New Orleans Republican., 1875-10-03
A Link That Binds Us Together.

A Link That Binds Us Together.
The little story told by the New Orleans
correspondent of the Anderson Undiana)
Herald, and given below, is known to be
true in every particular. There is romance
and truth and good feeling in every line of
it, and it is one of thousands in the recolIec.
ton Of soldiers. When We think of the
canteens shared, the wounds dressed and
lives saved on the battlefield, the tender
mercy and abundant charity prisoners re-
ceived, the kind offices and warm sympathy
in individual cases. the wonder grows that
people of the same lineage, the same free
dom and the same instincts could ever have
been induced by minor issues to draw
bead on each other.
We are all Americans if we are anything
join and eyes glisten over the emotions
stirred. 1t was only few nights since that
gallant Confederate soldier exclaimed
that he would give up the "Star Spangled
Banner" and "Hail Columbia" to no man.
1t was not a new sentiment, for the hardest
hundreds of them have said before.
The days of difference are gone, and re-
citals of such little incidents as these help
us to forgot them.
New ORLEANS, September 90, 1875.
To the Editor of the Herald;
During the dark and gloomy days of the
late rebellion, some time in the month of
=, 1856, passenger train passed over
the BtlIetontaine railway, conveying a
large number OF Confederate prisoners of
war, either for exchange or to one of the
Northern prison camps. When not tar from
where Dickson's mill now stands, in the
then Thriving young city of Anderson, In
diana, the train broke down and was de-
layed several hours. The prisoners having
been without any rations for the last
twenty-four hours or more, were terribly
hungry, but the guards, under their instruc-
tiOns, could not allow them to leave the
train without passes from the commanding
officer.
An effort was made by some of your
humane citizens to secure provisions for the
prisoners, by means of soliciting donations;
but from some cause, TO your correspondent
| unknown, the plan did not prove success.
If anything was to be done, it must be done
without delay.
An honored and respected citizen of your
city, who still lives IN your midst. attracted
by the delayed train and the crowd gath
cred around, went over to see what caused
the unusual excitement, and hearing the
complaints of the hungry men as he passed
along, be quietly stepped up to one of the
cars aud told the men that his wife and
daughter were busy at work preparing pro-
visions for the day, for his harvest hands,,
| and it they would go over to his house they
| were welcome, as long as there was any
thing there to cook. Permission having
hx.r ht
| of the hungry men gladly availed them
selves of the generous strangers hospitality.
Several barrels of early apples were also
rolled out, and the men told to help them.
selves. One iue looking soldier said to one
| of the daughters that he had left sick
comrade over in the car, who was unable
to get out, aud he would like to havs per
mission to carry something to him. She at
once prepared some tomatoes and other lit
tie things, such as she thought sick man
might relish, and, accompanied by her
father, carried them to the sick man. Tears
of gratitude filled the prisoners eyes while
he attempted to express his thanks. The
lady would receive no reward; her husband
was a soldier in the Union army. Ii ever
he was so unfortunate as to be taken pris-
oner, perhaps some daughter Of the South
would be equally kind to him.
ln few hours the damages to the train
were repaired and it moved on, and this
incidenG was forgotten, save in the record
where all such kindly deeds are treasured
up.
Years passed away and times changes
found your Hoosier girl in the city of New
| Orleans, q stranger in strange city, tar
from the home and friends OF har youth, at
time, too, when political strife ran high
The worst passions and prejudiees Of the
war were revived, and people coming in
from her section Of the country were looked
upon with suspicion and were anything but
warmly Welcomed. After remaining there
/ about one year, chance, or perhaps 1t were
| better to say I-ovidence, one DAY brought
her new acauaintance-a WIDOW lady,
with bright little four-year- -olu boy. She
was an intelligent. refined lady, quiet snd
unassuming, who, like many OF the wealthy
Southern ladies, had been educated in Eu-
| rope. Dame Fortune had dealt unkindly
with her during the war; slaves, plantation
and property were swept away, and now
she was left widow without means, lily
fitted to fight life's rough battles. The
casual acquaintance grew into friendship,
and one. day, while relating to each
other some of their experiences during war
times, the long forgotten incident about
feeding the Confederate prisoners was re-
lated. The tie widow listened with strange
attention, and then, with wonderful rapid
ity, as if she feared that somehow her new
friend might be snatched away from her,
asked as to date, time in the day, name of the
place and description of the sick man. and
quickly rising she exclaimed: "Why, that
sick man was my brother Oh! have often
heard that story before, and of the good
angel who was 80 kind to him-tO you and
your dear father my brother owes his life;
and"--. Well, the rest of the scene can
not be written. Suffice it to say that the
ladies whose sympathies and dearest friends
were on opposite sides during the late strug-
gle are now the warmest of friends. A
handsome cane, present from the prison
er's sister, is now carried by the kind old
gentleman. aud no doubt highly priced as
Q souvenir of the late war. RANDOM,