PAIADWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA

PAIADWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA
Edward L. W*lli»
By James Hftnry Rice, Jr.
ietpr part of the ivtn ceanary. They I during tht draft note, when th« cit
TI*» no Boritan connections and were I remained fotfy days in ^osisssion ol
foWrant in religious bt fiefs snd at- ft the mob. Mr. Walls says he saw many
taefced to civil liberty. They loft Kn- t negroes run down In the, atrcet a
*t a time when therawas neither kiUed, and their quarters Were burned
, tor religious liberty. The La
He adds that published statistics vast
ifrflpes wesjs people of courage, sub- ly understate the loas of life. Order
and culture, taking rank in the was restored by ruahing in Union
entitled. troops.
wer entitle.
they werj
which tey
<*j«my to wc
Tw 'young bride is descried as "of
He also adda:^
afttrective personal appearance, dark
"Tke atmosphere vibrated night and
In coloring, hair and eye* and with day with excitement sgd my heart to
id complexion. Her intelligence the sound of the rifles, which was al
and practical good sense were
way* preient in my fnlasjination. The
her pluck and endurance under intense bitterneia of feeling between
trials indomitable; her amia those opposing' nnl faverfag the war
bility, cheerfulness and lovableneas un- it would be impossible at this date
f^atling. No man ever had a better to pic turf to you. . I believe it was
lother, a purer or a sweeter."
much greater than between the arsjied
Her father was one ef the wealthiest men confronting each other in battle.
welt 1a New Vork, but tbroiairl «sii- It disrupted the oldest friendships
mjS.iae;e>rnefit after fcis death fee por and set at naught tiea of kinship. For
tion of the estate belonging ti* a*r w«s the earns reaabsjs it caused a cloaa
dissipated and she had nothing but the clearina* ttgetfcer of those con seism
Idence given her before her father's tiomly opposed i\ the war, closer tfca*
th; *o that she faced a bitter strug- any connaetian s4k««i «omrastiaif,|a,
Thomas Well* was a lawyer,
«ja r fame to i»alAs
read, cultured, but with a slen 4sMMrtba« there
not- likely to k*
der practlve. |Ie was sejtdiaated from foM?ble eppositi
to the wiir Ift
Ctriumbia college and was for masy Northern state**, wishetl to s*t away
yters a trustee of it. A man of shiti- 60 the South.
nt my father was
tQg honor, a sportsman. liberal with aa out-and-out State Rights Pemofrieuds, but frugal in personal ex- crat and though tarfteatly opposed to
nditure, of genial disposition and, the war as any man living, he, stiU
hough of careful habits, win ar- thought my duty was at home ! my
unted the beet Judge of madeira in native 8 tat*. New York, ' and never
community.
Abandoned all hope of resists ace to
At bia table he was a perfect host, the prosecution of the war by the
ftnding cnarrn and delight by en Northern statea.1
tertainment, a high miaded, whole
To this reasoning the draft riots
gentleman, living a gentle- gave the -coup df grace. There was
Jiff, with the noblesse oblige now nothing to do but to eater the
consideration that mark the gen- Union »rroy, ia person or by substitute,
from Plato to pie present.
or to RO South sad fight with the
Julia Lawrence Wells, never il] but Confederate*.
ce in her lif«, enjoyed robust health,
"I at once made up my mind," says
yt contracted pneumonia and died Hr. Wells, "that thin consideration ab
om it in I§70. The-msi Lawrence solved me frosn sll obligation of duty
ells, whose health waa never ro- to the North, and permitted, nary ne
UFt, survived until June, 1886. Thfree cessitated jay gotftt to ng*t o» the
ere the parents of Edward L. Wajls, side of the rignt in ihe r Confederate
'whine in* strains of taeceftry have armyi I believed thlf tajn. snd I be
J>c«n briefly skctrhad. JJe was edu lieve now that I was entirely right
cated in Kew Brunswick, K. J.. wher« in ray deciifon. which I have luvar
his parents lived at the "Elm Farm." since at any time, for one sJbaasjd* re>
and Fatf>r was graduated -from Eutfa/s, college -ifta 1869 (tailed Queen's
So he s»ot ant e£ !few York ajsj tfce
H* Cunard steamship Corsica, made Nas"';e before th* Revolution i.
