The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1880-11-25

however, and when the rainy day came
| wasn't prepared. The war came on
and, although was too old to go myself f,
told the boys to go ir my place, and
do all they could to help whip the Yam.
KEGS. You know we ali thought Ken.
tucky, Tennessee and Maryland would get
our independence. You recollect how
Andy loomed up in them days. heard
about it, and / says to every body that's
our Andy for lnew he was found to be
O great man some day. People laughed
at me, but felt sure it was him, and
when heard about that speech at Nash
vile, and how he deficd them, knew IL
was Andy. Well, Andy he thought one
way aud thought another. He thought
he was right and knew I was. We did
all we could, and three of the bows gave
up their lives for the South, Bill and
John at Gettysburg aud Jimmie down in
Georgia, fighting Sherman. Tom, here, -
with nod towards the broad .shouldered
man, "was our baby, and l hated to see
him go. He was working al Fayetteville,
and one day got letter from him, in
which he 5aid that he had listed in the
old Fifteenth Infantry. got one other
letter from him, and the news came
that he had been killed at Chancellors.
vile. His old mother took OH powerful
about it, She alway was weakly sort
ofa woman, and just pined away like,
mourning for Tom. She didn't live
more'n three months, and when see died
just give plumb up. They started n
company Of home guards out of the old
men to do guard duty at Salisbury prison
and Joined 'em. We had tolerablc easy
time, but got wet one night, took sick
with the bilious fever and liked to have
died. When | did finally get we'll the
rheumatism took hold of my bones, and
there were three months at time when
couldn't touch my foot to the ground.
What little money / had went, and when
the surrender took place had about 500
left in Confederate bills and SIS gold
piece. One Of my sisterp lived in Cataw-
ba county, and wrote and asked her If
she would let me come and spend the
few days had to live at her home. Her
husband vote back that 7 was welcome
to such rs they had, and I spent my SIS
gold piece to get to Tem. They we're
monstrous poor, and had large family
of children. Although they were mighty
kind to me, could see that I was bur-
den to them, and [ made up my mind
to. go to the infirmary. The rheumatism
crippled me up so bad that couldn't
work on the bench, aud tell you, stran-
ger, things looked mighty dark for a
childless, wifeless old man. One day I
was studying over my hard fortune, and
thinking "hat to do, picked up paper
and the first line on the page caused an
idea to flash into my head. It was
something about the President, and I
says,
'I'LL GO TO ANDY.
he will perhaps do something for his old
friend I thought at first I'd write. and
then concluded TO 60 in person. / had
no money to pay railroad fare, but nv
brother-in-1aw figed IN little bundle of
clothes, and my sister cooked me some
rations, and started out afoot. It was
a long march, mister, but kept moving
on, and people NIL along the road was
powerful kind to me. I think l was
about ten weeks mixing the trip. A tai
ior who used to work with me in Raleigh
lived in Alexandria, and 1 stayed ali
night with him. The next morning I
got up bright and early, brushed up my
clothes and walked across the Long
bridge. strolled around the city until
mighty nigh noon, and then inquired for
the White House, and boy directed me
to 1t. When | got there saw so many
fins gentlemen and ladies going in and
out that L was almost dishearten-
ed, and l turned back two or three times.
You see, mister, thought that if Andy
had such fine visitors ns them woulGn't
stand much Of a show of seeing him. But |
Judged him wrong, sir; judged wrong.
l followed the people into the house,
and fellow all covered with gold lace
showed me into room where I was to
sit until Andy was ready to receive visi-
toI,. l waited half hour, maybe, when
t@o big doors at one end of the room were
opened, and another fellow in uniform
cried out:
THE PRESIDENT
II went i'll with the rest, and there
stood Andy cn little platform shaking
hands with this one, and speaking word
to that one. ! sorter hung back to have
a good look ut him. It had been many
years since i saw him, bat 1 knew
him in a minute. His hair was thin
ner and turning gray, but he was
the same old Andy. Before l knew it
had hold Of his hand, and q fellow
whispered my name which they made me
write on little card. He wasn't looking
at me when he first took my hand, cut
when the fellow in gold lace spoke, he
leaned over and looked in my face.
"God bless my soul, said he, it's my
old friend Tom Lomsdenp 7 and then he
turned to the officer and said something.
The officer shouted, The reception Is
over, and Andy, still holding my hand,
led me back into little room behind the
big one. There were lots of great men
there, Senators and Generals and Cabinet
officers. and Andy introduced me to 'em
all: andy wasn't proud man, sir, and
although he was President, he wasn't
ashamed or ME in my homespun. clothes
or afraid 70 acknowledge that we had
worked together on the tailor's bench i'm
old Raleigh. ns
"This is my cid friend Tom Lomsden
gentlemen he eaid calling each one ~
'em by name. we worked together un
the tailor's bench in Raleigh, forty years
ago. And the gentlemen all shook
hands with me and inquired after my
health, and l was just crying all the Tins
Andy saw it, and excused himself from
the great men and took me back into his
own private room. Tom he says, and
remember HIS exact words, tom. old
boy, I'm damned glad to see you. I've
got some good old corn whiskey here
and we'll take drink for the sake of old
times.' He shook my hand, and sortel
managed to say, Tm glad to see you
Andy. always said you would be 9
great man, and more than glad that yor
don't forget your old friends
"Well, sir, stayed there two weeks. arc
Andy introduced me to all tie great iner
and was very kind to me. l told him al