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

But the world never yet has justified
England for the treatment of the prison
er Of Helena. Aunt Kate gazed at eacl
cot in passing. One poor man she no
ticed whose form was attenuated until b
seemed a living skeleton. One eye va
eaten out with scurvy the other wa
closed as if he was asleep, but his fac
was contorted with pain. She passed OF
a few PAGES, growing for the first tim
sick at heart with apprehension that ne
husband might be like one of these
Overcome BY the thought sudden faint
ness attacked her and she leaned for
moment for support against pillar nea
by.
A 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:
"Oh, Kate, don't you hear meW
It was the man whom she had thought
was asleep. She looked back at the CO.
and saw the poor wasted hand held ou
entreatiDgly to her she knew then tha
she had found her husband.
The excitement and effort of calling
caused him to faint, and perhaps fol
both it vas mercy that she had few
moments in which to realize his condl
ton, for Aunt Kate saw at once that hel
husband was q wreck, physically and
mentally. His hopeless imprisonment
cold and disease had sappeo
the foundations of his constitution. She
had found her husband only, she felt, te
see him die. But not here Not in the
common hospital
She at once sought out pastor of one
of the city churches, and with her quite
dignity told her situation The clergy.
man had large house, and assisted hei
in removing her husband into pleasant
room, procured her fuel, medicine and
necessary food. More be could notdo,
for there was illness in his 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 were wearisome to climb; the
water.carrying, fuel. bringing and cooking
were hard tasks, in addition to the con-
slant 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-
that he should. She went to the
Federal commander and asked for trans
portation for 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 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 and proffer assist.
ance to the sad woman who attended
him.
At Hardeeville she came to our lines.
One of the men who was sent TO meet
them 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 inexorable, and the application for
him to be allowed to 60 as far as Charles,
ton, even, was refused. Everything was
in sad state of confusion, transporta'
ton for our sick and wounded was very
inadequate.
Between Charleston and Columbia
Aunt Kate felt that her husband was
sinking under the fatigue and discomforts
It 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,
temples bathed, and, without
money or price, found love, rest, sympa-
thy. In our own State there was the
lovely mission of old Mrs. Roe. Uu-
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
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
yet take her husband home, and crafty
his one remaining wish-to again see bis
children. She reached Columbia with.
out fresh difficulty; there friend mel
her, and the next day she reached hel
fathers house. Her husband had his
hearts desire two days later be was
beyond the gates.
For weeks Aunt Kate was i'll, but she
lived, went to her home, reared her chill.
dren, and has done her daily duty as oul
women throughout the great Southland
have nobly done. AS people we are
happy iu this, that we are proud of oul
and not ashamed of our defeat
The world still points, as an illustration
of the highest courage, to the Army o.
the Southern Confederacy and to the
Women of the Southern States in The
great civil war as examples of matches.
devotion.
III 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
ten hut IL is not we'll