Document text
Project 1685-1
Folklore
Spartanburg Dist.4
May 13, 1938
3SG:5F
REMINISCENCES: KU KLUX
Edited by:
Elmer Turnage
Mrs. Sallie Matthews who died at the age of 82 was a heroine of
the KU Klux days in Union County. Her home was in Pacolet during her
latter days. Mrs. Matthews was a native of Fairfield County, but came
to Union to live with her sister, Mrs. F.H. Counts, and attended the
old Union Female Academy or Seminary. She was 14 years old at this
time. Her parents, Mr. and Mrs. George S. Elnamatilived near Winns-
boro', and when Sherman started on his march from the mountains to
the sea, he passed by their home. His handsomely uniformed cavalry
carried away all of the Hinnants' ovisions, stock and cattle, and
left them only one horse and some parched corn. Mrs. Matthews'
father and two brothers were away serving in the Confederate army.
In the old Counts home (then on South Street and now torn away)
robes and masks for the Ku Klux Klan were made and stored away in
the garret. Mrs. Matthews was familiar with much of the activities
of the robed organization, but she was bound by oath not to reveal
any of the secrets of the Klan, and these she kept inviolate until
a year or so ago when she related the story to her nephew, W.
Charles B. Counts, of Union. She said shortly before her death that
the only reason she told this was to let it be preserved for posterity.
"I was in an old out -house with aunt 'n' who was ironing when
I overheard the following conversation. My sister's woodshed joined
the laundry. Old 1Rackint George, as we called him, was in there
cutting wood. Another negro, whose name I did not know, came in
there and told tRackint George about plans that the Union soldiers
and the aegroes were making to set a torch to Union that night at
twelve o'clock. I went to the door of the ironing house and listened
to their plans, for glaclinve was one of the band who was to
Reminiscences 2
aid the Union men. Then I ran into the house and told my sister
what I had heard. She told me that Mr. D.C. Gist who lived 14 miles
below Union was the KU Klux courier, and that he should be notiL
fled of these plans.
"Just about dark I went to the stables of Mr. William A. Nich-
olson and saddled his pony which I had often ridden and started out
for Mr. Gist's home. I went through the dense Gage wood where the
Gage mineral spring was, and by the Harris saw mill which was to the
roar of the Episcopal church, to keep from meeting people. All this
wood is gone, the mill is gone and the land cut up into streets
which are thickly housed now.) Hy this secluded route I reached the
country road without meeting anyone. I left the village far behind
and I realised that in my haste and excitement I was riding bareback.
But I went on as fast as the pony could carry me. Mr. Gist, known
to us as Mr. Dave, lived not far from the old mansion of Gov. William
H. Gist. When I reached his home I alighted from my pony and called:
'Mr. Dave/ NV. Darrel He came out horrified to hear the voice of a
girl in the early night. When he found out who I was, he carried ms
into the house and said, 'Sallie Hinnant, whatever possessed you to
run away from Mrs. Counts' at this late hour?' I told him of the
plans being formed by the Union soldiers and the disloyal negroes to
burn Union at midnight by setting torch lights to all the buildings
along Main Street.
"Mr. Dave C. Gist immediately dispatched messages to all the
KU Klux in the county and they were assembled along Main Street be.
fore twelve o'clock that night. They were armed to the teeth and
robed in the white regalia of their organization; and they could
also be seen not only on Main Street, but on every side street
Reminiscences .._ 3
'Midnight came, with everything quiet throughout the entire
village. One o'clock came and everything was still quiet throughout
the sleeping tillage. The plan to set fire to the village of Union
had been nipped in the budt
Mts. Sallie Hinnant Matthews is buried in the Pacolet Mills
graveyard.
Source: Private scrapbook of Miss Miry Emma roster, E. Main Street,
Union, S.C. Interviewer: Caldwell Sims, Union, S.C.
A
W 11041
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OAL-14-15-3
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