Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1852-01-13
Did You Know Ny Son!
NEwPoRr BA RRACKs, M., ]
Oct. 26, 1851

Oct. 70, 1921.
Son lie days ago, while standing
within the depot, the terminus of the
Miami Railroad, listlessly watching
the pal assengers descend from the re
Gently arrived cars, and conn menting
mentally on the probable destination
of eac b integral number that com
prised the busy crowd around me-
a pleas ant voice, but thought it a
rather sad one, epquired close behind
me, f'Do you know my soh?' ]
turned round with surprise to face
my id quisitive interrogation, when
again the voice repeated, aDo you
know my SOM" | was not d little
astoni4 he'd to perceive before me, as
my inquisitioner a venerable and
neatly dressed lady, whose head was
silvereh over by the frosts pf age,
while her pleasant but melancholy
countenance bore the mark Of trouble
and sorrow on every indented W wrinkle.
A sad and dreary smile passed over
her pleasant yet wrinkled textures,
as s he wiped the starting tears from
her eyes and again enquired,
'sDo you know my son?'
q It is impossible to tell you, mad
am, + I replied, "untll you first give
me his name"
every true" she sighed, and said,
as she drew from her bosom a paper
package which she silently, but with
evid dent trepidation unfoldedI The
first thing l noticed after removing
the outer wrapper, was the part of a
communication cut from the c3lu INNS
of the Commercial, and which re-
lated to the individuals who rece ently
died of cholera at Newport Barracks,
Kentucky. Carefully folded within
this paper was miniature portrait,
which as soon as developed she 81
lently put in my hand. She tried to
speak, but mental anguish actonps-
MED with heartbreaking soHs pre-
vented utterance. Without making
any comments on this (to me) singu-
lar proceeding, silently opened the
miniature case and gazed with Sonsid
erable interest for a few moments OH
the well delineated features Of d hand
some young man, whose age might
have been sixteen, but could not
from all appearances have exceeded
eighteen. A profusion. of jet black
hair, depending in ringlets to his
was neatly parted IN front,
disclosing well developed for rehead,
and added considerably to the beauty
of his naturally pleasant featur res.
His attitude was unsurpassingl
being represented I'D a sit
ting posture before table, on hich
Was scattered numbef of ope n vol
umes; one of which he held IN his
hand, while his arm rested negligent
" on the Others. Hooked with pleas
ure on the glowing picture, b ut no
remembrance of the pleasing FED atures,
intruded themselves on the sacred
pages of my memory. Closing the
miniature case, | gave it back to my |
interrogation, who WIS still
,obbing in extreme anguish before
NE. /
"That is the image Of my long
ostson. she said, between hef sobs
rs she took the miniature fro m my
hand and fra anticaIly pressed it to her
Ups Il
'It is evid dently very true, ma dam,
said in reply, 'Ebut info ortundtely |
cannot bring the features to rfmem-
"Well, look here then, she SAID,
md she pointed with trembling
,and to one of the names, which was
underlined a nd enclosed in brackets,
o make it NJ lore conspicuous, and evi-
lently done by friendly PEN pn the
.bove named list of deceased sol-I
liers. II
aThat is he name of my so1, /" she
said, ''tell me for Gods
axe if you knew him?'' |,
1 looked at her for a moment, with /
,itying sympathy, fer never / p the |.
curse Of my life, to my rfmem-
rance, did ! see agony so tedrfnlly II
epicted on the human face as then |.
aw it portrayed on the face before
le. Yet, God knows, ! have both L
1t and seen sufficient, in my short
ourney through life, to fully 5atisfy
ny reasonable mortal on that bead, j
''Nfadam," l said in reply tS. her1t