law under Willifm H, LeuDp in sasj and! from there got to "WitmingNfw BruaWick, but went abroad in too on the blockade-runner Tsnnie, a
the opting of 1880 to travel, returning
account of which be wrote for
dn the fall. "I was not of age to vot the i5outhern k Historical society. Re
1
ajtVimt Lincoln," said Mr. Wells, "a joined the .Charleston Light Dra
"It.wfa'a >*rriW« --t*» elections of I860. T tried to com goons, then. stationed at Accabce. six
aa> tW Wells MrratiVe,
tsCwen, af RoUert Wells, peisate for this by fighting againi mi lei from Charleiten, stipalatingVhat
r/irtd fight yaara aid, escaped frtm afterwards." Entering 'the Co if the company were not sent to Vir
and waa aarrfed to Heknec- turn bis college law school,'he was mak ginia* he was to be transferred to one
that waa. The corapanv exceeded the
ait'snint, Mr*. Wilson. At nhe
only kt* he.liad.in the worle, injt a brilliant record when attacket maximum slewed for enliatment and
e virtually her adopted eon. ky a cold, .warned that one lung was extras we/e weeded out. those who
&aa ft - no children aad after the war affected and he w*nt Sooth for fcii joined latest being cut off, Mr. Wells
rettdlpd to Xs* York City, where ehe health. He tayt: "I had the time ol among them, tot he swapped^ places
Aad formerly lived, mo|hif later to my life fn the Sooth 'we tbat are in with a man who did not wish to go
the nrirb,borh*od of Jamaica, Lone? IB- the vanguard of «ur youth.' It waa and thua got forward. He was ia the
land; 'John Wells waa graduated T*om ; the winter preceding the war. I wai battles of Haw«s Shop, Cold Harbor
frosa JrS-incefon in 1*8§ before ke w** in Savannah when Fort Sumter wai and Trevillitn'n. where he was wound
1ft and *ft*rwawd became) tn LL. D. of taken. 1 believed tke South was in ed and captured; but the enemy flee
ing precipitsntly abandoned him with
the* same Institution. Afeed »hot, a fa the right then believe it now al
mous rider after tbe hounds, he became ways have." Thew's your man for many of their own weSunded. After a
Eliza-, you! It rings like the clash of a saber. time he got to the Jackson hospital
. ,
aa eminent _ ^ _ _ marrying
H* wished, to enter the Confederate in Richmond aad was invalided to
'- --'
* ^
I., » <lau»h
i Lawrence ei |Iew*own, L.
,.-.. _He army and went on to ^ Montgomery Soath Carolina oa furlough; -but he
in_i?M.
_..,.._-, .._ Lawrence,
4*r eT^bamas
of viagular beauty of ehjsr-^ where the Confederate congress was got bark 'to Virginia fgt> Uie a u town
i aetev an aa chivalroa* as Sidney /or 1 i« session, with letters tojfcr. Davjf righting, paring |1,8OO for a horse,
which, he ezplalna, i;ai onty |M in
nnd other leaders. But theae sll per
j>e efught yellow fever by
to a poor flshvmeji who waa Mck with suaded jito to retora Korth, for it wai gold, tben at a minfinnm of 20 to one.
