Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 31.djvu/13

 Washington Light Infantry. 5

1869 C. H. Simonton, President; H. B. Olney, Senior Warden; T. G. Barker, Junior Warden; J. L. Honour, Secretary and Treas- urer.

1870 C. H. Simonton, President; H. B. Olney, Senior Warden; T. G. Barker, Junior Warden; J. L. Honour, Secretary and Treas- urer.

1871 H. B. Olney, President; J. L. Honour, Senior Warden; F. L. Parker, M. D., Junior Warden; D. B. Gilliland, Secretary and Treasurer.

1872 J. L. Honour, President; F. L. Parker, M. D., Senior Warden; A. W. Taft, Junior Warden; D. B. Gilliland, Secretary and Treasurer.

l8 73 J- L. Honour, President; F. L. Parker, M. D., Senior Warden; A. W. Taft, Junior Warden; D. B. Gilliland, Secretary and Treasurer.

There are now few who can recall those nine years 1866-' 74 with the privations, humiliations and poverty, incident to those de- plorable times of carpet-bag and ignorant rule, and, in stating what was done in those years, those conditions must be kept in view.

The money help disbursed to those who needed assistance was as follows: i866-'67, $ J 5 2 ; 1868, $201.50; 1869, $118.70; 1870, $187.00; 1871, $224.50; 1872, $190.50; 1873, $229.00; 1874, $169.00 a total of $1,472.20, or an average annually of $163.58 !

Considering all the circumstances the universal impoverishment of the community, and, of course, the very limited means of sur- vivors it is a unique, a marvelous exhibit, and is entitled to this permanent record; all being the contributions of members, except a gift of $150.00 from the late James T. Welsman, which, with some other surplus funds, was invested, to start a permanent Charity Fund. This amounted, in certain securities at par, to $744.00, and was transferred, at the consolidation of the "Charitable Association" and " W. L. I. Rifle Club" in 1875; this, then, is really the corner- stone of the present "Annuitants' Fund " of the Washington Light Infantry of $17,000, now held by the trustees of that fund, of which reference will be made hereafter.

The political condition of South Carolina, then called "The Prostrate State," was so deplorable, the inability to have regular military commands, and the need of an organization of armed men, led to the forming of "Rifle Clubs," mostly on the basis of old military commands. The W. L. I. took part in this movement, and the first large turn-out of armed men seen in Charleston since