1911 Jan 10 The State
At the meeting of the Columbia chapter, members received
valuable instruction in the art of basket weaving from Miss Fannie
McCants. Members made baskets and
jardinières from long leaf pine needles which were to be sold to Northern tourists
with the proceeds going to the monument.
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| long leaf pine needles |
1911 Jan 14 The State
In the society section, mention about the Columbia
chapter meeting and the basket weaving session was mentioned. Each member took home her half completed
creation. The members would bring the
baskets to the January 29 meeting to complete their creations. Members who were unable to attend the first meeting would be
welcomed to unite in this work.
1911 Mar 1 The State
The members of the Columbia chapter would meet Thursday
afternoon at 4 o’clock to continue their work on the fragrant pine needle
baskets. Numerous baskets have been sold
and orders taken for more. It was
expected that members would be making baskets during the season of Lent. Again, mention was made that the proceeds
would be given to the monument fund.
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| example of a basket made with long leaf pine needles |
1911 Mar 9 The State
So many inquiries concerning the monument to the unpaid
gentlemen of South Carolina who saved that state were received that is was necessary to
prepare a statement. In that statement,
it was shared that it had been the desire of the SCDAR to perpetuate the memory
of the three partisan leaders who drove the British from our State with their
followers. It was not, however, until
1902 that any definite measures were taken.
During Bacon’s term as state regent, resolutions were
passed. “That the South Carolina D.A.R. do memorialize our representatives in
the congress of the United States and request them to lay a petition before
congress to appropriate a suitable sum for purpose of rearing in the city of
Columbia a fitting monument to our partisan leaders of the revolution of 1776 –
Marion, the swamp fox; Sumter, the gamecock; and Andrew Pickens, whose name
even to our own day has been associated with all the best deeds of the State.
“That we invite all the women of the State and especially
of those counties which bear the honored names of Marion, Sumter and Pickens,
to join with us and give us their hearty sympathy and active cooperation.”
Robertson, was appointed as chairman of the central
monument committee while Bacon, Richardson, Waring, Gantt, and Martin as
secretary were named to the committee.
State Regent Waring drafted a petition to the congress of the United
States which was read at Continental Congress.
The petition was endorsed by then President General, Mrs. Manning, and
received the approval of the entire delegation. Unfortunately, the outbreak of the
Spanish-American War put a stop to all minor matters. State Regent Richardson had the pleasure of
announcing that as a result of the efforts of Senator Mayfield and Representative
Altamont Moses, the State legislature had appropriated $500 for the monument
fund and had given one of the broken columns to be used as a memorial shaft. It was also determined that each chapter
regent, by virtue of her office, be a member of the committee. When Mrs. Gantt left Columbia, Mrs. Satterlee
was made a central committee member in her place.
A contribution of $100 to the fund was given by
descendants of the “three guardsmen.”
Slowly the fund increased.
The column given by the legislature was deemed unsuitable and was
“disposed of” to a patriotic organization with the amount of the sale going to
the fund.
F. W. Ruckstuhl, having adopted South Carolina and having
shown a “constant and sympathetic interest in the work of the DAR,” submitted a
design which was chosen. The amount
required for its completion was $5000 of which $3000 was in the fund. “After the manner of South Carolina women no
stroke will be put upon the monument until the sum total is in hand.”
At the last state convention, the committee was increased
to include six more ladies nominated by State Regent Louise Mayes. Duvall of Cheraw, Sinclair of Bennettsville,
Byers of Gaffney, Dason of Charleston, Parson of Spartanburg, and Cox of
Chester.
“When it was considered that but for the uprising of the
people of the State who, under the leadership of the three guardsmen, after
incredible trial and suffering, without one cent of pay, drove the British out
of South Carolina and eventually out of the South, the surrender at Yorktown in
all probability would never have taken place, the wonder is that there has not
been long ago a similar uprising to do them honor. But the D.A.R. are doing what they can and
they will gladly receive assistance.”
The monument’s inscription was published as “The Three
Partisan Generals, Marion, Sumter and Pickens, and the South Carolina Soldiers
of the Revolution of 1776.”
