Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1891-12-19
THE LONE PRISONER.

Mark Twain has written an account
Of campaign that failed, and how
many, many accounts there have been
of campaigns crowned with success
Prisoners from Dry Tortugas, from
Andersonville, from a hundred other
prisons have written their experiences,
but am sure the most lonesome cap
tive of war times has written up" no
account of his captivity.
Let us go back beyond the season of
secession that ushered in the ruddy sea-
son of war, to describe a certain happy
homestead. Iii isa home already known
to many southern people. AT mention
Of Greene Springs homestead recollec-
tlons 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 home-a
home, for forty years, for the members
of one most happy family.
During the war four generations of
this one family were ensconced 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 husbands to the front
lone to go as surgeon to Fort Nor
gan, by the bay of Mobile; the other to
raise company ON and about the hills
of Hale, near Greene Springs, whence
he led his men to an adventurous. and
most creditable career.
A widowed sister of the mother of
the household had come to this wide
armed house, and from there she had
sent off 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. Then 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 seven soldiers
then followed days of joy and happi-
ness; then there were their dances un-
der the light of homemade candles, or
perhaps charades for the entertainment
of the soldiers who were encamped, for
a few weeks, just across the creek that
run near the foot of Greene Springs hill.
Joy and sorrow came in quick success
sion with the chance and change of
war; but there was one thing that no
chance or change of war could inter
rupt, and that was work for the sol
diers.
All the world knows how In that
halcyon time for the south called 'be-
fore the war, each home was In itself
a principality, where the master ruled
supreme. Every planter-and in those
days planting was vocation or avoca-
ton 10 everybody owned his own
slaves, trained to all manner of trades,
and such life Of simple and delightful
luxury as these wrought out for the
master the world has rarely seen. But
the war between the states overturned
all this.
No sooner was war abroad Ia the
land than every home was changed
from principality to mandatory.
Every house IN the land became an
establishment for weaving
Not Penelope ana all her handmade
ems were buster than We're the women
who worked Ia the wake of the war
The grandmother the mother, the
young wives, the young daughters, the
maIds--all worked. There was click
ing of knitting needles In the house
from mornlng I'm night; ladies walked
/ hltilag aud thlther, seeing 10 other mat
tern OF import. yet always knitting. A
reel hnmlned It's monotonOus little
song IN grandmother's room. spinning
wheels made dolorous monotone In one
np stairs room, and IN another shuttles
played 10 and fro over the warp. Ons
Lady 0f the household. who had a mar
volous talent for dFessmaking. turned
mantuA maker for the family, for now
40 more handsome dresses could b
brought hon the north.
A young boy oi the iHmilyput ~ ~