VOL. XI., NO. 31
"REMINISCENCES."
Biographical and Historical Sketch
by Dr. P. S. flicks, Treating of
Local Persons and Scenes.
"Then he was canscripted was he?"
She told him yes. He then asked
"Uncle Ben" a negro man who be
longed there if it was true, he told him
it-was. He told my wife to be quiet
and not be troubled, that he would give
her two guards at the gate and one at
the door, nothing should trouble her.
He was true to his word. Not another
man was allowed to go inside the yard,
and as strange as it may seem, it turned
out that the very men who had no
money to buy and that she gave some
thing to eat a few days before when
they were prisoners there, were the
very two men who were now left as
her guards to protect her. They still
remembered and thanked her for past
kindness to both of them. They also
gave her some mixed sugar and coffee,
all they had with them. Later on the
very same Regiment or a part of it was
assigned to come and remain at Tar
boro for several months after the war
for the purpose of controlling and re
lieving the colored people after the war,
and the very two soldiers spoken of
above, came out to see me and talked
over ihe coincident. They proved to
be very nice gentlemen. They were
from Oswego, N. Y.
Now back to my company. After
staying out the extent of my second
furlough. L found Braswell occupying
my tent where I left him, (that is what
was left of him.) His eye-brows and
hair singed off, his face skinned over
and he under the care of the doctor.
You see after I left him to go home he
began to experiment with a loose
cartridge of cannon powders testing its
strength, etc. Its appearance is some
thing like crumbled rotten wood with a
dullish look. He had the cartridge or
part of it in one hand and took out with
The other hand some of the powder and
while standing in the; tent threw it into
the fire. The fire and ashes Hashed" all
over him, caught the other powder in
his hand, blew him over," burned his
hair and hands and face, blew away the
tent and its contents and alarmed the
camp generally. But in a week or two
he was himself again, and wiser as a
soldier, for he had learned more of the
power of the cannon powder. It was
expected every day for the Spring Cam
paign. of battling to open as usual.
Capt. Latham had been elected sheriff
of his respective county, and John R.
Potts first Lieut., was elected Capt.
His home was in Washington, N. C. at
that time. His parents were refugees
at Tarboro. One morning Capt. Potty
sent for me to come to his tent. I went
and he told me that I was due to have
another 30 days furlough and if I said
so he would apply for it for me. I
readily consen ed, in a few days he had
it ready for me and I was off for home
again. He sent by me several of his
little important things home to his
father. He expressed to me a present
ment that in a few days he would be in
a battle and expected to be killed, and
that I might never see him again. It
was so. When I told him goodby I
looked in his face, there was a calm
solid look and a wistful expression. He
said, "tell my father if I never meet
him in this world again, I hope to meet
him in a beLter world where there will
be no more war." I did as he told me
and delivered the articles and the mes
sage to his father. His father was a
very old man. I will never forget his
look ween I told him. He nodded his
head and said, "thank you," then looked
down and could say no more, the tears
ran freely down his cheeks. I shook
hands with him, told him good-by and
left him standing in the door. He died
shortly after that and I never saw him
any more. About three days after that
I left my company the Spring Campaign
of battling commenced, and will be long
remembered. The terrible "Battle of
the Wilderness" was fought, and sure
enough Captain Potts' battery was
placed in the center of the road on a
hill and ordered to stay there at all
hazard, live or die, and to throw canis
ter and shell down the road with all the
rapidity possible. He did it, he held in
check regiment one after another of
yankees charging up that wide road,
known as the slaughter place of the
wilderness, for nearly one hours time
without any support from the infantry. ■
He knew the infantry was coming but
a long way off. They came in double
quick time. The Yankees were charg
ing at full speed the entire breadth of
the wide road as far as could be seen
and in thirty steps of our cannons. We
had four large field cannons side by side
pointing down the road fixing with all
rapidity possible, just in time, two or
thrw*»nmtes- -been
too late our support for the artillery
was there.
