The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-03-08
A WAR TRAGEDY.

famous valley that stretches southwest
ward from the great Sand mountain to
the picturesque table lands OF Monte Sano,
Won laee missed Il scene the fairest OF all
in that country Of fair scenes. / Will not
otteupt 10 describe 1t. | cannot do il
Justice. No one can. II is the paradise
of north Alabama. and in the heart OF
that far southern district devastated by
war. and yet thanks TO It's protecting bull
wark Of mountains, its pleasant homes
and well titled lands. escaped almost I'M
scatled
Not many miles 10 the north is Lookout
mountain and the b~attleGelds Of Mission
Ridet and ChickAmaugl. Further 10 the
south aud west, aud on the same great
trunk line that passes within the shadow
Of the heights on which Hooker fought his
battle in the clouds. ~ is that already ia
nous young city OF phenomenal growth,
Decatur, and beyond that, the new Shelf
field and wal Scared Corinth.
put while this corner OF the great val
lev SOW little OF either blue coats or gray
-cxcept. perhaps, All occasional foraging
party that chance led away from tie rail
road and into the garden land between
the big hills-the valley gave its best
blood for tie cause Of the Confederacy,
and sons and brothers left the cotton UNI
picked IN the field ~ join Bragg and his
gathering hosts across the border line Of
Tennessee. or 10 follow the fortunes Of
Morgan or Stuart on their cavalry raids to
tie north.
Back from the Tennessee, III a cove pro-
tected from the nOrthers by the broad
back OF Monte Sane, a hardy mountain
farmer had built a house OF uncnt stoue-
Il poor place at best, but 4 home for the
sake of what was in it. 1t was not u
typical southern home, Tor the good wife
and mother was hOusekeeper, dairymaid
and gardener all in one, while the two
strapping boys, with their father, did the
work which IN other plantations fell to
the task Of the negro slaves. At the
nearest store, at Maysville, old John
Rogers was, with indiscriminate courtesy,
dubbed colonel" Why, he never
knew. Perhaps no one else did. Even
before the war military titles were popu
La i'll Dixie. Now they are all colonies.
So few privates escaped the war.
Among the negroes Col John was
looked upon with some disdain. 4 man
who worked his farm without n single
black boy was not likely to win the re-
spect OF 'the quarters" at the biz plan
tations Oh the river. Farmers who
worked were ''poO-ah white trash in
those days Of easy Incidence. But
"COl." John thrived for all that, and
never a home in all the broad valley was
happier than in the little cove under the
shadow Of Monte Ssno.
News travels slow in the country. In
those days few newspapers found their
way into the Tennessee valley Of Ala
hama, aud the first shock OF war at Fort
Sumter was too far away TO affect the
tranquility OF tie people by the great river.
Then came the frantic call for troops by
the government nj Montgomery, and the
great valley was II last awakened 10 the
horrors OF war y recruiting Office was
opened nj Huntsville, ten miles away, Oh
the other side Of Monte SanO, and hus-
bands, and fathers, and Sons left their
homes and people and went away to the
war. The valley Of the Tennessee was
desolate The negroes went iloCking
northward In search OF the army Of eman-
oipation, and the cotton was left in the
balls 10 spoil. There came a time when
even food WAS scarce, and beef was worth
its weight in the strange new scrip the
va 80 So AHHAaA AANk ~
Co. " John Jared worse than many,
although Tor months after the boys Of the
lower valley had gone away into Tennes-
See, his SONS yielded TO the wish Of the
old folks aud stayed az home. The time
came, however, when honor compelled
them 10 20, aud they went; but the eyes
OF the aged mother We're wet with tears,
and the face OF the white haired "Col."
1nln Nx4C gfrnnnolx old xth.. slar bod.
their boys good-by.
There are brave hearts here at home
WHO remember those sad farewells, when
the boys in blue wen far away 10 fight
and die on these southern battlefeids.
There were the same sad partings in many
q southern home, and the wal left hun
dreGs Of decimated families In that fair
valley.
Months passed and then years. Oc-
casionally letters from the absent soldier
boys came TO the old folks in the cove, but
they were few and very far between.
They had gone north and enlisted In the
Army Of Virginia. They had been al Bull
Run and lad been on the peninsula In the
checkerboard operations OF McClellan's
campaign. Tn latest letter, scrubbed in
pencil and written in haste, and read I'm
Aual lulu lpuit With NSliiitA vet tHHitklul
hearts, told OF good health and COnteder-
ate success. Side by side the brothers had
fought, rs yet unhurt. Now they were 10
60 with Lee into the land Of promise-the
rich, corn growing valleys of Pennsyl-
vania.
Gettysburg came, and the Army OF Vir-
ginia, rudely awakened from its victorious
security, was hnglet back across Mary
land and into Virginia again by the mill
tary genius OF Meade. In the carnage Of
the first day the older brother was killed.
The younger, while retreating with his
decimated regiment from an unsuccessful
charge. WAS taken prisoner. In company
with several other Alabama soldiers,
young Rogers, even then a mere boy, was
brought 10 Philadelphia, and from here
sent 70 Fort Delaware, as a prisoner Of
war. There he remained until the sur
rencer of Lee AZ AppomattoX Court
House.
The sod Nays ~ Tho hu.tla ~ C.tfxa.