4S4 HISTORY OF COM ASSET. 



1780, the words "free and equal" constituted a legal bar 

 against slavery. 



There were no property interests therefore at stake in 

 our community over the nation's vexatious problem. Polit- 

 ical prejudices were not wholly absent, however; for 

 after Lincoln had- been elected the rancor of some was 

 so bitter that they cursed him publicly, calling him a 

 baboon and other epithets too indecent to repeat. When 

 Sumter was fired upon the next spring, and volunteers 

 were called forth to defend our nation, these bitter parti- 

 sans added their hope that every man who should go 

 "might rot there" ! But the rising of public wrath soon 

 choked into silence every murmui of such disloyalty, and 

 our brave young men soon offered themselves to arms 

 under the folds of our national banner. 



To encourage patriotism William B. Johnson, who lived 

 at the corner of Beechwood and South Main Streets, 

 gave the town a flag. It was hoisted amid patriotic 

 speeches upon a huge staff in our Common by a company 

 of girls representing the several States of the Union. 



An amusing incident which illustrates the spirit of 

 loyalty is remembered as follows : It was reported one 

 day that a man living upon Cedar Street near Hull Street 

 had been seen defiantly flourishing a Confederate flag. 

 Men grew so indignant over the matter that a squad of 

 them determined to tar and feather the offender. They 

 got a bucket of tar and a bag of feathers, and under the 

 leadership of Oakes Lawrence, a wide-awake patriot, they 

 marched through the streets amid cheers and much noise 

 to the home of the Southern sympathizer. Some say that 

 the man when he heard them coming got his shotgun 

 and stood at bay in his door, daring them to come on with 

 their tar. But without resorting to violence he was 

 finally persuaded to honor his country by spurning the 

 Confederate flag and by putting up the stars and stripes, 

 which he loyally saluted. 