Early in 1846 his comjpsRd was or
,. a$fl dies) or the disease. A statue, believed at the time that a consid
tereetW V the bar of New TTork in olel erable portiof) af the North. would dered south to right Snetfman and
fraee- ajbreii, removes! later-to ait, side with the Confederacy and resist jsrhilt fkirnisninc ahead of Sherman,
[Tatf** waen Grace church was raaVtn the subversion of the constitution by ha witnessed the burn ins; of Columbia
war. He went > Nortb threat* Ten- by that general, and has written a
BWWn. haa on it thjs Auci4ption;
**Erected by the members of the bar nesses and Kentucky an«f to Ohio in clear and concise account of it
C this «ity aa a testimony of respeel July. Just then tke flnt battle of ("Sketch of the Charleston Light PratoV t*e laeftory of John Wolls, who ele- Mansssas had been fought. After 1 iroonn"; "Hamptot and U|t Civalr*";
' Hnmpton and Reconatruction").
" npd adorned their profession by reachina; New York be finally
With the few surviving member* of
6 integrity, eloquence amljearnjrtg. admitted to the bar, forming a p arthi* company be served as an eicort to
C-^ ™f9~
Mr. Kirkpatrick
nerskip
September
^r—-- - _ _
-,_ with
i!
__
C^n. M. C. Butler. There »a« almost
Lavrence «ell(i, 'his son, well, a lines! descendant of the Kirkborst in 1800 and t married Julia patrick who struck down Red Corny* dally skirmishing: but he was net
renci», deriveld f*jm an Enflakh
severely enougkj wounded during, the,
,
dure)."
that cam« to America in foe Mak*xicker
campaign to mjet dutr for1 an hour. At
He rproninprf in NVw York City
''hrrav he had a horse disemboweled
nnd killed under him by a »h*ll s>nd !
Unlike all the the other Faladini
treated in this seriea, Edward L. Wells
waa not a aative of South Carolina,. He
earned hi* citizenship by nobly offer
ings; his life on tae battlefield snd by
caatirifhts lot with a shipwrecked atatc
and sharing the mi*foitfmes of its peo
ple. Fifteen to ZO years ago there
might be seen daily on the streets of
Charleston a figure tjtat would be se
lected anywhere as a typical Southern
Bourboo- One would nsk the state
ment that sucb a van could be noth
ing else, unless be w«ra an English
aristocrat. Both guesses were far out.
It was Edward L. Wells, friend and
biographer ef Hampton, a native ol
New "iork City, derived from an anewfttor that came over from London
derry, in th» north of Ireland. This
IWES Join W**lls, an Uslter Scot, who
; emigrated in 1743, great-*-reat-rrandfathtr of Edward L. Wells, and who
• settled ia Cherry valley, Tryon coun
ty. New York, subdivided siace into
Otaego and other counties. John Welli
purchased the estate of Mr. Lindenay.
Vfco had a grant of 8,000 acre*, most
of which beTwsi sold to settlers in the!
valley. A man of education and cul-l
tare, s classical scholar, Joho Wells
wai appointed the first justice of tke
peace aad one of the judges of Tryon
county, which office he held until hii
daath just befone the Revolution. Sir
William Johnson was his associate on
the bench and a close friend. His
death occurred about the same rime ai
{hat of John Wells, occasioned by a
moft unusual cause, for «e received a
cket frtm Great Britain with orders
r employing Indian* again It the
jolonists in ca*e of war. Court was
n session at the time and the shock
killed him, for he died before court
rose. Robert Wells, aon ef John Wells,
married a daughter of the Rev. William
Ounlap, a native ef North Ireland,
but a graduate of the University of
Edinburgh and a great traveler.
