This is taken from an 1932 interview with Augustus Dean in a Anderson SC, newspaper. Dean was a Lieutenant in the 2nd South Carolina Rifles during the war.:

"Speaking of a regular old time meeting place. I wish you could have seen the old muster ground, he said, and then steeling back into his chair continued with relish you see, every boy who was 18 years old had to join a company and meet and drill once a month on the muster ground. – Howard’s field, our was called. The really big occasion occurred when the governor came every other year to inspect the company, but on that one day during each month more Cain was raised than any other time.

A good many ladies sold refreshments out on the field and I recall one of them who made enough selling cider and five-cent cakes to buy a Negro. There were always several fights too he recollected with a shake of his head thought they were usually good natured scuffling and fist fights. The Civil War, of course, ended the old muster ground. It never did much good any way in my opinion."

The rest of the Article is on the bottom of this website: http://batsonsm.tripod.com/deanaa.html Along with a detail account of Lt. Dean's Civil War Service.

Will MacDonald