The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1889-03-16

St Lousis Globe-Democrat.

d. Lous1s dfoDe-DemocrhI
Nelson Holden, of Troupe county,
Ga, Joined one Of the first regiments
from that State when the war broke
out. He left behind young wife,
having been married only q few
months. Holden was a good soldier,
and only once did he obtain a fur
Tough and visit his wife. He was at
home for short time in the sum-
mer of 1868, and soon after he re-
turned he was taken prisoner. Be-
fore Holden had an opportunity Of
writing to his wife after his capture,
he was taken i'll with a slow malarial
fever. When captured Holden had
become separated from his company,
and his comrades thought he had
been killed in the battle. Mrs. Hol-
denis first notice of the supposed
death of her husband was contained
by some resolutions passed by his
company, a copy of which was for
warded to the family. Without
making any investigation, Mrs. Hol-
den mourned her husband as dead,
while he was lingering between life
and death in Northern prison. 1t
was many months before he fully re-
covered from the effects of the terri
BILE fever. Holden was not released
until after the close of the war, and,
weak from his long illness and pen
niless, he started to make his way
back to the little home in Georgia
He was compelled to seek employ
ment several times to earn money to
continue his journey, and it was late
in the autumn Of 1865 when Holden
came in sight of the little home.
He was wreck of his former self,
and fully realized that it would be
difficult for his own wife to recog
nize him.
Arriving at the home he had left
more than two years before, Holden
found it occupied by strangers.
Without disclosing 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 Frustrated by the
shock of this startling intelligence,
but without giving his name, he
turned and walked slowly from the
little home where the happiest hours
of his life had been passed. He
made no effort to find his wife, but
continued his journey to Clay coun
ty, Ala. Holden worked while as
a farm laborer, and finally saved
enough money to purchase a small
farm of his own. In time the old
love was forgotten and he married
again. Holden prospered, and after
a few years owned one Of the best
farms in the county. Several chill
dren were 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 chill
dren.
About a year after the death of
his wife Mr.. Holden sold portion
of his farm TO a man named Jones,
from Georgia. Mr.. Jones built a
house and moved his family to Ala
bama. 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, attended the funeral, and
caused no little excitement by going
off in dead faint when introduced
to the weeping widow Of the dead
man. That was not the time or
place for explanations, and the next
day after the funeral Mr.. Holden
called on his former wife. and this
time the recognition was 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.. Hol-
den has five. Only few of their
most intimate friends know the &C.
cret of their former marriage.