1911 Apr 3 The State
Mrs. Childs invited the members of the Columbia Chapter
to her home in Waverly on Thursday afternoon for a “basket party.” Each member of the chapter has been requested
to make two baskets for her to take to Continental Congress this month. These baskets of woven fragrant long-leaf
pine needles have been sold not only in Columbia but around the state to
tourists. White a number where sold in
Washington by Mrs. Robertson.
Unfortunately, she was unable to meet the demand with the quantity she
had on hand. It was noted that some of
the baskets were woven in Indian fashion with dashes of color which requires
much skill and ingenuity. The proceeds
from the sale of the baskets will go to the monument fund.
 |
| examples of long leaf pine needle baskets with colored needles |
1911 Nov 9 The State
In her state regent’s report given at the state
conference in Chester on November 8, Mayes states the following, “To my supreme
delight and gratification the two works which are uppermost in our minds and
hearts are the partisan monument and the mountain school for South Carolina
boys and girls. Both of these beautiful
dreams are rapidly assuming form and color, and if we work another year as
earnestly and unitedly as we have for the past these nebulous phantoms will
have grown to the proportions of a glorious reality. Like the sculptor and the artist we must
first catch the vision of loveliness before we can chisel the marble into
comeliness or paint the form of beauty, but I verily believe that having
dreamed the dreams there is nothing within the range of reason that South
Carolina Daughters can not accomplish.
We have now over $3,000 in our treasury and a roster of 1,117 in good
standing – let’s make our slogan for the coming year
‘a-dollar-a-daughter-for-the-monument,’ and if we give this a liberal translation
into hard cash, the order can be given the sculptor at our next conference.”
1911 Nov 10 The State
Highlights of the state conference were given. In it,
Mayes asked that “all energies be bent” toward completing the partisan
monument.
1911 Dec 13 The State
The SCDAR had suggested that the use of the broken column
would be perfectly suited to use as a memorial to Confederate fallen. The Memorial association purchased the
granite shaft from the DAR and planned to inscribe on a bronze plate the names
of all the men who went to war from the First Presbyterian Church who are
buried in the churchyard. The women of
the First Presbyterian church planned fund raisers to erect this column. “Broken by the wanton vandalism of Sherman’s
men, it will yet stand proudly erect, ‘perpetuating the memory of those whom
defeat could not dishonor – who have glorified a fallen cause by the simple
manhood of their lives, the patient endurance of suffering and the heroism of
death.’”
1911 Dec 18 The State
The Columbia chapter on next Thursday afternoon from 4-6
o’clock at Malvina Waring’s home on Laurel Street would host a silver tea to
raise funds for the monument. Mrs.
Robertson, chairman of the monument committee, would give an informal lecture
on the memorial brasses of England as demonstrated by the “rubbings” of these
brasses while in England last summer.
These were made in the cathedrals of London, Westminster Abbey, British
museums, and other cathedrals in various towns of England. Some of these impressions will show the
coats-of-arms of prominent South Carolina families, such as the Bacons,
Temples, and Williams families.
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| example of a rubbing from Westminster Abbey |
1911 Dec 26 The State
Another article concerning the silver tea and the program was placed in the Society
section. It was said the art lovers
would be especially interested in the presentation.
1911 Dec 27 The State
The silver tea was opened to all interested. The event was moved from the Waring home to
Satterlee hall.
1911 Dec 29 The State
Mrs. Robertson became interested in studying the
inscriptions on tombs and tablets in the cathedrals of London and around
England. She made many rubbings of
these inscriptions and shared these some of which were taken from the tombs of
the ancestors of South Carolinians. Her
presentation was followed by Mrs. Hyatt with two readings followed by the
tea. Members also had the opportunity to
meet Ruckstuhl who was in attendance.
1911 Dec 29 The State
In the society section of the newspaper, there was
another article concerning the silver tea.
Ruckstuhl was the guest of honor.
Following Robertson’s presentation, Ruckstuhl and each guest cordially
thanked her. It was stated that her
collection of rubbings which were of rare value would probably be sold in
Washington. On a table decorated with
Christmas holly and red Christmas bells, guest were served fragrant tea and
tempting cakes.
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