The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1866-11-07
THE LONELY GRAVE.

ff p fs 20 ~ 80. Estas = 10 |'si
During the last two years Of the war
was resident Of North Louisiana having
been compelled to leave home, or rather
having no home left me, after Banks Sc.
cond raid up Red River. /, as we'll as
hundreds more of helpless women with
little children, was burned out as the
phrase goes and | thought at the time it
would have been we'll for US if We had berh
burned up also, Fjt we had lost everything
in the wide world that we could call oul
own. Life alone was spared Us by our foes
and for the poor boon Of life bereft OF
every blessing thanked them not. But
IIrayen wllpd it so, and / and my little
ones became refugees in one OF the upper
parishes. '''''
b Parish, at least that potion Of
il selected for our retreat, >~s low, fat,
ewampy country, covered with prineval
forest thickened with dense uud-rgrowth
through which the unfrequent roads. OF
rather paths, wind for miles ia unbroken
s,litude. a ~
AsI was one dry riding through this
aninviting re.ion ! discovered, MT more
than two PAGES from the roadside, lonely
crave. No other one was rlear it-not
evena common pine beard marked the
e,ot and head--not one token of that de
cent respect for The dead which usually
marks their last resting Place with some
sion of remembrance or repret--was there.
Nothing but the long narrow mound TO
show that there slept one who hadAiived
anil loved, suffered and rejoiced like US
one who perchance filed high place in
the scale Of social and intellectual being
who had possessed loving friends, prosper
ons for nnes. ard now this lona'y grave was
the end ofai.s 'eall i3aH&1 f
A feeling Of inexpresslble sadness seized
me a. I1ooked a. it. IT was the drear
month Of November, and vegetation Of all
kinds was either dead or dying. Long
dead grass trailed like mourning wreaths
over that sad Supplemented leaves lay
drifted in heaps all around it, and the
s,agnant water spla.be by our horses hoofs
from the ssampy road fell in showers of
LIQUID mud Overt thought had never
seen an object so inespressibly forlorn and
sad as that Lonely Grave. -------.
ain heavens name, said !. to my compan
ion, "who cou'd have been buried here
Under what circumstances could this wild. |
neglected, wretched look .'ng spot have been
selected as burial place for any Christian
soul?"
"You might guess the reply to that
question" said my friend. "a Con EIDE
rate soldier. OF course, sleeps tt,sra-as you
say, no other denizen of "a Christian land
would ever have received sculpture Of sep
uture IT can be calIea) in such a spot as
this. Would you ike to hear the story ?
'Tis a short bnt sad one. Not many
months ago Is Brigade of Missouri
soldiers were camping only few hundred
yards from here. A rongher, wilder set OF
scampsI never Jaw. Many Of them had
been driven from home by their Union
neighbars on account Of suspected South;
ern proclivities-many more had volume
fi'y banished themselves in order to ivin
the Southern army, and had heard since
laving home Of ruthless craelties practised
on their defenceless families. They were
men without homes--many without kin.
dred or friends-rnany without names. for
they had left theirs behind them and as
sumed some nome de guerre. 50
In losing all the benefits of social lif.
they had cast off all its restraints-they
were reckless of moral laws-hatred of the
Yankees was their only religion, and IL
must be owned they oheyed its dictates
with a zeal not often shown by professors
of milder creeds. On the other hand they
were brave as lions, true to the cause To
the very backbone, and had done the Con
federscy good service on many hard
FOUGHT field. But to my tale.
awhile they were camped in this Vicinity
pigs, sheep, hens, turkeys, in short every J
thing eatable went up" with marvellous
rapidity. Among the rest ] lost some fine c
shoaies, and although | can't much blame I
the poor fellows for stealing anything eata-
bic they can get hold Of, still no man likes 7
to lose his property without making an
esiart to recover it, SO mounted my horse
and rode to camp to aee il there were. any 7
chance OF restitution or pay. / had hardly
passed the outer row of tents, and was ma.
King the best of my way to headquarters. a
when was accosted by six-foct Nilsson a
tss
rian Of the half horse halfalIigator style,
With, -.-. In
say, Mister, ain't you preacher :" n
mo my friend-why should you sup a
pose so ?"- "a '-A-l 3Aef..tlil - .1/@ II
because you've got q sort OF snaaking u
sasctlfied look about you just suited to one n
o them critters. But. stranger, if / mis-. u
called youin taking You for preacher you u
got the advantage O. Inc in hailing me as 81
your friend. don't Know as l ever sot IL
eyes on you afor - IA
" ] am friend to all true Snutherners, . IL
SAID mildly; and that l take it for grant. N
ed you are" d,
Wall roo1.ox Z m