Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-09-16
A SAD NARRATIVE.
The Last of a Once Proud and
wealthy FamtlY-The War of the
Rebellion and the Misery it
Wrought.
Chicago Meas.

Chicago Ne5oS.
The story of a woman's patience and
devotion under fearful trials and crosses
will never be fully told. 1t began with
the first mother, was the sole comforter
OF the first murderer, and came down to
be ever present, adjoining life with a
heavenly CLEAN in the home of the hum
BILE and the proud alike. Yesterday
morning two Sisters of Mercy might
have been seen in the ladies' waiting
room in the Rock Island depot, on their
way to st. Louis. The face of one of
these holy women would have caused
the most heartless wretch living to stop
for an instant at least to look upon its
sweetness, its beauty, its benignity, all
made heavenly by visible and speaking
something that told of life of woe and
hard trial. This nun is the last of q
once proud and wealthy family, that be-
fore the rebellion was renowned in the
State of South Carolina for all that
went to distinguish the elite Of that proud
State.
Her story has few parallels. When the
war broke out the family consisted OF
the father and mother, four sons and two
daughters, of whom this Sister of Mercy
was the youngest, then barely sixteen.
The family belonged to the Episcopal
Church, but the daughters were educated
at the Academy of the Sacred Heart, al
Georgetown, now part of the city OF
Washington. Both were hurriedly
brought from school when the war broke
out to bid adieu to their father and broth
ers, who were of the first to fall into line.
With them went the betrothed of the
elder sister and the lover of the younger,
only sons of a neighboring planter OF
great wealth and social standing. The
care and management of the immense es
tate were left to the overseer and the small
army of slaves. At the battle of Antietam
the father and one of the sons fell, and
another was brought home to die in q
little while of his wounds. MIsfortunes
began to fall fast. The overseer, who
from the start had been unworthy of his
charge, shortly after the death of these
three members of the family, fed, leav,
ing the estate hopelessly entangled and
the slaves in state of uncomfortable in.
subordinstioD.
The two remaining sons came home
on a summons to attend their dying
mother. They found their elder sister
broken in spirit and health, but the
younger brave and cheerful amid the
terrible struggle. Before the boys re.
turned to the field they buried mother
and sister, and one remained to manage
the estate while the other went back to
fight In the field he was attached to
the staff of General Beauregard, and was
killed while, in obedience to orders, he
was conducting a recOnnoiter.
Thus there remained but the younger
son and daughter of the family.
Sherman's devastating army was com
ing, and scarcely a son of those left to
South Carolina failed to shoulder a gun
to meet him, among them this only pro-
tector of the beautiful and accomplished
lady, who, as Sister of Mercy, was on
her way to st. Louis yesterday. Before
Sherman reached the plantation, which
was now in equally unworthy hands as
a trust, the slaves had set fire 10 every
building, ever so small, on it, besides
numbering the agent. The young mis-
tress the day before, with a faithful
slave, had fed to the plantation of her
lover, from which she viewed the flames
which wrapped her beloved home in ruin.
From this shelter she was obliged to fly
on the approach of the army, for it, like
scores of others, was left in ashes. She
now found herself in the city of Charles
ten, a dependent on the bounty of 9th
ers. The terrible carnage about Atlanta
soon followed, and among the first to
fall was her last brother and the lover of
her elder sister, who, till now, had gone
through the war unscathed, but bearing
high honers.
No one was left now but her lover, and
he came back without his left arm.
Ruin and destruction were every
where. She was absolutely left without
a male relative, and the few remaining
Of her own sex were, like herself, en-
quilted in misery and ruin.
In the course of time the one-aImed
lover and the brave little remnant of this
blighted family were married, the young
wife having in the meantime barely sup
ported herself by teaching and her &C
complishments of the needle. They very
quickly removed to New York, where
the husband had secured a position in a
cotton house. Two handsome children
were born to them, and life seemed
measurably bright when suddenly the
husband was taken sick, and, after lin
gerlng for months, died. Soon after his
death newly born infant died in the
hour of it's birth. The mother struggled
heroically through these new miseries,
but when health and activity had come
back, not only the past few years of
prosperity were gone, but the furniture
must go too, and the apartments must be
given up. All this came to pass.
Looking about for new anchorage,
the widowed mother bethought herself
of an old schoolmate in st. Louis, to
whom she communicated her situation.
The schoolmate requested her to come
to st. Louis, where she would find
ample field for her accomplishments
With hopeful heart the poor mother
started for st. Louis, being obliged to
carefully nurse the oldest of her children
all the way, he having been some time
ailipg. Three days after her arrival in
st. Louis the boy died, and before she
could fairly look around her
the remaining child bore the
stamp Of the grave in his sweet
little face. He simply appeared to
wither away, and never spoke except to
call for his brother and his papa. The
stricken woman was unable to attend
this last link to the grave, being confined
to what must seem her deathbed. She
arose, however, but the bright golden
hair that in days gone by fell about her
like cloud of sunshine was now as
white as the driven snow. The hair had
faded, and the beauty somewhat, but
the heart of oak was as staunch as of
yore, and, as events have since proven,
so completely seasoned that to day it
yearns to help bear the sorrows of other
hearts besides its own.
And this sweet faced Sister of Mercy
seen IN the Rock Island depot yesterday
morning is that white haired, oaken
hearted mother who was unable to see
her darling boy laid under the sod. She
became convert to the Catholic Church,
entered the convent and became mem
Der of the holy band of women who gave
her the accomplishments by which she
was enabled to bear up against poverty
and want. And she is cheerful and