Our infantry had doubled quicked
three miles probably, they passed right
by our artillery in a charge. It was
almost a hand to hand fight. The rebels
had one important advantage, they
were charging down the hill. It was
soon over, the federals retreated in bad
condition, but the battle was over and
somebody was hurt. Yes Capt. Potts
at the very last moment was struck
with a piece of shell, his leg cut or
broken and he bled to death before he
could possibly get medical attention,
though he lived long enough to know
he won the battle.
CaDt. Potts was a good man and a
brave soldier. I was not an eye wit
ness to the battle spoken of above, but
was told upon my arrival about it, by
my brother soldiers. When trying to
describe a battle we cannot describe the
position of the entire army. I have
only described the position of my com
pany as told to me. The Battle of the
Wilderness was May sth, 1864.
After the death of Capt. J. R. Potts,
Lieutenant H. G. Flanner of Wilming
ton, N. C., was made captain and re
mained until he surrendered at Appo
mattox Court House.
I returned to my company which was
near Hamptons crossing. From then until
the seige around Richmond and Peters
burg we continued chasing the Yan
kees and they chasing us, now and
then one would flank to the right and the
other to the left; now and then a battle
and the picket firing continually. Oc
casionally a raid was made by the Con
federates. On one occasion we captured
about 800 large fat oxen, the nicest I
ever saw, from the Yankees. After a
while we were ordered from the north
side of James river, to Petersburg, in
double quick time. When we got there
we found the city in a critical condition,
the Yankees were in beckoning distance
and had already been throwing shell in
the city. Our force there was very
weak, and the city was depending on a
very weak line of a few pickets, backed
by the hand of Providence. These
pickets had been without relief for
uMC tiV&n X nin V t
how the citizens of cheered
as we passed through the city to the
eastern side near the old Blanford
church to take possession of the lines.
As we passed the street were lined
with both ladies and gentlemen and
they were there for other purposes
than to cheer, for they had ready large
cans of hot, sweetened coffee, at every
street corner, and we were invited to
fill our tin cups and drink as we hastily
passed. There were also numbers of
baskets fillea with nicely cooked victuals
put up in lunch form; these they hand
ed to us. We were on a forced march
and had no time to stop and cook. It
was a grand donation to us, we poor
hungry soldiers. I never will forget
them, though there be few of them
living now. God bless them all.
We put our guns in position after
dark, in two or three hundred yards of
the enemy's breaskworks. There were
but little breastworks thrown up on
our lines at that time and they only heid
by a few pickets, 15 or 20 steps apart
and supported by no artillery at all.
(To be continued.)
little Licks at Liquor.
(BY D. H. TUTTLE.)
Brandy burns the brain.
Whiskey widens the way of wicked
ness.
Beer makes bigger belly but less
brains. Read Rom. 16:18, Philp. 3; 19
The place for all liquor is in the gut
ter but don't run it through a man to
get it there.
Liquor gets liberty by licenses and
enlarges hell for its libertines. Isaiah
5:11 to 14.
Kill it! Kill it! Kill what? That ap
petite for whiskey that is forming in
you. See Prov. 23:32 right now.
Why is the whis-key the worst of all
keys? Because it unlocks more doors
to sin than any other, and at last lands
more souls in hell than any other.
A Drama in Four Acts.
Act I —Before the bar of the saloon.
Act ll—Before the bar of the court.
Act lll—Behind the bar of the jail.
Act IV—Before the judgment bar
of God.
Let's all be ready to strike a ballot
lick on May 26th that will forever lessen
liquor's liberty in the "Old North State
forever."
Tarboro Boys Win.
The Tarboro smaller f oya walloped a
like aggregation of graded school boys
of this city on the local diamond Friday
«f ternoon by a score of 17 fco 12.
A Newspaper For The Home.
ROCKY MOUNT, N. C., IHURSDAY, APRIL 2, 1908.
A GREAT TEMPERANCE LECTURE
Rev. Geo. Stewart, the Noted Evange
list and Lecturer, Speaks to
Large Audience in Opera Hoose.
