Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1880-08-26
5000 Buried in One Aero.
A VISIT TO THE DESERTED CnNFEpERAT.
CEMETERY NEAR ELMIRA.
rFrom the New York Sun. I

LIMlhAS W. AuSuoV -I'--l tlo iuiui
city has wide streets, handsome residences
and brisk and bustlipg appearance. It
is situated in q level plain which trends
North and South. On tho South and on the
East arc high hills. Ono of the hills little
to the Northeast is 80 high and abrupt that
some black cattle feeding on the summit
looked like so many black busy bugs. TO
tho Northwest stretch tho "Dutch Fats,'
u beautiful plain, and tract of rich and
fortilo land to delight the eyo of the farmer.
1t is rich in turnips aud archaeological
relics. Gen. Sullivan fought here battle
with the indians, killing squaws, burning
wigwans, and anticipating by hundred
years all the horrors of modern Indian war
fare.
Tho battlefield gratilics tho historic
ycarnines of the town, and affords field
fur the exercise of local pcdantry. The
town hos some sort of q provincial learned
society, which burrows in tho plain for
buried hatchcts, and casts the tomuhawk of
discord in the heated debutes of its learned
discussions.
The city is crossed by two railways, the
Eric and tho Northern Central. The latter
runs through Pennsylvania and New York,
going from Baltimore to Cauandaigua.
There arc some minor railways, built to
create local debts for bonded towos. They
arc not worth remembering, and / have
forgotten them. Tho chief industries in
the city are rolling mill, pudding mill,
iron mill, aud large shoe factory. The
last is a substantial building, with tall
tower, aud trimmed with various colorcd
brck-quitc handsome for factory.
walked out to the West end of tho
town to see the site of the old Confederate
prison, and whero it stood l saw them
Building houses. The old stockaGe has
heon long torn away. No relic of tho place
which for noarly eighteen months was the
homo of $4,000 men, the flower of tho
Confederate army, and within whose walls
tragedy Of lingering illness, broken hopes
mud welcome death, now remains. 1
walked over to tho North to tho city como
terry where the Confederate dead arc buried.
I made my way through the usual amount
Of Browns, Joncscs, and Johnsons, with
virtues glowing on freshly out gravcstoncs,
but failed to find any spot where the
Confederate dead lay. At length saw
wedge shaped fold across tho road.
climbed o7er tho fence, and crossing the
highway entered tho enclosure, with hat
in my hand and reverent feelings. saw
tho turf cast up in billowy lines. called
up all my imaginings of tho great conflict
of which those mon wcro the heroes and
this field was tho final end. "Thcy were
buried very thick hcrc," said to rustic,
who was leaning on tho fcnco and regard
ing my hatlcss appearance and insane air
with amiablc curiosity. "This is beot
fcld!" said the rustic. The field had been
fall plowcd. At the soxton's house asked
whero tho Confederate dead lay. Hc
kindly gave INC full directions, and showed
mo largo map hanging on tho wall, with
graves us thick rs leaves, and tho name of
oach dead man printed on tho spot where
ho lay. There was also ledger of immonso
eizc, in which was kept tho namo,
home, age, regiment and date of tho
death Of each deceased person. Nearly
thrco thousand Confederate soldiers arc
buried in IN aoro in tho Northern part of
tho cemetery. Thcy lio so thickly that
there was barely room to put ones finger
to Indicate that any dead arc here. Tho
hcadboards havo rottcd away, and the earth
ridges have been ploughed ovor. They
have soHn grass, and now green ard vel
vcty sward has sprung up. Some half
dozen scattered gravestones remain, but
appear only as so many isolated graves;
when ono reads them they havo peculiar
and tondor interest under tho Northern sky,
bearing Southern names from Virginia,
Carolipa and Louisiana, and telling to
future times their simple story of devotion
md of tho romance and poetry Of the war.
As it grow darl, saw q light beam in
the window Of Mr.. Jones, the former sexton,
who buried the Confederate soldiers during