The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1889-05-30
A Confederate Romance.

An Alabama letter to the Globe-Denao
crat says: Nelson Holden of Troupe
county, Georgia, joined one Of the first
regiments from the State when the war
broke out. He left behind young wife,
having been married only few months.
Holden was q good soldier, and only
once during the war did he obtain fur
Tough and visit his wife. He was at
home for short time in the summer of
1868, and soon after he returned to the
war he WAS taken prisoner. Before Hol.
den had an opportunity of writing to his
wife after his capture, he was taken i'll
with slow malarial fever.
When captured Holden had become
separated from his company, and his
comrades thought he had been killed in
the battle. Mrs. Holden's first notice Of
the supposed death of her husband was
contained in some resolutions passed by
his company, copy of which was for.
rarded to the family. Without making
s.ny investigation Mrs. Holden mourned
her husband as dead, while he was lin
gering between life and death in North.
ern prison. 1t was many months before
he fully recovered from the effects of the
terrible fever.
Holden was not released until after the
close of the war, and weak from his long
illness, and peuniless, he started to make
his way to the little home in Georgia.
He was compelled to seek employment
several times to earn money to continue
his journey, and it was late in the autumn
of 1866 when Holden came in sight Of
the little home. He YVES wreck of his
former self, and fully realized that it
would be difficult for his own wife to re.
cognize him.
Arriving at the home he had left more
than two years before, Holden found it
occupied by two strangers. Without dis
closing his identity he asked where Mrs.
Holden was. "Oh, she married Chris
Jones and moved away last spring." Was
the answer he received.
Holden was prostrated by the shock Of
this startling intelligence, but without
giving his name he turned and walked
slowly away from the little home where
the happiest hours of his life had been
passed. He made no effort to find his
wife but continued to Clay County, Ala
bama. Holden worked while as farm
laborer and finally saved enough money
to purchase small farm of his own. In
time the love was forgotten and he mar.
ried again. Holden prospered and after
few years owned one ofthe best farms
a the country. Several children we're
born and it was not long until his first
marriage seemed like a dream. About
four years ago Mrs. Holden No. 2.died,
leaving FIVE children.
About o year after the death of his
wife Mr.. Holden sold Q portion of his
farm to man named Jones from Geor.
gia. Mr.. Jones built house and moved
his family to Alabama. Soon the two
farmers became good friends, but Mr..
Holden had never been to the house of
his neighbor and had never seen his
wife.
Less than year ago Mr.. Jones died.
His neighbor, Mr.. Holden, of course, at.
tended the funeral, and caused no little
excitement by going of'in dead faint
when introduced to the weeping widow
of the dead man. That was not the time
or place for explanation, and the next
day after the funeral Mr.. Holden called
on his former wife, and this time the
meeting vas mutual.
Mrs. Jones' period of mourning will
expire in few days, and then she will
be quietly married again to the husband
of her youth. She has three children
living and Mr.. Holden has FIVE. Only
few oftheir most intimate friends know
the secret of their former marriage.