History: Columbia County. William Harrison, Remembering the Wars, Development of McDuffie County, Gus Stapler, Reminisces of Dr. H. R. Casey ======================================================================= USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store this file permanently for free access. This file was contributed by: Stephanie Harrison info@conquestmusic.com ======================================================================= Articles written for the Columbia Sentinel in 1883. Permission granted by the Columbia County News and transcribed by Stephanie Harrison. The articles were written in 1883 by Dr H. R. Casey for the Columbia Sentinel. He writes about many of the early pioneers of Columbia County who arrived in Georgia in the late 1700's and early 1800's. The following names are mentioned in this article: William Harrison, E S Harrison, Miss Hamilton, Wat {Harrison}, Jas. R. Wilson, George Gray, Stephen Harden, Mrs Stapler, Gus Stapler. April 11, 1883 Quite an error, by accident, crept into our sketch of the Harrison family. The mistake puts our friend where we hope he will not be for many long years yet. The reading that William Harrison, the oldest son, is now dead should read: Since the publication of the above sketch, E. S. Harrison has married Miss Hamilton. William and Wat each have married a daughter of jolly, clever, Jas. R. Wilson, while Charlie is the only son that is not a Benedict. E. S. Harrison is at this writing a Justice of the Peace, Mayor of Thomson and is the same clever popular citizen he has always been. Unlike many of the persons of fortunes has not made him sour with the world. He deserves a better fate. Several days since I was passing what in the Long Ago, was a very valuable section of my county, when I came upon an almost washed away hill upon which was standing a dilapidated structure, one of the first built in the county, having been erected during or before the old Revolution. What mighty events have passed since then! The ole Revolution was its carnage and blood was fought and won by the infant colonies. Then came the war of '12 a second victory for the young Republic, when Gen Jackson covered himself in a blaze of glory when at New Orleans he taught the haughty Pakenham that the cry of "Beauty and Botty" only nerved the arms of Young America to greater efforts. Then, a natural consequences of the many and angry debates in Congress came our Internecine War, in which we of the South staked our all lost. Then Reconstruction and the reign of oppression and plunder. But the "bloody chasm las has been bridged" and a Democratic President elected and cheated out of his office by a miserable cabal of conspirators. All these and a thousand other events transpired and still the old house stands," amid the wreck of matter and crash of worlds." But old Columbia and her many troubles, was destined to be startled by a new revolution. Upon the Georgia Railroad and within her limits, the new town of Thomson had sprung up and her citizens demanded that a new county should be created which after much legislation was done and the good old county of Columbia was rent in twain and a large portion of her valuable domain contributed to form the new county of McDuffie. But unlikely, now and then there comes along one of those terrific cyclones or tornadoes where our homes are playthings in the path of its furious transit. We the people of Columbia are not much for "blows" any way, and we pray to be forever delivered from another cyclone. If any one is skeptical on this subject let him call at Appling and ask George Gray or Stephen Harden and he will be convinced that we have our quantum sufficit of tornadoes. So terrible and appalling are they that our Applingites had to construct places of refuge--holes in the ground- and the way they would toddle to them on the first appearance of danger was a "sin to Moses". The ole house is still standing, but the sad reflection comes up; who were and where are its original settlers? The solutions of these questions can only be dug out of the memories of a hundred years ago, I know not who settled the old place, but here in the Long Ago lived old Mrs Stapler, mother of our honest, clever citizen. GUS STAPLER so well known to the people of Columbia County from 1835 to 1855. Gus was indeed clever, popular and useful in his day and generation. I think he represented the county in the Legislature and was long time Clerk and County Surveyor. He paid the last debt some 20 or 25 years ago. Immediately in front of this house is a huge old white oak, vernerable with perhaps two centuries of age verdant with thick foliage and ripping open the solid clay foundation with its huge spreading roots, I looked at this old house with its one hundred years of memories and in a spirit of lamentation turned away with the sad thought that all of its associations are gone. Gus is gone, and others of the family yet left are but passengers to the tomb and they with the writer of these Reminiscences, must soon or late, contribute to that long list of those who have gone on before.