The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-04-24

Du' the world never yet has justified
England Tor the treatment of the prjson
er or Helena. Aunt Kate gazed at eacl
cot IN passing. One poor man she no
Hced whose form was attenuated until he
seemed living skeleton. One eve wa,
eaten out with scurvy the other wa.
closed as if he was asleep. but his face
was contorted with pain. She passed ar
lew PAGES, growing for the first time
SICK at heart with apprehension that he,
| husband might be like one of these
Overcome by the thought a sudden faint
ness attacked her and she leaned for .
moment for support against pillar nea,
by. "'
| SAD MEETING.
Standing there, her limbs trembling
depressed and discharged, she heard he,
name spoken in faint tones:
Kate Kat e!".
She thought surely her senses Knocked
her: The voice was husky and not ia.
miliar Again she heard the words:
1rOh, Kate, don't you hear n. ."
! IL was the man whom she had thought
was asleep. She looked back at the Cot
and saw the poor wasted hand held out
entreatiDgly to her she knew then that
she had found her husband.
Inc excitement aud effort of calling
caused him to faint, and perhaps for
Ooth 1t vas mercy that she had few
moments In which to realize his condi.
tioh, ior Aunt Kate saw at once that her
husband was wreck, physically and
mentally. His hopeless imprisonment,
starvation, cold and disease had sapped
the foundations of his constitution. She
mad found her husband only, she felt. to
sec him die. But not here! Not in the
common hospital
she al once sought out n pastor of one
OF the city churches, and with her quite
dignity told her situation. The clergy.
man had large house, and assisted her
IN removing her husband into pleasant
room, procured her fuel, medicine and
necessary food. More he could not do.
for there was illness in bis own family.
and the servants bitten by the wild idea,
of freedom, having nothing to do, had
gone away, and Aunt Kate had, without
help, to care for her poor, sick soldier.
The long flights Of stairs of the tall CITY
house we're wearisome to climb; the
water, carrying, fuel.bringing and cooking
were hard tasks, in addition to the con.
stant care of an invalid, to one unaccus.
toned to menial tasks. Still the devoted
woman did not know she was tired in the
hour of supreme trial.
GALLANT FEDERAL SOLDIERS.
The sick man, under the inspiration of
| her presence, believed himself able to
get home. His constant prayer was to
see his children again and his wife de.
termined that he should. She went to the
Federal commander and asked for trans.
portation tor her i'll husband, who was an
exchanged prisoner. No man could be
brute enough TO be unmoved by her story.
Not only did the Federal General give
her an order to pass the lines and trans.
portation on the boat to Port Royal, but
| also sent an ambulance to carry them to
| the wharf and detailed a soldier TO help
them on board
Although Aunt Kate lost, through the
cruel policy Of the Northern government,
her husband, yet she always remembers
that, in her sore hour of need, from the
highest officer to the common Yankee
soldier, she received from our enemies
help and sympathy. In that sad journey
home never once did they fail to lift the
helpless man tenderly aud proffer assist.
| ance to the sad woman who attended
him.
At Hardeeville she came to our lines
One of tue nien Gho was sent 10 meet
hem happened to be her brother. Her
heart gave glad throb in anticipation
of his help in getting on home. But the
| need for every man in our ranks was
then inexorablo, and the application for
him N be allowed to go as far as Charles
ton, even, was refused. Everything was
in sad state of confusion, transporta-
| tiOn for our sick and wounded was very
inadequate.
Between Charleston and Columbia
Aunt Kate felt that her husband was
sinking under the fatigue snd discomforts
encountered. 1t seemed to her more
than she could bear, to have him 80 near
the goal of his earthly desire and yet fall.
But succor came.
One of the most beautiful features of
our sad war was the Wayside Homes,
provided by our women at various points.
In them our soldiers, far from their
homes, had gaping wounds dressed.
tiirobbins temples bathed, and, without
money or price, found love, rest, synpa-
thy. In our own State there WIS the
lovely mission of old Mrs. Roc. Un-
wearingly she visited the trains on the
South Carolina Railroad for many
months, feeding the sick and wounded
first ; then, if it was to spare, giving to
the hungry. She found out our weary
travellers and took them off the cars to q
nice room, where they were soon provid-
ed with all necessary comforts.
GOING HOME TO DIE.
After resting here for two days, the
fame of life burned again more steadily
and the devoted wife felt that she might
vet take her husband home, and -atify
his one remaining wish-to again see his
children. She reached Columbia with.
out fresh difficulty; there friend met
her, and the next day she reached her
fathers house. Her husband had his
hearts desire two days later he was
beyond the gates.
For weeks Aunt Kate was III but she
lived, went to her home, reared her chill
dren, and has done her daily duty as our
women throughout the great Southland
have nobly done. AS a people we are
happy in this, that We are proud Of our
struggle, and not ashamed of our defeat.
The world still points, as an illustration
of the highest courage, to the Army OF
the Southern Confederacy and to the
Women of the Southern States in the
great civil war as examples of matchless
devotion.
In writing my sketch I have drawn
the skeleton of the trials Of Aunt Kate,
and not undertaken the details Of her ex'
perieuce. Pages might have been writ
| fen hut il is not we'll