Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1888-05-25
ENAA EAGElY.

OF the famous valley that stretches
southWestward from the great Sand
mountain to the picturesque table
lands OfAIOnte Sano, You have missed
a scene the fairest Of all In that coun-
try OF fair scenes viii not attempt
to describe it. cannot do it Justice.
No one can. It is the paradise of
north Alabama, and IN the heart Of
that far southern district devasted BY
war, and yet thanks to its protesting
bulWark of mountains, it's pleasant
homes and well titled lands escaped
almost uuscathed.
Not many miles to the north Is
Lookout mountain and the battle
fields of Mission Ridge and Chick
amauga. Further ID the south and
vest. and 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 al
ready famous young city of phenome-
nal growth. Decatur, and beyond
that, the new Sheffield and war scar
COrinth.
But while this corner of the great
valley saw little of either blue coats
or gray-except, perhaps an occasion
al fOraging party that chance led
away from the railroad and into the
garden land between the big hills-the
valley gave its best blood for the cause
OF the Confederacy, and sons and
brothers left the cotton unpicked in
the field to join Bragg and his gather
Ing hosts across the border line of
tennessee, or to follow the fortunes
OF Morgan or Stuart on their cavalry
raids 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 a house OF
uncut stOne-a poor place at best, but
home for the sake Of what was in it.
1t was not u typical southern home,
for 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 on other plantations fell to the
task OF the negro slaves. at the
nearest store, at Maysvillle, old John
Rogers was, with indiscriminate cour-
tesy, dubbed colonel" Why, he
never knew. Perhaps no one eles did.
Even before the war military titles
were popular in Dixie. Now they are
all colonies. So few privates escaped
the war.
Among the negroes ''Col." John was
looked upon with some disdain. A
man who worked his farm without
q single black ''boy" was not likely to
win the respect of 1.-the quarters at
the big plantations on the river. Far
mers who worked were 'tpoo-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 lit tie
cove under the shadow Of Monte
SanO.
News travels slow in the country. In
those days few newspapers found their
way into the Tennessee valley Of Ala
bama, and the first shock of war at
Fort Sumter was too far away to
affect the tranquility Of the people by
the great river. Then came the fran
tic call for troops by the government
at Montgomery, and the great valley
was at last awakened to the horrors
OF war. A recruiting Office was opened
at Huntsville, ten miles away, on 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
hOcking nOrthward IN search of the
army of emancipation, and the cotton
was left in the balls to spoil. There
came time when even food was
scarce, and beef was worth its weight
IN the strange new script the COnfed-
crate government had Issued.
Col" John Jared worse than many, !
although for months after the boys of
the boys Of the lower valley had gone
away into Tennessee. his sons Welded |
to the wish OF the old folks and stayed
at home. The time came, however, /
when honor compelled them to 90.
and they went; but the eyes OF the /
aged mother were wet with tears, and /
the face Of the white barred cool" |
John was strangely old, when they |
bade their boys goOd-by.
There are brave hearts here at home /
who remember those sad fareWells, |
when the boys in blue went far away /
to fight and die on these southern !
batGlefields. There were the same sad I
partlngs in many a southern home,
and the war left hundreds Of decimat-
ed families In that fair valley.
Months passed and then years. Oc-
casiOnally letters from Che 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 at Bull Run and had
been on the peninsula In the checker.
board operations Of McCle1an's cam
paign. The latest letter, scrubbed in
pencil and written In haste, and read
IN that little home with aching vet
thankful hearts. told of good health