Rev. George Stewart, the noted
evangelist and temperance lecturer,
spoke to an audience of 800 or 900 in the
Masonic Opera House in this city Fri
day night, and for nearly two hours held
the closest attention of his hearers,
whom he swayed with his great powei
of word painting, apt illustration and |
logic as the wind sways the trees, car
rying them from uproarous laughter at\
his sallies of wit and sarcasm to tears,
by a touching story of the blighting in
fluence of strong drink. Again he
would have them mentally digesting his
wonderful logic as he swept away the
planks on which stood the saloon advo
cates, offering argument for argument
and meeting every contention fearlessly
and without equivocation, frequently
bringing into play the power of invec
tive. No one who heard him could help
being entertained, whether agreeing
with his utterances or not; for h9»is.a
live wire.
Among the things he said was that
the nation was endangered by a dark
cloud of anarchy hanging over it, and
that anarchy was fostered by the sa
loon, as is the mob spirit and all kindred
evils. He took up the question of reve
nue from the liquor business being an
excuse by business men for opposing
prohibition, and in a most convincing
manner showed how the saloon takes
from the pockets of the working men
hundreds of thousands of dollars, in a
community, and then gives a small part
back in taxes to help run the govern
ment. If this amount, said the speaker,
were spent for shoes, clothing, dry
goods and groceries etc, these business
men could well afford to pay this
amount of tax out of their increased
profits, and not feel it. He illustrated
his argument with a most amusing
story, which threw the audience inte a
convulsion of laughter. He charged the
saloon keeper with being worse thant>
nig., way
voted to license him to sell liquor was
worse than the man who soid it. In
making out this charge he said that
any father had rather find nothing in
his son's pocket than a bottle of whis
key, hence whiskey was worse than
nothing; then if whiskey was worse
than nothing the saloon keeper who
sold it was worse than the robber who
took the money and left nothing. And,
»aid the speaker, the man who votes to
license whiskey selling adds to the
guilt of being a party to it the cowardly
act of having some one else do a thing
he would not do himself.
The speaker excoriated the business
men who oppose prohibition because
they are afraid it would hurt business,
and said they were a party to the crime
and bribe taker?. The address was full
of anecdotes used in illustration of
points by the speaker and the applica
tion was made with great effect.
Added to his remarkable talent of
mimicry and unique character and an
easy flow of language a great knowl
edge and wide experience Mr. Stewart
is well qualified to deliver a temperance
lecture with great power and in a way
to hold the interested attention of an
audience through it all. His audience Fri
day night were moved at times to great
demonstrations of enthusiasm and ap
plauded without stint his blows against
the liquor traffic.
Mr. J. I. Barnbill, of Tarboro, Dead.
Mr. James I. Barnhill, one of the
leading business men of Tarboro, died
there last Thursday, aged sixty-one
years. He had been ill for two years
with a complication of disease. Mr.
Barnhill came to Tarboro fifteen years
ago from Pitt county, and amassed
quite a little fortune in the lumber bus
iness. Surviving are his mother, Mrs.
A. S. Barnhill, two brothers, Sidney
and Gray, two sisters, Mrs. Roebuck
and Mrs. Everett, of Pitt county, and
one sister, Mrs. Lon Harris, of this
place.
Ry. Mt. Shuts Raleigh Out.
The Rocky Mount High School team
outplayed the Raleigh High School
team at every point in a pretty game
of ball in this city Saturday, shutting
out the visitors, 4to 0. The game was
well played, few errors being recorded
against either team—honors being
even, 4 and 4. The locals had the best
of it in the batting, getting 9 hits 'off
Stafford, while Edge only allowed 4.
The batteries were: Raleigh, Stafford
and Faucette; Rocky Mount, Edge and
Jordan. Umpire, Mr Hsgfc - Wttliford.
Published Every Thursday Morning.
STATE ITEMS OE INTEREST.
A Panorama of Passing Events Called
From Our North Carolina Ex-
changes.
iJiss Lollie Smith, 17 years old, was
burned to death in her home in Winston-
Salem Sunday night as a result of an
explosion of a lamp.
