Mike Guyton Laurens County Georgia

A dispatch from Raleigh, North Carolina, says that at a meeting of the L, O'Branch camp of Confederate Veterans of that city a resolution was passed petitioning the incoming Legislature of North Carolina to pension worthy Negro servants who followed the fortunes of the Confederacy and rendered valuable service. This action on the part of the North Carolina veterans recalls the fact that some years ago an effort was made in the Georgia Legislature to pass a bill pensioning these Negroes who had lost a limb or had become otherwise disabled while faithfully serving their Georgia masters in the Civil War, The measure failed on the ground of unconstitutionality. There is an old negro man named Mike Guyton living in Laurens County, who accompanied the late Col. C. S. Guyton of Laurens to the war as a body servant and during one of the severe winters was so unfortunate as to have his feet so badly frostbitten the had to be amputated. From that time until now Mike has always walked on his knees, and continued to reside on the Guyton Plantation, in a house that was given to him by Colonel Guyton/ The knowledge of Mikes worthy case prompted a legislator to try and get a pension for him, and other faithful Negros who like him had become disabled in the war. Mike is now quite aged and a pension would be a great blessing in his declining years. Mike has not been idle by reason of his maimed condition, but has been very industrious. Although forced to walk on his knees he has been an excellent farm hand and can yet chop an acre of cotton a day and pick one hundred pounds of the fleecy staple daily.

THE TWICE-A WEEK TELEGRAPH Friday January 11th 1907 Macon Telegraph

Atlanta Constitution Nov 4, 1900

WHAT THE NEGRO IS DOING:

Matters of Interest among thee Colored People,

Butler, H.R. Atlanta Constitution Nov 4, 1900 Lower part of article

I am glad to see an effort on the part of some of the confederate veterans to pension Amos Rucker, one of their grand heroes in black. This is a grand and noble effort on the part of those having the matter in charge. There are many others like Amos Rucker scattered throughout the south who would welcome a pension though small it might be.

I am personally acquainted with one of these black confederates though now living in Philadelphia in old age, who followed a Colonel Mallett, his young master to war. He was with him in the thickest of the fight, and it would break his stoutest heart in grief to hear him tell how in a desperate battle they were separated and how he searched the field over to see if his master were among the dead, and how his soul wept when he found him barely alive. This faithful servant took his blanket, wrapped Colonel Mallett in it and carried him to the rear. The colonel soon died. This servant took that body from the bloody fields of Virginia to a weeping mother and relatives in north Carolina. The sight of his mistress beating on the big gate and the sound of her voice as her son and his bodyguard rode away to war. saying "Philip, if the colonel gets wounded or killed bring him home to me.", was ever before him. He kept his word.

I say there are many of these men still living to whom a pension would be a blessing about this stage in old age. But how about the old ex-slave that fed confederate soldiers, that helped make his clothes, his shoes and his bedding; the ex-slave that guarded his home and when his old master was bowed down in grief for the loss of a son would cheer her heart with those old plantation melodies.

While these men and women were not on the field of battle, yet they were heroes and heroines just the same, for they did honorable duty at home while the soldier did duty on the battlefield. Many of these black heroes and heroines in this and other states of the south are hobbling about in their old age half fed, half clothed and with no friends. This class of ex-slaves ought to be pensioned. for it was largely through their "selflessness"(illegible word) and fidelity that the confederates held out as long as they did. The statesman who will take up the honest cause of these black mothers and fathers that stood by the southern cause throughout the entire struggle and see to it that they are pensioned will recieve the thanks humanity and the blessings of God.

H. R. BUTLER

Weekly Banner August 6, 1920 page 1

NEGRO WHO COOKED FOR GEN. LEE TALKS TO GEORGIA HOUSE

Was Heard Ten Minutes When Escorted In By Confederate Vets.

(Special to The Banner)

Atlanta, Ga. August 5 - it was a touching little scene which was enacted in the House of Representatives when William Mac Lee, of Norfolk, Va was escorted into the hall by a number of old Confederate veterans and by unanimous consent granted 10 minutes of the time of the assembly.

William Mac Lee, who is a preacher, was the war time cook for General Robert E. Lee and went through the entire war with the Confederate hero general. He is a negro of the old school, typically antebellum and , besides preaching in Virginia prides himself on the fact that he has stuck to the politics as well as the religion of his old master - he always votes the Democratic ticket.

Probably the proudest attaché of the House was to see the old cook was "Ten Cent Bill" Yopp, the Georgia negro who so attracted attention by his regular Christmas pilgrimages to the Old Soldiers' Home that the Georgia Legislature finally took up and perpetuated the work of love which "Ten Cents Bill" had inaugurated, that of a yuletide token to the veterans of the Home.

Wary Clyburn, served with honour

Mattie Clyburn Rice is the second black "Real Daughter" to be recognized by the United Daughters of the Confederacy.

Mattie Clyburn Rice, 88, spent years searching through archives to prove her father was a black Confederate. As she leafs through a notebook filled with official-looking papers, Rice stops to read a faded photocopy with details of her father's military service.


"At Hilton Head while under fire of the enemy, he carried his master out of the field of fire on his shoulder, that he performed personal service for Robert E. Lee. That was his pension record," Rice says.

Story HERE

The Lt. F. C. Frazier has been blessed recently with the discovery of a REAL DAUGHTER of a Confederate Veteran living in our town. Mrs. Mattie Clyburn Rice's father, Wary Clyburn, served with honor in Co. E, 12th Regt. South Carolina Volunteers.

This picture shows Mrs. Rice receiving her Real Daughter's certificate from Commander Herman White.

Mrs. Rice entertained Commander White with stories of researching her father's service during her off hours while working at Walter Reed Hospital in Washington, DC.
The Lt. F. C. Frazier Camp is proud to have a living child of a Confederate Hero in its midst.