Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1875-10-29
A Sad Incident of the Late War.

Scene, Charleston. Time, April 90,
1854 The Yankees from time to time
threw shell into the city and nobody
seemed to mind it. Miss Anna Pickens,
the daughter of one of our former Gov
ernors, never consented to leave the city.
Despite the representation of Gen. Beau
gard she remained, Drawing shells and
Greek fire, tending the wounded and
cheering all with her presence. Among
the wounded officers under her care was a
Mr.. Andrew de Rochelle, descendant of
one of the noblest Huguenots of the city.
This young man was full of the 1iveliest
gratitude for his nurse; gratitude gave
birth to more tender sentiment; his suit
was listened to; Gov. Pickehs gave his
consent, and the marriage was fixed for
the 23d of April Lieut.. de Rochelle was
on duty at Fort Sumter in the morning,
and it was determined that the ceremony
should take place at the residence OF Gen.
Bonham at eight O'Clock. AT the moment
when the Episcopal clergyman was ask
ing the bride if she was ready shell fell
upon the roof of the building, penetrated
to the room where the company was as
sembled, burst, and wounded nine per-
sons, among them Miss Anna Pickens
The scene that followed cannot be de
scribed. Order being at last re-estab-
llshed, the wounded were removed, with
the exception of the bride, who lay mo-
tionless on the carpet. Her 7betrothed,
leaning and bending over her, was weep
ing bitterly and trying to stanch the
blood that flowed from a terrible
wound under her left breast. A sur
geon came and declared that Miss Pick
ems could not live but two hours. We
will not paint the general despair. When
the wounded girl recovered her conscious
ness she asked to know her fate, when
| they hesitated to tell her Andrew"
she said, Ct beg you to tell me the truth !;
if / must die can die worthy of you."
Tie young soldiers tears were his an
swer, and Miss Anna, summoning all her
strength, attempted to smile. Nothing
could be more heartrending than to see
the agony of this brave girl struggling in
the embrace of death and against mortal
pain. Gov. Pickens, whose courage is
known, was almost without conscious
ness, and Mrs. Pickens looked upon her
child with the dry, haggard eye of one
whose reason totters.
Lieut.. de Rochelle was the first to
speak. "Anna," he cried, CT will die
soon, too, but would have you now die
my wife. There is yet time to unite u.s."
The young girl did not reply. She was
too weak. A slight flush rose for an in
slant TO her pale cheek; it could be seen
that JOY and pain were struggling in her
spirit for the mastery. Lying upon a
sofa, with her bridal dress all stained
with blood, her hair disheveled, she had
never been more beautiful. Helpless as
she was, Lieut.. de Rochelle took her
hand and requested the Rev. Dr. Dickin-
son to proceed with the ceremony. When
it was time for the dying girl to say yes
her lips parted several times, but She
could not articulate At last the word
was spoken, and slight foam rested
upon her lips. The dying agony was
near. The minister sobbed as he pro-
ceeded with the ceremony. An hour
afterward all was over, and the bridal
chamber was the chamber of DEATH
Charleston IS. o. Cor. atlanta Constst,t-
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