The Yorkville Enquirer reported on Sept. 25, 1873 – “Wednesday of last week an accident on the CCC railroad occurred about five miles above Columbia at Lightwood Knot Springs. A passenger train and a paymaster train collided. The cassulties included: T. Elliott Orchard – the Pay Master, James Archer both being killed. Injured were Rolland Williamson – Eng., Wallace, a colored news boy, R. Jamison – Eng., W.C. Graham – messenger, and Jim a train hand.” A reported on Oct. 2, stated Williamson had died.
City Directories and History: “Lightwood Knot Springs near Columbia is mentioned by Lockwood as “a place of summer resort.” It also served as a muster ground of the old time South Carolina militia and later in 1861 as the camp of instruction for Confederate States soldiers on their way to Virginia. The men of the States Guards of Laurens arrived in Columbia by train on Sunday, April 14, 1861. They marched up Main Street on their way to Lightwood Knot Springs about three miles from the town. The day following the States Guard departure members of the Upper Battalion of the Forty-first Regiment entrained. Nicknamed “the Briars” this company followed the first group to Lightwood Knot Springs. “It would seem that there was a hotel at one of the largest springs about one-half mile to the right of the railroad opposite the six-mile post (near the State Park Station on Southern Railway—. A portion of Sherman’s Army camped there for a day and night after leaving Columbia in 1865…..”
Information from: Names in South Carolina by C.H. Neuffer, Published by the S.C. Dept. of English, USC
*** See comment below.
Also see link to #61: Richland County Historic Sites and Structures Report for additional information.
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My Great Grandfather, E.C. Sperry joined the 15th South Carolina at Lightwood Knot. He died from a head wound shortly after the 2nd battle of Fredricksburg. I have recently self-published a book of short stories plus one novella. The Novella is about an imaginary soldier in the 15th who shares some accidents of history with great-grandfather E.C. Sperry. I would love to contribute a copy of the book to the public library closest to Lightwood Know Springs and/or the High School library closest. Obviously this is self-serving,! I hope others might be interested in the book which is available on Kindle and can be ordered from an Amazon company named CreateSpace. The name of the book is “There is a Season” and my name is Richard Corley Massey. I think the book can be ordered at http://www.CreateSpace.com/OrderHelp Richard C. Massey rnjmassey@mindspring.com