The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1880-04-21
THE FUL1ILM1lyT

Old Raeh el Stone passed out Of imme-
aiate memory. The swift and changing
drama of war left no time nor opportu-
nifty for retrospection. But the old crea-
lures curse sped none the less surely to
q seeming verifcation. The passage Of
Gen. Sherman's army through Georgia
left IN the northern section OF the State q
frightful condition of things. This fav-
ored section of the state-rich, healthy,
beautiful was continuous ruin. IT.
exemplifed FULLY the horrors Of war.
The white section Of the state, it fur
nished the bulk OF the Union element.
The arena for contending armies for q
long period, it was desolated in its en-
tirety. Lett for months outside of the
protecting aegis of both governments, the
hiding place of guerillas of both armies,
the theatre of that worst of all strife that
exists between inimical local factions, it
realized in all its dread malignance the
miserable suffering conveyed in the word
anarchy. The melancholy condition of this
section was the saddest picture Of all the
sad ones of the late war. Those able to
flee fled. Those unable to get away,
stayed in armed despair, ever present
peril, and subject to daily rapine and
death. Courts were silent, schools emp
| ty, churches deserted, dwellings were
burned and fences destroyed, until the
civllizing demarkations of home and
farm were lost in indistinguishable ruin.
Strolling bands of desertels and robbers
! herded in the mountain caves, made pre-
datory excursions from their Businesses,
and in their inhuman collisions and MUIR
derous orgies, kept up reign of terror.
It was once smiling country, peaceful,
prosperous and happy, converted by the
tell Moloch of war into bloody scene of
utter desolation. And to these awful
horrors, universal and unmitigable, the
appalling possibility of starvation was
added. No crop could be raised in this
hldeous time, and charity could not pen
>etrate this wilderness of devastation.
Capt. Keith's family lived IN this sec
ton. He obtained leave of absence to
visit and provide for his people, and
never returned. The desertion was a
surprise to those who knew the high
and noble character of the man, but there
was allowance to be made tor any one In
the necessity of protection for q mans
family where he was powerless and the
| req mana OF violence was sovereign Tu-
Ter. Intelligence from that country was
infrequent and obscure, but always Of
plumber and bloodshed. Men slept IN
their boots and armed. or Capt. Keith
we heard little. He was evidently try
ing to preserve his safety. He lived ir
terror of the torch of the incendiary and
the pistol of the assassin. How or wher
he came to his death has never been learn
ed. He was missing from his family, anc
for weeks his fate was unknown. Hi
friends were in an agony of suspense
feeling the worst And when the dreae
certainty was known, it verified the mos
dreadful anticipation. His body wa
found in the woods IN gully, disfgured
maltreated, decaying, barely recognizable
} Rachel Stones curse mad been fulfilled
to the letter. lie had miserably perish
} ed, as she had prayed and predicted. 81
had miserably died like hunted dog
ana met the trightful fate her ,mplacabl'
, tongue had invoked upon hima wretch
ed, terror-stricken, lonely, murdered out
cast