Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1877-09-06


away very pleasantly, apd Sd was not uuti
late 10 the evening. that Harry could tea,
himself fromItho charming circle aud return
to the camp.
Mrs. Minors residence now, became a,
attractiye and delightful place to him as
tho mansion on the Masssponix valley had
been Though punotual ID attending to his
Edutles as a soldier, he was enabled, from the
comparative inactivity ofthe armies for seve
raj weeks, and the post he then held ,(hayipp
beenrocently promoted to the position Of
adjutant of his regiment,) to spend many
pleasant hours in the society of his friends
there, aud to learn more fully what prioe.
less treasuro he had found 10 his beloved
Ellen. But this happiness was not to last
this CUP. Of pleasure vas soou to be dashed
from his lips. "a. aa ,9'
Ono evening ho appeared unusually sori.
ous, and, though rallied by the gay Minnie
on his unwonted mood, ill her efforts could
not entirely dispcl tho cloud of gloom that
seemed to DO settling upon him. In part
ing, however, he endeavored to assume his
usual cheerful manner, but the Dyes of love
see through all disguises. EIlen's sym pa
thizing heart told her tho cause Of Harry's 8
depressed spirits, and, US she held up her
sweet mouth to him to be kissed for perhaps
the last time, her pretty eyes were filed
With tonrs. Would she ever SEQ him again2
How unccrtuin!
Tho dark storm Of war that had been
gathering so feartulIy for some time around
Richmond was about to burst forth in all its
fury. Mcclellan, the able commander of
the Federal armies, had almost drawn a
Gordon of lines around that coveted CITY;
and Lee, the heroic ohcftaiu of the Con
tederatea, bad massed his strength to hurl
it upon those lines of investment, and drive
back the steadily approaching foo. Stone
wall Jackson. tho renowned leader Of the
"toot cavalry" had swung down from tho
Shenandoah Valley, aud was 10 full like a
thu underbolt oh tho flank aud rear of the
Fedcrals, while tho other generals assailed
then in front In this grand drama of war,
Gregs's Carolina Brigade was destined to
act conspicuous part, and many of the
bright eyed boys and noble men TINT com
posed it we;e never to gladden. the eyes of
fond parents and friends agAin. Jackson
opened tho ball; the thunder of his cannon
and the steady rattling roar Of small urms
announced his presence, and soon other
Iegions were in motion, joining their battle
cry in the mightychorus and terrific tumut.
|; was sublime and imposing sight, the
volcanic blazing of the batteries; the tire.
mcndous uproar and the deafening noise of
the contest, and the dauntlcss bravery Of
tho assaulting columns, as they charged
through the stogps Of iron and lcaden hail
For seven days and nights, with but little
incrmission, the battle ragged along the
Chickahominy and between that stream and
the james. Mrs. Minors residence was
not many miles from the point where the
fight commenced. and for several days the
inmates of the house could hoar the boom
ing Of the cannon; and from the upper win
dows Ellen and Minnie, with trembling
hearts, could see the white, sulphurous
clouds of smoke that rose from the battle
field, and ut night the sudden flashes and
glare of tho bursting aombs. The novel
and alarming sight filled them with terror
and grief, for they expected their loved ones
were struggling in the path Of danger md
death, or had already been numbered with
tho slain. At longth the sounds beolme
fainter and more ndistinot, and finally only
the deep tones of heavy oannon could be
heard at distance. From this, they judged
thot tho enemy were retrcating, aud the
battle was surging away.
The Fcderals, though they had stutbornly
contested the ground had been routed aud
driven from all their tortfcations, and had
taken refuge under their gun. boats on the
James, more thun twenty miles below Rich
mond. They had lost great pumber of
mon and an immense amount of stores. But
these achievements had cost the Confedc-
rates many valuable lives Position after
position had been charged and tnken, deeds
of heroism aud martial glory, worthy OF
any age, hud been performed but brave
men had fallen at every stop and the Joy of
victory was dampened by the mourning and
lam cutation that filled tho land
The battle fiulds presented ghastly and
horrid spectacle, strown with tho sain-the
Eederals dressed in blue, and the Confedc
rates for the most part, in grey or brown;
dead horses, broken cannon, and guns, ao-
trements, wagons and camp oquipage
pcattercd in indiscriminate confusion in every
direction over the field. Where the strug
gle had been hottest, the dead lay in hcups
and at every point whore the fighting was
severe, they lay here and there, with CORY
bodies. glazed eyes and riggid limbs, atark
and stiff in death. Oh! it WAS an awful.
melancholy, sickeniog sight. Such is war;
wc shudder to think of its horrors, its bar
barites and helIsh accompaniment. aud
havo no desire, if We were able, to depict
them May. our eyes never again behold its
cruel and acoursod soonest II .J.l
On the third day Of the contest Harry's
servant found his way TO Mrs. Minors with
the intelligence that bis masscr was wounded,