Then the Revelation broke out and
a fearful tragedy descended on the val
ley. On the morning of November 11,
1778, Robert Well*, his wife, motfcer,
four children, him brother Joha, sister
Jane, as well as three negro- sl»v«*,
were butchered by an English^ e^pedition,,'consisting of some ZOOeinen from
an English regiment, -«aU«4 "Butler's
" aswt *** lacUaaiv.undy their
i<rs.Tidt. win was itctnnfVm com-
K
i
tenderly' over his «' » '
he iiaJ anuLhtr horse tiisoble*! by a ether, with the n .. ^. -'ins of (irea!.
ballet in the charge at Fayette*lle, Britain ofer,,the altar. Up antj down He waa not of -your sons, but
where he and two comrades., Flah- tke creek, in days gofce by, wese ahoottfuma and Bel linger, wera commended ing lodges, owned by Charleston gen
try. Thaw are now sobmtrged on atyour
in a »pecial order 4>y Lieutenant-Gen
eral MamptoB, an order religiously "eount or dsmnnag the creek, which
preserved and handed down -to his made Col. Jlpimie Armstrong say to
«t laaghiiKgly ene dsy (his fatter
children.
Then came the heart breaking news owned a place in Goost crtek): **ti la
of Lee'a surre»d«r. followed by John- hard to reflect that ail my p»trim«y
ston's surrender. Mr. Welli. with one haj gone up in dri^k!"
Together w« reeonstructed the nie
companion, started for South Csronna,
STATE: COLin»IA,
and tJia4» ior Pen«leton, where he iof our golden prinre and raveled in
heard that Oeaeral Hampton, who had ireviewiag 4 follsr. gladder, richer
not surrendered with Johnston. was
getting ready to reinforce the Trans- life than will aver be lived again on
Mississippi department. Failing that,
, MAY 25, 1924
earth; for there are no freah
the two determined to go on to the
no
regions,
undiscovered
ao
lands,
Mexico ana-Join Maximilian. Wken
4hey reached Pendleton they found clime, at least in the Western hernia*
that General «aftipton had sccepfed phere, where a gentlemaji may live a
life.
a parolo and advised his wen t« do geavrlenban'i
Bat o* this tunjmer night en Goose
the same; which they accordingly did. creek,
with t> sweet breeze blowing in
He returned to Cheraw, got »ofn«
cttizen'a clothes and wearily trudged
Jiome to New Biuncwick, arriving
there in July.
In due fourse he returned to Char- j
lestan to live and was for a time in
business, but when T knew him he
had retired. Mr. Wells waa one of]
from tht* |«a.and the forest filled with
glory land aad water teeming witn
fife we drank, our fill from Helicon
*fld kept core pas y with those that
dwell on Olytefjus, Nature was delirieus with motnbeams, .dimming; the
shy passlen of the stars.
There is no fairer incident in his
tory than the young New York lawlife's grand passions to me. We wer% Gtr. teaiing hiiaself fr»m friends and
friend** on sight, though be revealed \
adred, and thlpwlna; himself into a
qnalitiea little euspacted aa I came to straggle tbat appealed to him as Jujt,
know him better. At his home, N 2 regasdleis of eonsequences. So Ionic
Water street, Charleston, looking out as i»en have regard to the finer things,
on thV bay, he wts-tne kindliest, m«»t to tbe spirit thst exslts and show*
gracious, saost lovable of bosti. At forth mao in the image of his *J" k« rthe club he was the gtsnd seignieur, when f«r conscience's sake he fiina>
with whom any roan felt honored.
down ajl/and places his Hfo in pawn
Beneath the gentle exterior slum
for his convections. Just to long wiU
bered volcanic ftres. One one occasion, Edward Lalght Wells be honored and
when some one wa* discussing at
revered. Following in his foo^t- .
tempts to slander Hampton and how his two sons, saparb* youths snd gaii
the/ had been answered, sfr. Wells e«- lant officers, both laid down, thfif
f]aimed: N't would answer any slander lives for their country, one in rram. ,
op General Uarapton witb a duelling tke other in Haiti. To them might
pistol at ten paces." There was a aptly apply Ovid's line on the aiaui
steely and deagerons glitter io hi*
eyes as he spoke, fn "Hampton and by the 6re»t Master in Hellaa: M Qui
his Cavalry" and in 'Hampton and bene pro pltria cum patriaque jaeant.
