The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-07-31
= RonANcE or rnE Vac.
a True story.
tconcluded.y

1
Salt soon after rose to seventy dollars
per bushel. 1 persuaded her to let me
| invest the Confederate money which
| remained to her il this article. She
wrote to her father, and he came imme-
diately to her assistance. Though he
also was refugee from his home and
property, he contrived In some way to
placed an old lady, Ia relatively in the
house with her, and again returned to
his present habitation, at some little
village in the lower part of Georgia.
do not know why he and her mother
did not make their residence with her.
The middle and upper parts of South
Carolina were then considered the
safest part, I think, of the whole Con-
| federacy. He left her, as he thought,
in safety. Though was younger than
Caroline, he especially requested me TO
be of such assistance to her as lay in
my power.
/ purchased for her, with my own
money, salt, vegetables, chickens, and
homespun for her children. But she had
not the slightest idea how to cut and
make the homespun; though she could
embroider and work tapestry, she had
never learned how to do plain sewing.
| She was grateful for my assistance. 1
I'cut 1t out and showed her how to make
1t upnfor her children, who had both
outgrown the laces and cambrics which
she had brought with her to Dark Cor
ner. The people of this place did not
| like her or take any interest In her, be-
cause on her arrival she had been ac-
customed TO send her eldest child out
walking with two grown servants In
attendance upon him.
AT length the fall of Columbia took
place. II was reported throughout the
surrounding country Immediately af.
forwards that many of the principal in
4 k,n oF onA fhnan n.
posed TO have been the warmest seces-
sionists, had been beheadeda in the
public square, Immediately after the
conflagration ofthe city. It is impos-
sible fully to describe the excitement
pervading the community at that time.
1t was said that Gen. Sherman had
publicly ordered the city to be fred
that he had in person ordered ladies,
citizens and children out oftheir houses,
that they might be set on fire, and had
thrown back into the flames the few
necessary articles of clothing which the
miserable inhabitants, pressed at once
/ by fire, sword and famine, were en-
| deavoring to save. 1t was said that one
aged man entreated of the soldiers, who
were firing his house, only to be allow
| ed TO carry with him a portrait of a
deceased child, and that it was taken
from him and thrown into his burning
house. a
Caroline and both had friends and
connections who had taken refuge in
! Columbia, supposing it to be place OF
particular Bafety. For some days the
| imagination was before us of peaceful
and aged friends and relatives, perhaps,
among those butchered in the market
place-I say aged, for all the young and
| middle-aged were in the army.
or course we knew that much OF
these reports were but the wild exagRer-
ations OF rumOrs; but they did not the
less, at that time, excite and bewilder
| our minds.
It was in one of the last skirmishes
during the evacuation of Richmond
| that George Mcfarland was killed. He
| had been II person entirely dependent
upon station, wealth and external adj
VAntages All these had now taken TO
themselves wings. The few friends and
acquaintance who still continued to
notice and visit Caroline, now that she
had become a poor and dependent wild
ow, considered, believe, that her stu
alton was not really the worse for this
! further loss. But 70 Caroline's womRn's
heart he was still most dear. HIS faults
! were forgotten, if even noted at the
time, which l much doubt. Fortunate
| ly for the generality of women, they
reason little concerning the character oil
those who should be most dear to them.
Caroline did not even seem aware that
George had been neglectful and unkind
TO her, though this fact was notorious
among her Hcquaintances. She aban-
doned herself 10 this new grief for some
time, and was with ditfi Guilty reused by
one or two friends who remained faith
| fulto her, to take notice OF the fact that
| there was not even provisions remain
ing for another day for herself and 1T
tie children. But when she knew the
fact she could only weep afresh. The
| idea of any exertion being made by
herself did not seem to enter her mind.
For while used to share with her
children our scanty portion of daily
food, and used to carry her cup OF
| tea and crust of bread daily, when l
had the power to doso. But from this
time she took to her bed. On my fire.
ouent visits generally found her in
bed, and she scarcely seemed to care
for even the scanty nourishment which
l was able to bring her. Her servants
found work for themselves in different
ways, and did all that they could tor
her also.
Soon after the surrender, news came
that George McE'arland's only sister
land her husband had returned from
| Europe, were in New York, and would
speedily arrive at the farm belonging
to them upon which Caroline resided)
to look after the remnants OF the fami-
hope again at this news. But had
heard that this brother-in-law was a
harsh and cruel character, and 1 au-
cured i'll for Caroline and her chill
dren from the first rumor OF his coming.
It was in vain that Caroline had writ
ten to her father. He was no longer
able even to come to her. L heard
that he, formerly a man of distinction
and holding high office, lived by fish
| ing, while his wife plated palmetto
baskets and hats for sale.
at length George McFarland's sister
arrived. She had never seen Caroline
before, having been absent in Europe
since period preceding the marriage
OF the latter. Mrs. Butler was a
strikingly handsome person, and pos
sessed the most fascinating manners.
Upon the occasion of my first visit to
the house alter her arrival, she appear
ed to me to treat Caroline with SO much
affection that said to my father on my
return that 1 hoped our fears OF more
trials to Caroline from the arrival OF her
relative, would be without foundation.
As time went on, 1 heard that no
property remained to the McFarlands
except this cottage and farm, owned by
they had conveyed 10 England. But
this WAS of Mrs. Buffers portion. To
Caroline was left nothing, in present
possession, but some silver, jewels and
furniture. And this was all which re-
manned to Caroline Vesey, who had
been the only daughter and heiress OF
| one rich man and the wife of one of the
millionaires of the Southern States.
In the fall after the surrender, 1
heard with establishment (for poor
Caroline was scarcely ever out of bed,
that she was making preparations for a
Journey to Baltimore. Some friends
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