Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1888-05-16
From the Detroit Free Press.
NANCY HAWKINS.
BY EDMUND EIRKE.

BY EDMUND EIRKE.
Nancy Hawkins was a 'poor white"
woman, who had her home among the
mountains of Madison County, in west
ern North Carolina She was a remark
able person; and anywhere, in any
sphere, would have exerted wide and
strong influence upon the community.
Born and reared in locality so vie
that it had acquired the appropriate
name Of Sodom, it was said that she
had not escaped the universal degrade
ton; but this l could not believe when
L had looked into her clear spiritual
eyes, which told of pure and lofty soul
that might be touched, but could not be
contaminated by the vileness around
her. She was Whan | met her not far
from so years of age, and time had
traced some deep lines about her mouth,
and Streaked with gray her once chestnut
hair; but still there was grace and vigor
IN her every movement, and a glance in
her eyes which showed that her spirit
had not grown old or been broken by
deep af1iction. Those who had known
her in her youth told me that she had
been very beautiful, and this / could
easily believe, for she was SO still, though
now her beauty was not of form or feat
ure, but of the soul, which in repose
looked through her eyes with dreamy,
far-away gaze, but, when animated by
some thrilling recollection, would sud
denly blaze forth with a sort of heroic
fire, which reminded me of Rachel on
the eve of the coup d'tat, when all Paris
was overhung with the dreadful still
ness that precedes the first throe of the
earthquake, and I saw her seize the tri-
colored flag, wave it above her head.
and thrill and electrify three thousand
Frenchmen with the wonderful Mar
sseillaise. In form and feature Nancy
was like Rachel, only she was more
.queenly, more commanding. Art had
not fashioned her, but Nature, and Ma
ture when in the mood to produce a
magnificent woman.
And yet, this woman was clad in
hOmespun, and tenanted a rude log
cabin on the slope OF a sterile mountain
The general disorder of the three rooms
which composed her home gave me no
very exalted opinion of her house
k eepiLg qualities; but [ forgot this
when she stood in the doorway, and
pointing to heap of charred logs near
by, said: ''Ghar, sir, is where [ buried
my Buys, on the spot whar they fell, the
ruins of our old home for thar moau-
ment; and down thar, sir, by the
spring, is whar twenty rebels paid for
that days doin's."
Then she seated herself by the fire,
and / heard from her hps the story of
her life, which, had she lived in more
heroic age, might ere now have gone
into the songs and annals of the nation.
At the outbreak of the rebellion she
was widow with three sons, the young
est of whom wus boy of but Is. Being
abfa IN rood no aN11id i1Idoo fol 1iuo T1f-
ly OF the nature of the conflicts, which,
in this section, at once arrayed neigh
Dor against neighbOr, and made a mans
foes those of his own household With
ali the ardor of an intense nature she
reyered the old flag, and she said now
to her sons: Il wish | was a man that
L might shoulder musket; but, my
boys, you can fight, and if need be, you
can die for your country"
They could, indeed, but not then, for
there was no organized Union senti-
ment IN the region, and many long
miles of armed rebellion, which it was
impossible to penetrate, separated them
from the Union armies. So it was for
months, wnen the boys stayed peaceful
iy at home, following their usual voca-
tons. Then came the conscription, and
the three young men were enrolled TO
fight against the Union. They came at
night to say ''good- bye" to their mother
before leaving to join the Southern
army, and awoke the spirit of this Spar
tan. woman. Eight !" she cried-and
as she repeated these words to me her
great eyes blazed, her thin form dilated,
and her wrinkled features assumed a
look Of strange majesty. Fight agin
yer country while thar's woods We kin
hide among / had rather see We dead
at my feet Go, take yer guns-and 90
to the mountain. Thar's a God in
fnerly 60 under"
Taking their rifles and what powder
and lead were in the house they went
TO the mountains, where, night after
night, in storm and clear. in rain and
snow. this woman went to them with
food, and often with other fugitives.
For she was bold and outspoken; and
soon through all the region round it was
known how the Hawkins boys had
eluded the CONSUMPTION Thus it was
not long before score or more sta
Wart mountaineers, every one of them
handy with the rife. had gotten to-
gether and been organized into a
guerilla band by the elderson. who had
inherited some of his mothers spirit
and genius. The nearest secession
force was twenty miles away, but on its
outskirts they hung, striking blows by
night and being beyond pursuit in the
morning.
On their return from one of these ex-
petitions, the boys found their mother
had been taken suddenly i'll, and send
ing their comrades to the mountain
they remained at home during the next
day and into the following night to wait