Fire Sunday night at Charlotte prac
tically ruined the Southern Pants Co's.
ititlcry and did other damage to a total
arsount of $70,000.
When attempting to arrest James
fiurch, a negro, Chief of Police Bell, of
City, was shot through the
leg by Burch, Saturday.
The Southern Railway has let the
contract to J. C Morris, of Greensboro,
fo? *40,000 worth of improvements to
round-house at Spencer.
Three stores of John Hanff and two
Greek restaurants on Middle street, in
New Bern, were burned Monday morn
ing, causing a loss of $3,000.
Because the New Bern Iron Works,
at New Bern, cut their employes'
wages 25 per cent, 20 of them quit,
leaving only four or five at work.
James C. Craft, of Wilmington, Class
of 1909 at Harvard University, won the
Price Greenleaf scholarship, one of the
most important scholarships at Harvard.
Sam Murchison, the negro who killed
Chief of Police Benton, of Fayetteville,
Feb. 23, was convicted Thursday of
Murder in the first degree and will be
hanged April 16th.
Hon. W. M. Bond of Eden ton, who an
nounced some weeks ago his candidacy
for congress in the first district, against
Congressman Jno. H. Small, has with
drawn from the race.
fedwin H. White, of Burlington, a
young man of 25 years of age and un
married, committed suicide by shooting
himself In the heart Friday night. No
'• -.use is ascribed for his rash act.
Q. >U. Campbell, a former superin
riJrnr-
N. C., around whom there grew
a great scandal a few years ago, com
mitted suicide in New York last week.
John Triplett, a 17-year-old yonth of
Hickory, committed suicide by shoot
ing himself to death with a shot gun,
Thursday, because his elder brother
reproved him for something he had done.
native African boys in charge of
Rev. Frank Arthur, a mission worker
on the coast of Africa, arrived in Salis
bury last week to take a special course
in Livingston College, a negro institu
tion.
At Raeford, Cumberland county. Sat
urday night, Whit Monroe, colored,
shot fatally Frank Walker, a negro
youth, at the home of Bert Nicholson,
a woman over whom the shooting took
place.
Chief of Police Monaghan, of Fay
etteville, was attacked by a crazy man
when he entered the letter's room in
the hospital, and badly hurt. The chief
overpowered the maniac and locked him
in a cell in jail.
Farrar Turner, a negro oysterman at
Elizabeth City, committed suicide by
drowning Sunday. Turner lost his
week's earnings in a crap game Satur
day night and, it is said, this was the
cause of his suicide.
Engineer W. W. Rippey and Conduc
tor C. M. Oakey, of the Southern Rail
way, who were tried last week in Ral
eigh, for manslaughter because of the
wreck at Auburn last summer, were
acquitted by the jury.
J. S. Brock, a former employe of the
Waccamaw Lumber Co., at Wilming
ton, has brought suit for SIO,OOO dam
ages against the company for the loss
of an eye by accident which occurred
while he was at work.
Upon President Venable's return
from a two month's visit to Italy the
students of the A. &M. College Satur
day gave him a great reception, ring
ing bells, having a torchlight procession
headed by a band etc.
The T. A. Gillespie Co., contractors,
have filed a mechanics lien for $730,000
ou the property of the Whitney Reduc
tion Co., in Stanley county. The Whit
ney is a $10,000,000 corporation and is
now in the hands of a receiver.
When C. H. Russell, a prosperous
farmer, of near Charlotte, opened hi»
front door one morning last week a
coffin, that had been leaning against
the door fell inside. Nailed to the coffin
was a note signed "Black Hand," de
manding money. Russel's young wife
was thrown into hysterics, and a phy
sician had to be called. Two young
men are under surveiliance and their
arrest is expected.
Turner Bailey and Sam Roberts, two
youug farmers of Old Field township in
Wilson county were killed last week by
a freight train on the Norfolk & South
ern railroad, about 10 miles from Wil
son. It is said both were intoxicated.
