death,
at Lexington Ky., on yesterday, of our
lamented friend and brother member of
the Board of Trade, Ernest L. Chevasse,
and wish to express to the bereaved
family and friends of our departed
member our deepest sympathy with
them in this hour of affliction. He had
been a resident of our city and a mem
ber of our Board of Trade for many
years, and by his genial disposition,
gentlemanly conduct and sterling worth
as a man, endeared himself to every
one with whom he came contact.
2. That these resolutions be spread
upon our minutes; that copies of same
be furnished press for publi cation, and
that a copy be sent to his bereaved
family
3. That as a further mark of res
pect the Board of Trade be requested
to attend the funeral in a body.
Respectfully submitted,
Edgar W. Smith,
C. C. Cooper.
A. B. Willingham,
Committee.
Mrs. T. J. Harris Dead.
(News and Observer.)
There passed away yesterday morn
ing at 7:30 at her home at Caraleigh,
Miss A.nna Harris, wife of Mr. T. J.
Harris, after being ill for less than a
week with pneumonia. Mrs. Harris
was formerly Miss Annie Joyner,
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. N. T. Joyner
of Nash county. She was a consistent
member of Caraleigh Baptist church
a devoted wife and mother. Besides a
husband and six children she leaves to
mourn her loss a father and three
brothers, all of Nash county, and one
sister, Mrs. John Drew, of this city.
The funeral will be from her girlhood
home and the interment will be at the
old Joyner cemetery in Nash county.
M • k »
I [STATE SUNDAY SCHOOL CONVENTION.
JTwenty-flfth Annual Convention of the
I North Carolina Sunday School As l
fj soclatlon.
| The greatest Sunday school meeting
of the year will take place in Burling
tsn on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thurs
Ny, April in the Christian church.
?his will probably be the best conven
tion the State association has ever held,
jlthe Burlington people are making
livery effort to make the delegates wel
come. The entertainment will be free,
|s ad any one interested in Sunday school
may attend.
V The music will be a charge of Messrs.
Tullar and Meredith, of New York City,
both of whom are known and loved in
our State. It will be worth a trip to
Burlington from any part of our State
jVsst to be in the song service of the
convention. They have few superiors
• as leaders of gospel music.
Among the speakers on the program
*re W. C. Pearce, of Chicago, the
teacher training and organized adult
department superintendent of the Inter
national Sunday School Association;
- 3/?rs. J. W. Barnes, superintendent of
fkaef elementary department of the Inter
national Association; Rev. B. W. Spil
man, of our own State; Dr. Jas. A. B.
Scherer, president of Newberry Col
lege, S. C., besides many other Sunday
School workers in our State.
; It will be of interest to all Sunday
sebool workers to know that the after
noons are to be given to conference
There will be conferences on
primary work, on county and township
uficers, on organized adult class work,
Baraca and Philathea work and on
fctucher training.
of the subjects to be discussed
ark: —"America in Sunday School
Vs>rk," "World's Sunday School Con
veption at Rome," "Studies of Jesus
£sa Teacher," "The Pastor's Relation
to! the Sunday School," "The Making
r Aa Teacher," "Marks of a Well
fa
Win and Hold Men," "The Boy Prob
lem," "Children," "Temperance,"
"The Adult Organized Class Move
ment' and other subjects vitally con
nected with the Sunday school?
This is an inter-denominational Sun
day school convention and every Sun
day school in the State ■ should have a
representative in Burlington.
Any one wishing to attend should
send their name to Mr. W. K. Holt,
Burlington, and entertainment will be
provided.
Getting on in The World
is a matter of vast personal interest
to each and every one of us. There is
a wholesome joy in making headway in
the world of dollars; in feeling one's
lorizon of poverty being pushed back,
oushed father and farther away. Get
,ing on in the world means growth,
naterial growth; a broader grasp of af
fairs and a larger confidence in one's
ibility to do the things which count;
the things which make for the
iig of our community certainly is a mat
ter of personal interest to every prop
erty owner, every tax payer, every
joung man and every young woman in
cur town and the surrounding country.
Do you wish to join the ranks of those
vho are getting on in the world? Its
rot so hard as" you may imagine; just a
liitle practical application of the virtue
of thrift, a cutting out of your unnec
essary expenses, the saving of your
expenses, the saving of your money
aid the starting of an account with
The Bank of Rocky mount.
Florence District Offices Abolished.
(W ilmington Messenger.)