Reconstruction" Mr. Well has drawn
-Wbo well for their country and
a naperb picture of tbe best rounded witn their country life"). LifVa treat
man iii South C&rotifte history. More momenta do not tarry. Even amid the
may be said; but nothing will he bet charm and beauty of Goose creek, with
ter said. Nothing will give a clearer its immortal memories. I knew there,
conception of afavpton as he was in mast be an end. Life can not be all
his days of fane and glory.
glory and the charm was toe creat,
I happened to fee at Ninety-Sii when too immense, to I»at. Some yeara
some one came through selling "Hamp later, after a well spent life. Edward
ton and His Cavalry, a copy of which L. Wells paawed to his reward: tn
my father bought, and this was my "lore in aTand of light, untalhe* by
first knowledge of Mj. Welli, with lust snd crime.*'
whom I wss afterward to forgather;
The following- tribute appeared.
but it was got uatU 19M that I met shortly after his death in the Char
him. For many years thereafter we leston News and Courier, arvsry word
met offcsn.
of which is true ti a hairt
He had a small shooting lodge at
Goose creek, where I lived a few aailea Edward L. Well. Soldier af Aa
acroia al Sumoterville, ajnd when ht
Confederacy.
went there, I always bad word of it,
0 Southland, watch
gently*
Watch
aqd frequently joined him. not to o^int,
over Ma rest!
for I bad givem up hunting retjrt be Ht tenderly
bore you th« Jove of a tea. at
fore- but. for the aelfght of bis aoyour feet laid ais bait.
ciety. The lodge atood to tfie left of The gift
of hie exauisite faith i« your
the road/ as you c»me from Sua&mercause and yoar truth:
vllle, under immense pines, with Uf«
oaks iq the open spaces. When tlje His sword bared for yow. n< the
strength and tht »»t af his
days hunting was ov*r Mr. Wellsxan*
youth.
in aid we made a rtlfht of It. There
wsj a negro family in fbe yard that
looked after thiafs, >ut Vr. wells him He gave you hts all-in the
you stniaiglad and bled;
self directed petttiens, overlooked
In tji« detolste dsy »he«
evarythmg, down to miavtest detail. Hs thared
your high hope-had fled;
Wa*a ke had pr4pared refreihmentt His heart
ached with years through
tftaaer ^ollowejfl and we adjourned to,
the pain of the <rnm aftennath;
the pfctKza) for a smoke and a chat. A
reproduction of th*so conwrtationa When the shadow of tyrannous raif
least
bi*
1 > Vfc
Itf ••••^^•a'atlH *
lay like, night o« ya«r
fa-
He loved .._
you when llrbt came
l»|M *H the t*
- A And your sobbing waa stilled in tae
awaweMet ait theli^a&tei. Tkere
pHds of your florioma paa%
no rertrmiit, so that light awd
Whtn true to your record, all that e«food and bad, all caaia #ut.
nobtss your name,
Sometisnes we were there ID sum
mer, Jast far the recreation. One You rose from the datl * th«
of an unallied fame.
night there was a full moon. The
roadway waa flickered with patches of
silver and dark. The crowns ef the Ht lovad yon when r ,
won in the passing of year*.
pints were almost luminous as they
waved ia the breece. There waa the Through hardship, through- stma»l«.
through pstlenee, tfaroagh aerhush of a aaidswmier night. We
row, through V»«rl.
walked am In arm d«w* the road
way to tn* causeway over the creek, Ha wan youra with the strength af
ntii hear* and his brain and hto
where U»* water glistened in tht mobitwill.
lickt and late flthing- heron* darted
away, on *ur> approach. Jast beyond And soiajewktre tjie aonl *f Wm Uw**
yon and caret for yo* sull.
the crwk wera the oak*, on one nirfa
the fi(io^» ( repk <. Hxjrrh nn ih**
. «*nilw. ' D Southland, watcat
8. C.