Alsey Perkins, of Reidsville, was ac
cidentally shot and instantly killed by
his cousin. Charles Gauldin, Saturday
night- Gauldin had just bought a pis
tol and shot at an outhouse to try it,
and Perkins was, unknown to Gouldin,
standing in the door of the house and
received the bullet.
The Washington Messenger tells of
an extraordinary surgical operation per
formed in the hospital in that city, on
Miss Annie May Woodard, a lady who
lives 10 miles from Washington. The
young lady became choked while eating
her supper and all efforts to relieve her
failed until six days had passed, when
resorting to a desperate remedy Drs.
Joshua and D. T. Tayloe removed her
stomach, made an incision in it, passed
a hand in and dislodged the obstruction.
The lady was soon able to drink water
and take nourishment, which she had
not done for six days. It is believed
she will recover.
Rocky Mount Tobacco, Market.
With this month virtually closed the
sales on the Rocky Mount tobacco mar
ket for the present season, though the
warehouses are open and ready to take
care of and sell to advantage !all that
may be brought, but there is little or
no tobacco left on farmers hands, and
some of the largest buyers have quit
the market, not being able to get
enough to justify their following sales
any longer.
"We publish herewith a comparative
report of sales of leaf tobacco this year
and last year. It will be seen that the
sales fall short 117,000 lbs., while the
average price per pound is about the
same. It is well known that the acre
age was slightly increased the past year
and but for the exceedingly poor yield
per acre, the crop would have weighed
out from 9, to 10 millions of pcunds.
The price has been very satisfactory
V.W Wl.uk; J Jdk, k+xs.i l n 1 .. ■
rior quality of the tobacco offered the
farmers have not been nard to please
and in most cases have been agreeably
surprised that they got so good a price
for such inferior tobacco. Had the
quality been good and the yield better,
the farmers in our section would have
realized fine prices for the product and
.made good money on the tobacco crop.
With the low prices prevailing for
cotton, and the better labor conditions
lit is thought the crop will be slightly
increased in this section the coming sea
son, though much will depend upon con
ditions from now on, both in regard to
seasons and the supply of labor; while
necessarily the price of cotton will cut
some figure. The world can take the
present supply of tobacco at good prices
and the trade seems willing to do so.
The only fear is over cropping, which
would be bad in any farm product,
though we think our farmers are too
wise to fall into that error.
Sales for March 1908, 240,648 lbs.
Average $9.25.
Sales for March 1907, 196,652 lbs.
Average $8.84.
Increase for this March 44,006 lbs.
Sales to date 1908, 6,928,131 lbs.
Average $10.46.
Sales to date 1907, 7,045,148 lbs.
AVerage $10.55.
Decrease 117,017.
Roanoke Union at Enfield.
Dr. I. M. Mercer returned Sunday
night from Enfield, where he attended
the Roanoke Union of the Tar River
Association, Friday to Sunday. The
union was largely attended, the 100
churches of the association being rep
resented, and in addition to an interest
ing program much important business
was transacted. Prof. C. W. Wilson,
of Scotland Neck, was moderator. Dr.
Mercer conducted an evangelistic 'ser
vice for children Sunday, and Rev.
Braxton Craig preached two able ser
mons, also, on that day.
Plans were formulated for the for
mation of an association of 45 churches
, in the Tar River Association, east of the
Atlantic Coast Line Railroad and a few
on the border in Nashville and Red Oak
sections. Mr. T. M. Arrington, of
Rocky Mount, was elected chairman of
a committee to draft a constitution and
by laws for the new association to be
submitted to a meeting to be held in
the First Baptist church in this city
Oct.. 13, at which time the new associa
tion will be permanently organized.
The Roanoke Union will hold its next
meeting on the fifth Sunday in May,
with the Arlington Street church of
this city, when the church will be dedi
cated. Rev. Livingstone Johnson, sec
retary of the State mission board, will
deliver the dedicatary sermon.
