Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1886-03-06
lanta the following day, in accordance with

l1utH tne IOliOWlnK uay, III accOTuAnCo with
Gen. ShermaD's = orders.
Tho reader will remember that after At
lanta was captured, Gen. Sherman issued
orders that all families, the male representa-
tves OF which were in the Confederate SER
vice. should leave the city that Gen. Hood
and tho mayor of Atlanta protested against
the order as barbarous, but submitted To the
inevitable, and that truce was agreed upon
between the opposing commanders, wherein
II was stipulated thata detachment OF federal
troops should escort the expelled families to
thotown of Rough and Ready, some miles
south, and there turn them over to n de-
tachment Of Confederate troops
This truce was about expiring at the time
! met the Southern mother and her sick chill
dfen.
at could but see Gen. sherman" said
she, / am sure would not have TO leave
my home with my children almost dying"
"Gen. Sberman's order is no doubt very
proper one," said, "but ho did net mean
that II should operate to the detrment OF sick
and dying women and children. Make
known to him your aud their condition, and
i think YOU can remain here and have pro-
per protection
"No, no." said she; al have exhausted
every effort to see Gen. Sherman, aud ! have
been repulsed by guards and orderlies and
adjutants, and | don't know how many
officers OF various grades. am Union
woman, and have done much perilous ser.
vice for the Union cause. | carry in my
bosom now a locket containing a portrait
which II could show Gen. Sherman would
he passport to his favor No, the portrait
IL not my husbands 1t IL of one OF Gen.
Sherman's spies, to whom 1 have, time and
again, given valuable information. ~as in
Atlanta from the commencement to the end
OF the terrible seige aud had many opportu-
mites OF sending valuable information to
sherman. The general does not of course
know me, but he knows this picture, and
could but see him, am sure would not
be banished from my home"
] tried to induce the poor woman to be-
love that il would not be so very difficult To
get an interview with Gen. Sherman, If she
would go about 1t In the right way, and even
volunteered my services to assist her. But
she shook her head Said 1t was no use
everything had been done that could be done
and there was nothing for her to do but leave
the town.
] ask ed her where she proposed to go. She
said to Athens. Ga ! told her IL would be
folly to go there, for the Union troops would
be there almost as soon rs she, and then pro-
baby she would have to go somewhere else.
/ advised her to go North at once, where If
she was as good a nion woman as she said
she was, she would he warmly welcomed,
and even II she were not she would have
food and medicine, shelter for herself and
sick children, and wouldn't be disturbed by
the clang of arms and tho dangers of such a
siege as she had been subjected to in At
lanta
al have considered all these things" said
she land yet am going to my old home at
Athens / will meet my mother there, and
possibly my brothers. ] know very well
that Gen. Sherman's army will not stop here
Ii will go to Athens and everywhere else
in the state till the Confederates are driven
out Of It,"
Every now and then as she talked she ad-
lusted the pillows OF her sick children,
smoothed back their golden tresses, mois-
tened their pir,hed lips, famed their ievered
brows, and with motherly tenderness tried
TO SDOth them to sleep, or assuage the pain
with which their little bodies were racked.
! bid the good woman goodbye and
rode straight to Gen. Sherman's head
quarters, to SEQ if something could not be
done Tor her and her sick children. The
general was absent on important business.
Towards evening called again, with like
result Gen. Sherman had much more i'm
portant matters to attend to than to look
after woman and her sick children ; but
was free-footed just then and early the fol-
lowing morning rode up to tho house where
had lett them The doors and windows
were wide open. The house was deserted.
The mother and the sick children and the |
household goods were gone. They had been
taken like thousands of others no doubt to
Rough aud Ready, in jolting government |
wagon, to be there delivered to the tender |
mercies OF the COniederates, and perhaps be |
sent by them To theii old home at Athens |
perhaps not
As | unused over their probable fate went |
10 the pump and drowned my sorrow in a |
drink Of water from the caabash that was |
dangling bcsdeit
Many years nave passed since these events |
occurred, and have neYer heard word |
from the muscular mountaineer who shoul. |
dered the two -bushel sack OF corn nor of |
spunky Jennie Tanner who was willing to |
lose her life to save her old parents nor OF
the secesh planters pretty wife whose calf |
] Vainly tried to save nor of the female spy |
or her sick children.