The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1888-05-04
4 WAR TRAGEDY.


II you have never been in the valley
OF the TENNESSEE mean that pnrt
ot the famous valley that stretches
southwestward from the great Sand
mountain to the picturesque table
lands otMonte Sano, you have missed
a scene the fairest OF all in that coun.
try of fair scenes. will not atte mpt
to describe it. Icannot do it Justice.
No one can. 1t 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 unscathei.
Not many miles to the north is
Lookout mountain and the battle
fields of Mission Ridge and Chick
amarga. 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 III 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 foragins party that chance led
away from the railroad and into the
garden land between the big Mills he
valley gave it's best blood for thec:,l,sc
OF the Conirleracy, and sons aud
brothers left the cotton unpicked in
the field to ioin Brag. aud his gather.
NJ hosts across the border line of
TenneSsee, or To follow the fortunes
OF Morgan or stuart on their cavalry
raids to I he north.
Back from he Tennessee, in u cove
protected from the northers by the
broad back OF Monte sano, a. hardy
mountain farmer had buit a house of
uncut stone-a poor placeat best but
a home for he sake of what WAS in it.
1T was not :! al sout hern home.
for the good wife and mother was
holsekeeper, '!ai,yniaid and gardener
all i'll 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 Mavsvlllc old John
Rogers was, with iuEcriminatr cour.
teSy, dubbed "rolnncl." Why, he
never knew. Perhaps no one clr, did.
Even before the war military tltlrs
were popular in Dixie. Now they are
all co!onels. So few privates escaped
the war.
Among the negroes "Col" John was
looked upon with some dsiain. A
man who "worke'l" his farm without
a single black "boy" was not likely to
win the respect oi "the quarters" at
the big plantations ON the river. Far
mers who worked were "poo-ah white
trash" in those days OF easy Incidence.
But "Col." John thiived for all that,
and never - home in all the broad
valley was happier than in the lit le
cove under the shadow OF Monte
Sano.
News travels slow in the country. In
those days few newspapers found the:r
way into the T"nnc;,.,'" valley of Ala
bama, and the first shock OF war Mt
Fort Sumter WAS too far away to
affect the tranquility "f The people by
the great river. Then came the fran
tic call for troops by the government
ut Montgomery, and the .,.cat 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 lat hers, and SONS left their
homes and people and went away to
the wnr. The valley OF HE Tennessee
was ;lcsolatc. The negroes went
Hooking northwartl in search OF the
army OF emancipation.;tn'l the cotton
was left in he balls to spoil. There
came a time when even food WAS
scarce, and beef was worth it's weight
in the strange new script the Confei.
crate government had issued
"Gol." John iarc'l worse than many,
although for months after the bows OF
the boys oi he lower valley had gone
away INTO TennesSe", his sons Welded
to lie wish oi the old iolksan,i stayed
at home. Th" time came, however,
when honor compelled them to 90.
and they went, but the eyes of the
aged mother were wet with telrs, a:ld
the fare OF the white r;llrrd Cool"
John was strangely old. when they
bade their boys cond-by.
There are brave hearts her"a home
who remember those sud iarrwcll<,
when he boys in blue went lar away
to fight and die on these southern
bat tleiel,l> There were the sam. sad
partln.s in many u southern home,
and he war left hundreds of ,,eclulat.
ed famIie.. in HAT fair valley.
Mont lis passed aud then years. DC
casionally letters from the abs, Mt
soldier boys ram" To tho old folk. in
the cove, hut they were few and very
far between. They had .onr mort IL
and enlisted in he Army OF Virginia.
They had been a, Bull Run and bad
been on the peninsula in the check, +
board operations nj McClrlan'.; cam.
pai"n. Til" lat,St letter. scrubbed IN
pencil and written in haste, and read
in that littl, home with aching vet
thankful hearts, told oi good health
aud Confederate succss>. side by side
the brothers had toush;. Us yet I'M.
hurt. Now Il hey wrr" to 90 with lrc
into the land of rro,ni>c-,hc rich,
corn growing valleys OF Pennsylvania.
Grt!rsbui. came. md ,h" Armv al
Virginia, r,ldrly awakened from its
victorious security. Ma- h'lr'rd hn,;
across Maryland an! INTO Nir.,ini,
again by the military !."in,ls OF Meade
In the carnage OF 'l" first day the
older brother wnS killed.. The young
er. while rct'cntim. with In. DE-, lm,at
ed regiment from an unsuccessful
charge, WIS taken pr$nn.r. IN com.
pany with several Other AI,b,ua sol.
dirrs, young Rogers, even then n mere
boy, was brought to Pni'ad.l,,hin,
and from here sent to For, Delaware,
as n prisoner oi war liner" he rr.
manned until III" surrender OF | zee n,
Appomattox GnuI: House.
The sad news ot IA" ha'llc Oi G",
tysburg WIS SLOW III Reaching he !,'tI.
home by Monte Snuo. l,,l wi.en /, did
come it broke the ~p'rll ol 'Tol.
John and TUNED -lll winter he head
OF he sweet faced mo! hrr; for 1t WA,
said that III the hat;i" both boys h;Id
fallen under the shower oi Federal
balls. II was not Ion. before there
was n "bllryin-' from tn. house III
the cove. and tht. body OF eco" John
was laid to rest anon, the pines he
loved SO we'll.
And the mother? she too would