PRICE 5 CENTS
HAPPENINGS IN POLICE COURT.
Comedy and Tragedy of a Week as
Enacted in Calamity Hall Before
Mayor Thorp.
The accumulation of a several days'
business caused a pretty long docket to
be for trial in the recorder's court
Monday morning, but none of very
great importance. Randall Battle was
fined $7.50 for disorderly conduct; Lilla
Hart, for taking part in an affray,
$7.50, while Annie Rowell who was in
dicted with her was discharged; W. W.
Biggs, riding a bicycle on the sidewalk,
was fined $2.00. Quite a number were
fined $2.00 each for failure to use lime
on their premises, and Mayor Thorp
announced that the most rigid inspec
tion of lots would be made by the po
lice and every person in Rocky Mount
who failed to use:lime would be fined.
For their own protection it looks like
people would observe this sanitary law;
but some will not, and these will have
to pay for such failure.
Rocky Mount Misrepresented.
In a communication to the Raleigh
News and Observer the Wilson corre
spondent of that paper says he was in
formed that the Recorder's court! in
Rocky Mount had for trial Monday
morning 30 cases, and adds that Rocky
Mount has barrooms, thus implying
that this is a city of disorder because
of the fact. This is far from the truth,
and while it does not undertake to de
fend the saloons, which cause enough
trouble, the Lord knows. The Record
would correct the wrong impression
caused by the misrepresentation. As a
matter of fact only 13 cases were dis
posed of in the Recorder's court Mon
day morning and seven of them were
for violation of the sanitary ordinance
relative to using lime. The others were,
1 f. and a.; 1 affray; two for riding
bicycle on the sidewalk, and 2 for dis
orderly, one of the last named develop
ing the fact that the parties concerned
had been drinking. Inasmuch as Mon
day's docket was the accumulation of
three days' business, no court being
that this is a very gocfl recora for a live
city of 10,000 inhabitants. In matters
reflecting on a person or community
writers for newspapers should get
their facts on straight, and this rule
The Record recommends to the bright
young man who serves a number of
State papers from the Wilson section.
Republican Ex. Committee Meets Here.
The Republican executive committee
met in the banquet hall of the Masonic
Temple Tuesday afternoon and called
the convention to name delegates to
the national convention and nominate a
candidate for congress. Postmaster
Robbins, who is the Edgecombe memr
bero£the committee, made a hard fight
for Rocky Mount for the place to hold
the convention but the majority voted
for Kinston, and the convention will be
held there may 14th.
Those in attendance were Chairman
J. E. Cameron, of Lenoir; Secretary J.
D. Meares, of Wilson; R. H. Norfleet,
of Bertie; Mc. N. Ferguson, of Halifax;
G. W. Robbins, of Edgecombe. War
ren, Greene and Northampton were
represented by proxy.
Assaulted in tbe Dark.
When Charlie Carr, a colored boy who
works for Mr. Wiley Walston, was re
turning from South Rocky Mount Thurs
day evening, where he had been to de
liver a package, two negroes attacked
him, the boy alleges, and knocked him
off his bicycle. .One of the men shot at
him and the other struck him in the
back with a stick. He sustained inju
ries which later caused him to be
come unconscious,. Who the men were
or why they attacked the boy is not
known.
R. L. Davis. Sunday.
Rev. R. L. Davis, State organizer of
the Anti-Saloon League will deliver a
prohibition address in the First Metho
dist church Sunday afternoon at 3:30
o'clock. Everybody is cordially invited
to hear him, and may feel assured that
he will entertain them on this live sub
ject. As State organizer Mr. Davis
probably knows as much or more than
any other man of the progress of the
campaign for State prohibition, and he
is brim full of the subject. A special
musical program will be arranged for
the occasion.
Anti-Saloon League to Meet.
The Anti-Saloon League will meet at
the First M. E. Church Friday night,
3rd., at eight o'clock. All friends of the
cause of prohibition are welcome. All
committees will be expected to make
reports of the work done.
, J. H. W estbrook,
Chairman.