The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1883-04-11
For the y. & NJ Household.
a Spray of lilacS.

grant breath. and 10. a. at the touch OF
an enchantor'- haut. the dark SORROW
iul present fades away; { i again the
10th OF Aprll in that year % dcs1lation.
1866. and ! stand once more on TIE
busy crowded thoroughtare 70 watch
that saddcst Of all sights. the march oi
a retreating army.
The sky is blue and uncloudeG. the
sun blazes with fierce splendor. flowers
pour their incense on the air. birds sing,
and all Nature i wrcathed with smiles,
and iubilant in the luxuriance of an un-
usually early spring. WHY then should
We look 50 grave. and feel so hsavy-
hearted: Why. because the sunshine
mocks our wretchedne,s a. its golden
beams CLINT down on the banners OF our
army. and that army is in retreat.
Tramp. tramp. sounds the steady
tread Of the advancing columns aS brl-
gade after brigade, mere shattered
handsfuls that they are. comes into
sight. each one headed by its Battle
Flag. smoke stained. and battle dimm-
ed. round which they had 50 often raj
lied. so often borne in triumph across a
bloody and hard fought field Ragged.
barefooted. and weary. worn down by
hard marching. exhausted by prlvation
and want. yet still resolute. Still hope
ful are the bronzed veterans of an hun
dred fights.
And as they pass On, led by men
whose names are forever set as stars in
the misty realm of the future. we gaze
after them and feel that the bulwark
which has stood so long between us and
all the unspeakable horrors of invasion.
is being withdrawn, and we strain our
gaze a. tho We would imprint upon our
memory forever the fast fading insignia
ot our National Organizatlon On
passes column of infantry. the men all
with flowers stuck in their hats. or the
muZzles of their guns. then comes the
field artillery. guns. calsonS. Timber
chests. torges. wagons. ambulances. all
20 slowly by. the wagon trains follow
ing: and then the motley crowd that
bring. up the rear of each division, a
pet sheep. or dog. one or two cows.
some barefooted stragglers. laughing
negroes. led horses, and the like. The
sitting heat, aud dust. The confused
noises. the hearty meeting and parting
of friends; and then :he fife and drum.
and sound of marching feet as another
division comes up and passes by.
Who is that superb looking Cflicer@
we ask Of soldier who steps beside us
to ask for a spray Of lilacs. as we point
to a magnificent looking man, who sits
his horse like 4 centaur, and whose dark
curls are tossing in the breeze. Cen
eral Walthall, the officer who led that
superb bayonet charce al Bent1nsville
with the colors of an Alabama regiment
in his hand, he answers courteously.
and we look with deeper interest at the
bronzed and handsome soldier who has
made his name immortal.
One by one passes by the officers.
and the men who formed the gallant
but unfortunate army of the West. ste
phen ID. Lee, Hardee, Walthall, Cheat
ham, Anderson, Stewart, Gordon, Con
ner, Ed. Il. Johnston, Breckenridge,
and a host of others whose names were
familiar household words. and whose
deeds of gay daring, whose steadtast en-
durance of trials that would have crush
ed weaker souls, had made our hearts
beat quicker. ard our blood flow hotly
in our veins. but whom we gazed upon
now thro' binding tears, for The glory
of their coming was ovcrshadowed, the
army was in retreat.
The men passed by in steady ORDERLY
ranks, corps, divisions. brigades. re@i-
ments. companies all represented; and
yet. with ranks so thinly filled that they
were hut the skeleton of an army.
And as we watched their bl ave cheer
iul march, our question was not WHY
were they falling back, but why such
ragged. shoeleSs. half-starved. and
miserably equipped solderY had not
been overpowered before! Nothing but
their unfiinching courage, their heroic
endurance. their ardent devotion to the
dear, tho sacred cause. could have en-
abled them so long successfully to resist
such overwhelming odds as were OPP
posed to them. They had done what
| they could all that valor, forttude. and
devotion could accomplish. and wha ev-
er was to be the issue of events they
were blameless. for they had reached
the limit of mortal endurance. and il
was God Himself who barred the way.
All day we stood by the wayside
ministering as best we could to the
wants of our brave defenders. food and
water and such things as four years ot
woe and want. blockade and privation
had left III our store rooms were freely.
gladly given to them. Many an one o.
us went hungry the whole day long
clad to suffer for their SakeS All day
we stood. the sun pouring his fierce rays
upon us. the dust sitting us. the noise
and tumult surging in our ears; and the
heavy overpowering fragrance of the
I ,1o.. SIrlfr II
will | inhale their perfume without those
awful days returning to me: those days
OF fierce agony when the sun looked
| dim. and familiar things seemed strange
4 to our eyes. When the flowers faded
4 that budded and blOssomcd while we
were free people. one of oarth's ma.
i tiOnalties we were sitting in The ashes
/ of woe. our armies scattered. our lead
ers in prison and exile. our homes desc.
\ late. our land in chains. all summed
up in three brief terrible words-Wt
bad surrendered!
All was lost, our awful ordc Il of fire
blood and sword. for four long bite
wears. our sorrows and sutfcrinos, ou
sacrifices. prayers, and tastings. hao
availed us nothing. a fate worse thar
7. ten thousand deaths had betalleu IL
we had lost our cause. our country. ou
hopes. Oh bitter reballious heart sta,
thy wild sorrow. thy passionate, un
availing regret. learn to say with tn
blind patience Of DESPAIR, ~ ot my viii
but Thine, ''-Thn.c tho the hear
bre2k: aud the spirit die beneath it
weight OF woe. However dark and in
scrutably mysterious, however contrar
to our ideas OF justice, right. and mercy
still, oh mighty Lord. teach ~ all [
say-"Thy Will. not mine. be DONE
r. c.
TIillsboro, April 10th, lSc6-'S3.