The following order has been issued
from the office of General Superinten
dent A. W. Anderson, of the second di
! vision, under date of March 11th, the
order having been issued from Florence
S.'C.
"To all Concerned:
"Taking effect March 15th, 1908, em
ployes on the line between Pee Dee and
Navassa, Elrod and Conway, and the
Conway Coast and Western railway,
heretofore reporting to R. B. Hare,
superintendent at Florence, will report
to J. A. Fountain, superintendent at
Wilmington District, Wilmington, N.C.
"Employes on that portion of the
line between Florence and Wadesboro,
Sumpter and Parkton, the Bishopville,
the Qartsville, and the Gibson branches
heretofore reporting to R. B. Hare, su
perintendent, at Florence, will report
to C. L. Porter, superintendent, Col
umbia District, Florence S. C.
Tnis order meajns that effective March
present superintendent of the
Wilmington district, in division No. 1,
Mr.' J. A. Fountain, will assume (juris-
| diction on the Florence district, in the
second division as superintendent, the
A. C. L. officials having seen fit to di
vide the present Florence district.
That portion of the line north of
Florence will report to Mr. Fountain
while the portion of the district south
of Florence will report to Superinten
dent Charles L. Porter, of the Colum
bia district.
The order abolishes in effect the
Florence district, recently established,
dividing it between the Wilmington
and Columbia districts.
Under this order Mr. Fountain be
comes superintendent of 548 miles of
the system. This means increased re
sponsibility, which however it is certain
will be well cared for. Mr. Fountain is
a capable and efficient superintendent,
whose efforts have been always exert ?d
for the betterment of the road.
Whltakers Items.
"Spring time has come, Gentle An
nie, " and soon the songs of bird and
bee will be heard from early dawn to
close of day.
Miss Annie Mann, a young lady of
exquisite charms and beauty, has re
turned from Nashville, where she has
been visiting her Aunt, Mrs. Lizzie
Carter. y
Misses Tomlinson and Young and
Messrs. Wyatt and Tomlinson, of Smith
field, were the guests of Eld. A. J.
Moore last week.
Maj. Jno. W. Blount, of the Elm
City Mirror, spent Saturday and Sun
day here. Mr. Blount is a very brilliant
writer and a most excellent fireside
companion.
We were glad to meet on our streets
Mr. Jesse H. Herbert, of Rocky Mount
last week.
Mrs. Beavens Whitaker, of Winston-
Salem, is spending some time with her
father and mother, Mr. and Mrs. F. H.
Cutchin.
Mr. and Mrs. W. G. Greene and little
son, Alton Cufcchin Greene, have been
vJs&Lmg. Liu.? tsar®.ftyaurip
. . v- • . H| -•* * t
Rev. Mr. Whitaker, preached a very
able sermon at the M. P. church Sun
day night.
Rev. Mr. Overton began a protracted
meeting at the M. E. church Monday
night, and preached a very able sermon
to. an appreciative audience.
The angel of death has again visited
our town and taken from the home of
Mr.- J. C. Moore his little year old son,
Joseph Andrew, whose beautiful and;
bright little face made him the pet ot
all who saw him. The bereaved family
have our heartfelt sympathy.
If the legislature would pass a uni
form, reasonable, high-license tax on
whiskey, and every one to manufacture
and sell who chose to do so, then enact
a law making drunkenness a misde
meanor, and upon conviction the parties
so convicted should serve a term of 30
days in the chain gang, irrespective,
such a law would be worth all the State
prohibition laws that could be passed.
This law would do away with all illicit
stills and blind tiger business.
Soit for Slander.
(Enfield Progross.)
Three suits have been instituted by
A. P. Kitchin, of Scotland Neck,
against S. W. Morrisett, Frank Shields,
and N. B. Josey, of the same place, for
$20,000 each. The bills of complaint
filed allege slanderous statements by
the defendants to the effect that the
liquor election by which Scotland Neck
went wet several years ago was stolen
for the saloon interest by Mr. Kitchin,
who was one of the pole holders. The
case promises to be hard fought and to
attract a great deal of attention. The
attorneys for the proseciftion are Kitchin
and Smith, of Scotland Neck; W. E.
Daniel, of Weldon; and E. L. Travis,
of Halifax. Albion Dunn, of Scotland
Neck; and Day, Bell and Dunn, of En
field, will conduct the defense.
State Convention Charlotfe, June 24.
