The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-01-25

famous cavalry raid through Missis-
sippi the women of the state were
speechlcss with Indignation at the
ruthless inva sion of their sacred soil.
Not tear was shed as the Roman
matrons buciSlcd on the armor of the
home guards-old, grayhaircd ina
jors" and ''coloncls" who had mustered
with ilintloclls, and young boys just in
their teens.
All who could 'bcar arms" went
pouring forth with impetuous speed,
and swiftly formed in the ranks of war
The invaders were besct front, flank
and rear, by an undisciplined but
pertinacious foe. The willy generals
march was executed in deux temps, to
avoid the harassng enemy which he
dared not halt and dispense. Many
bluecoats from the invading column
were picked off by the waysidc, and
every straggler was gobblcd up by the
ubiquitous home guards. They sent
the wounded Yankees to the nearest
hospital. A number were taken to
Columbus, where u confederate hospital
had been established under the super
vision of the Soldiers Aid society
The society was composed of the
women of Colum bus, who had or
ganized at the beginning of the war.
The hospital was full of sick and
wounded confederates, but the ladies
made room for the Yankees, as a
Christian duty.
TO relieve the crowded hospital a
dozen confederates were removed to
the house of dear old lady, who made
them comfortable on cots in her par
lors. This dear old lady had three sons
in the army.
Her husband was on duty with the
home guards.
Her carriage horses were in the ar
tillery service, and pair of plantation
mules pulled her carriage
Her spinning wheels and looms were
manufacturing gray jeans, and even
while she slept her fingers moved, as
when awake she knitted socks for the
soldiers
Daily she drove to the hospital and
went through the wards, followed by
her negro woman bearing a basket of
homemade daintics, which she dis
pensed to the sick. With Christian
charity she extended her ministrations
to the Yankee ward 1t required, how
ever, no small effort on her part to di-
vide with the enc my's sick the dainties
SO hard to get in the bloclladed south.
She did SO because it was duty, but
her heart was not in the work.
There was one of Griersons soldiers
scarcely 4 man in years. who lay or
his cot in the dclirium of fever The
| kindly black face of the nurse who
bnthed his head was strange to him
but he smiled feebly when he looked
into the gentle face of the dear old
lady who bent over him, and he called
her mother"
| At that moment the heart of tn dea,
old lady surrendered and she took tina,
Yankee boy for her own.
Never was invalid more tendcrly
nursed, and never hung life on Il moro
slender thread. She watched him
from day to day and administered with
tireless hand medicine and liquid food.
He fingered days and weeks. his brain
clouded with fever fancics, and the
flesh shrunlkcn upon his bones.
One morning there was a CLEAN o.
intelligence in his pale blue eyes as he
looked up at the kind, earnest face oil
| the southern woman, and he whis-
pered: Water" After Il few sips he
continued. 81 thought you were moth
er-but l guess as how l won't see her
no more
lie closed his eyes and the dear ole
lady sent at once for the surgeon. The
doctor felt his pulse and remarked
Ellis vitality is very low-we must try
to build him up with stimulants ant
noucishiug liquids.
These were obtained, but he refused
positively to touch the whisky, as he
lad promised his mother never to dc
o. he said, and had taken the pledge