Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1888-06-21
A WAR TRAGEDY

southwest-ward from the great Sand
Mountain TO the picturesque table
lands of Monte Sano, you have missed
scene will not attempt 10 des.
cribe ii. canno. 10 1t Justice. No
one can. 1t Is the paradise Of north
Alabama, and in the heart OF that iar
southern district devastated by wax,
and yet thanks 10 lis pleasant homes
and we'll titled lands escaped almost
unscratched.
Not many, miles 10 the north is
Lookout Mountain and the 6attie-
fields of Mission Ridge and Chicka-
mauga. Further tothe south and west,
aud on the same great trunk line that
passes within the shadow of tho
heights Oh which Hooker fought his
battle in the clouds, Is that already
famous young city Q: phenomenal
growth, Decatur, and beyond that,
the new Sheffield and war SCARED
Corinth.
But while this corner OF the great
valley saw little OF either blue coats
or gray-except, perhaps, an OCCASION
a! foragns party that chance ied
away from the railroad and into the
garden land between the big hills
the valley gave It's best blood for the
Contederacy, and sons and brother-
left the cotton unpickel in the field
to JOIN Bragg and his gathering hosts
across the border line Of Tennessee, or
to follow the fortunes Of Morgan or
Stuart on their cavalry ralds to the
north.
Back from the Tennessee, IN a cove
protected from the northers by the
broad back of Monte Sano, a hardy
mountain farmer had built house Of
uncut stone-a poor place at best, but
a home for the sake OF what was IN it.
1t was not typical southern home.
for the good wife and mother was
housekeeper, dairymaid and Gardener
all in one. while the two strappinr
boys, with their father, did the work
which on other plantations fell 70 tho
task of the negro slaves. At the
nearest store. at Navsv;lle old Johp
Rogers was, with indiscriminate cour-
tesy, dubbed Colonel" Why, ho
Never knew. Perhaps no one else did.
Even before the war military titles
were popular in Dixie. Now they are
all colonels. So few rrivates escaneJ
the war.
Among the negroes "Col." John
was looked upon with some diajain.
A man who "worked" his farm with.
ont q s;ncla blacl, "bov' wos M, I;l,clv
r. win tho roenac, nc ",bo ,,o,tcrs"
&C the b,g plantations q, tho river.
Farmers who worked were "roo.ah
vb;,s trash in ,bose davs of cosv
;r3o,orco Rrt "CoI Iob, ,br;rcJ
for all that and navar a homo ~ all
the broad valley was barpier than in
the little cove under the shadow Of
Monte Sano.
News travels slow IN the country
In those days few newspapers found
their wav into the Tennessee valley
of Alabama and tho first shock Of war
At Fort Sumter was too Jar away 10
effect the .ranou;litv Of the reorlc hy
tho ,raat river Tbep c,r,o the fran.
t;c caIIs for ,roors hv the .,,verrment
a, M,ntgomarv and ,hs Great valley
was At last awakened 70 the horror
Of war i recruiting Office was oren.
al At Uuntsville ten miles away. on
the other side Of Monte Sano and
husband. and i,thers and sons LETT
their homes and people and went a,
way to the war. The valley OF the
Tennessee was desolate. The negroes
went tiocking northwari III search o,
the army Of emancipation. and The
cotton was left IN the balls TO -pol!
Tba,s came &, tim. wbar even f,ol
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