Daily Yellowstone journal., 1891-11-14
THE LONE PRISONER.

Mark Twain has written an account
of a campaign hat failed, and how
many, many accounts there have been
of campaigns rowned with success.
Prisoners frou Dry Toftugas, from
A~ndersonville. from a hundred other
prisons have e. ritten their experiences,
but | am sur the most lonesome cap
tive of wal r mes has written up" no
account of ] s captivity.
Let US g. back beyond the season of
secession that ushered in the rudy sea
son Of war, to describe a certain happy
homestead. IL is a home already known
to many southern people. At mention
of Greene Springs homestead recOllec-
tons of pleasant incidents of boyhood
will rise up before many of the men of
the old south and men of the new south
as well for old Greene Springs school
has sent out many Of her boys to do
good work for their country, both in
times of peace and of war. Many Of
the students of this Rugby of the
South rushed eagerly TO the battles,
summoned by that first fateful shot
from Fort Sumter. Besides being the
site of one of the most noted high
schools in the south, it was "A home-a
home, for forty years, for the members
of one most happy family.
During the var four generations Of
this u faNlily were -euscUnced in that
house, and thence seven young soldiers
went into the Confederate army. The
married daughters Of the household
were now at the old homestead again,
since the first fateful news That sum
moned the young husband. 20 the front
one 10 90 as "a surgeon To- Fort Nor
gan, by the bay of Mobile; the other 10
raise a company on and about the hills
of Hale, near Greene Springs, whence
lac led his men 10 an adventurous and
most creditable career.
\ widowed sister Of the mother of
the household had come 20 this wide
armed house. and from there she had
sent of her two boys to the army. The
oldest son of the house, just seventeen.
had gone to the wars. and the adopted
son of the house also donned the gray
uniform Of the Confederate soldier.
The grandparents of the household
gave up their youngest son to the
cause.
Now and then, during the long and
hard four years, there were furloughs
for one or another Of these young sol
diers; then again there were stretches
Of time when some one or the other of
the brave boys was not heard from in
a long season. Ellen there were great
grief, deep anxiety and many agOniz-
ing prayers in that house for that one
who might be, for all his loved ones
knew. in prison, in sickness, wounded
or already numbered with the dead.
Anon there was good news from each
and every one of the sever soldiers
then followed days of joy and happi-
ness; then there were their dances un-
der the light of homemade candles, OF
perhaps charades for the entertainment
of the soldiers who were encamPed, foI
a few weeks, just across the creek thai
run neal the foot Of Greene Springs hill
Joy and sorrow came in quick success
sion with the chance and change d
a but there was one thing that NJ
chance OF change of war could inter
rupt. and that was work for the sol
diers.
All the world knows how in tina
halcyon time for the south called be
fore the each home was in itsel
a principally, where the master ruleC
supreme. Every planter-and in thos'
days planting wa vocation Dr. avoca
ton to everybody owned his owl
slaves. trained TO all of trades
and such a life of simple and delightful
Injury 5 these wrought out for tbI
master the world has rarely seen. Blu
the war between the states overturne'
all this.
No sooner was war abroad in tn
land than every home was changes
from a principally to a mandatory.
Every house in the land became a
establishment for weaving.
Not Penelope and all her handmade
r were buster than were the womel
who worked IN the wake Of the wal
The grandmother, the mother, tn
young wives. the young daughters. ia