Wichita eagle., 1888-04-29
A WAR TRAGEDY.


you have missed scene the fairest of all
in that country of fair scenes. / will not
attempt TO describe il. l cannot do it
justice. No one can. 1t is the paradise
of north Alabama, and in the heart Of
that far southern district devastated by
war, and vet thanks TO its protecting bull
wark of mountains, its pleasant homes
and well titled lands escaped almost IN
scathed.
Not many miles to the north Is Lookout
mountain and the battlefelds of Mission
Ridge and Chickamauga. Further TO the
south and west, 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 already IA
moss young city of phenomenal growth,
Decatur, and beyond that, the new Shef-
field and war SCARED Corinth.
But while this corner of the great val
ley saw little of either blue coats or gray
except, perhaps, an occasional foraging
party that chance led away from the rail
road 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 I'M
picked in the field TO join Bragg and his
gathering hosts across the border line o.
Tennessee, or TO follow the fortunes of
Morgan or Stuart on their cavalry raids TO
the north.
Back from the Tennessee, in cove pro-
tected from the northers by the broad
back of Monte Sano, hardy mountain
farmer had built a house of uncut stone
poor place at best, but 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
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 Maysville, old John
Rogers was, with indiscriminate courtesy,
dubbed colonel" Why, ne never
knew. Perhaps no one else did. Even
before the war military titles were popu-
lar 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 a single
black Coy was not likely to win the re-
spect of "the quarters at the big plan
tations on the river Farmers who
worked were ''poo-ah white trash" in
''Col." John thrived for all that and
never home in all the broad valley was
happier than in the little 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 tho
rrIilify Of hvt t,a
Then came the frantic 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 focking
in search Of the army of eman-
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 scrip the
Confederate government had issued.
Col. =" John Jared worse than many,
for months after the boys Of the
lower valley had gone away into Tonnes
Set MS SO4S y 10 tue WISH Vi the
old folks and stayed at home The time
came, however, when honor compelled
them to go, and they went: but the eyes
of the aged mother were vet with tears,
and the face Of the white haired ''Col"
John was strangely oil, when they babe
their boys good-by.
There are brave heSrts here at home
who remember those sad farewells, when |
- = g..
md die on these southern battlefelds |
There were the same sad partings in many |
/ southern home, and the war left hun |
lreds Of decimated families in that fair |
;alley.
Months passed and then years. oc- |
.asionally letters from the absent soldier /
Boys came 20 the old folks in the cove, but |
hey 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 IL the /
operations Of McClelian's
The latest letter, scrubbed in |
,encil and written IA haste. aud read IN /
hat little home with aching yet thankful |
learts, told Of good health and Confsder-
te success. Side by side the brothers had
ought, as ye, uDhurt. Now they we're 90
ieh. corn growing valleys Of Pennsyl-
'ania-
Gettysburg came. and the Army II Viz
-inia. rudely awakened from ia victorious
ecurity, was hurled back across Mary
aud and into Virginia again by The mill
ary genirs Of Meade In che carnage OF
Re first day he older brother was killed.
he younger. while reirestioz with his
ecirnated regiment from an unsuccessful
barge, was taken prisoner In company
MIN several other Alabama soldiers,
ouaz Rozers even then mere boy, was
rougst to Philsdel phia. aud from here
emf 10 Fort Delaware, as q rEiso1sSr OF
rar. There be remained until The sur
endsr Of Lee q; AppoTazt5ox Coart
-ouse.
TIE SD ners Of the battle If Gsttys-
-.-c Wis slo~ !, reaching re ,i..ls hs-ns
3 Monte Ss-o, but VIXEN il did come IL
roke tie spirit Of .'Col. - John and t4ynsd
III winter the bead q II. street. faesys
so;heri for IL was sasd that IL tie battle
on hoTs bed fallen under the shower q
eSsral tails Il vas 70. l0ng s~.o-e
here Tzs burning from the ho1se u
- cove, and the bofT % Col - John
'as lad 70 res: among tie pines he loved
, well
And sbs rscthers She toe woald siaaly
ave died. htf. nature was too sf-sa-.
- tire cana, moreover, whsa she wzs
I'd that death hsd spared her. foT there
Asae 10 s<r ton Ia aesy EoEt De.AwA.s