The State Democratic executive com
mittee, inf session at Raleigh Wednes
day night, decided, by a vote of 49 to
29 to hold the next convention in Char
lotte, the other contesting city being
Greensboro, where the conventions have
been held the past several years. The
time fixed for the convention is Wed
nesday, June 24th.
The Personal Interest
you take in building up and caring
for it will have much to do with your
individual success and success of amy
enterprise with which you identify
yourself. It is all under your own con
trol —come in and let us tell you how
easy it is to start an account with The
Bank of Rocky Mount
- PRICE 5 CEN'i.
HAPPENINGS IN POLICE COURT.
Comedy and Tragedy of a Week as
Enacted In Calamity Hall Before
Mayor Thorp.
The recorder's docket was light for
the last three days of the past week
and only small offenses were tried.
Thursday, Jim Webb, for disorderly in
a negro pool room, was fined $5.
Millard Sanders, for drunk
and disorderly, was fined S2O, and Arch
Thomas colored was assessed $1.50 cost
in addition to his taxes for failing
•*o work out same when ordered to do so.
When court was convened Monday
morning there was a heavier docket
than for some days previous. The first
on the list was David Stewart, drunk,
$5; J. W. Parham, drunk, $5; John bud
son drunk, $5; W. T. Langley, drunk
and disorderly, $lO. Roy Mann and
Drew Coley, for ridiculing, harassing
and othewise annoying old man D. B.
Harris, at the Falls, were fined $7.50
each. The boys had made life miser
able for Mr. Harris by a series of
jeers, taunts etc, and his patience ceas
ing to be equal to it he applied to the
law for protection.
Tuesday morning Glarence Wilson, a
negro hobo from Fayetteville, was
given 30 days for beating a train.
For a week past there has been very
little doing in Tribulation Hall and
Wednesday morning's sessions was no
exception, George Edmunson was re
quired to pay $2 for leaving his horse
unhitched on the street. Charles Raven
ner, a colored man who was arrested
for trespassing on the property of the
oil mill, after being forbidden, was al
lowed to go because of physical disa
bilities.
Sharpsburg.
Sometimes it may seem as though a
place had served its day and genera
tion, and would therefore be known only
iin history But though like Rip Van
Winkle a slumber of seven years or
' longer may take nlac°, there are still
'dormant energies that may be aroused,
activities that may be developed, and
with the inflow of fresh blood and energy
a place may take upon itself new life.
Such has been the case with Sharps
burg. Within a few years a progres
sive spirit is being manifested, and the
town i:j having a slow but steady
growth. Six stores now conduct its
mercantile business, furnishing every
variety of goods to the town and the
community, conducted by enterprising
ever ready to accomodate
and please their customers. A good
banking institution serves the financial
interests of the town and surrounding
country. From a very respectable
railroad station a large amount of
freight is shipped and received, indicat
ing a healthy activity in business.
Our mechanics are busy in their
various trades, new buildings are in
progress, and everything t»how3 that
Sharpsburg has aroused to new life and
progress.
jggWhile material interests ai;e advanc
ing the intellectual and moral and
spiritual welfare of the people is receiv
ing proper attention. We have a large
public school and the teacher, Miss
Rosa B. Westray, is proving herself to
be an earnest, enterprising and success
ful teacher, highly esteemed by the
community.
The Missionary Baptist church has a
new pastor, Rev. E. B. Walts formerly
of Woodland, N. Preaching services
are held every second Sunday, morriing
and night, They will soon have a rec
onition service for their pastor and in
April Sunday school will' be reopened
and a prayermeeting held on Wednes
day nights.
Sharpsburg.
Earnings of the A. C. L.
The following special from Raleigh
showing the earnings of the Atlantic
Coast Line R. R. Co., will be read with
interest:
Raleigh, N. C., March 16.—The At
lantic Coast Line Railway reports to
the corporation commission its gross
earnings for the quarter ending Decem
ber 31st as being $1,884,529, against
$1,8J.4,558 for the same quarter in 1906.
The operating expenses last quarter
amounted to $1,316,904, against $1,237,-
715 in 1906. Total number of passen
gers carried last quarter 561,868 against
404,913 for same quarter in 1906.
Tbe Nan Who Succeeds
in getting things to come his way
generally makes sure by going out
to meet and invite them in. He
has a checking account at the bank
because of its real value in limiting
wasteful expenses, its conveniences,
its safety and he kapws it is an invita
tion to success to meet him half way, an
invitation she is in the habit of accept
ing. Why don't you have a bank ac
count?