The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1893-03-18


sippi the women of the state were
speechless with indignation at the
ruthless inva sion of their sacred soil.
Not a tear was shed as the Roman
matrons buckled on the armor OF the
home guards-old, gray-haired ma
jors" and ''colonels" who had mustered
with flintlocks, and young boys just in
their teens.
All who could shear arms" went
pouring forth with impet ,ous speed,
and swiftly formed in the ranks of war.
The invaders were beset front, flank
and rear, by an undisciplined but
pertinacious foe. The willy generals
march was executed in deux temps, to
avoid the harassing enemy which he
dared not halt and dispense. Many
bluecoats from the invading column
were picked off by the wayside, and
every straggler was gobbled up by the
ubiquitous home guards. They sent
the wounded Yankees to the nearest
hospital. A number were taken to
Columbus, where confederate hospital
had been established under the super
vision of the Soldiers Aid society.
The society was composed of the
women of Columbus, who had or
gauized 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 pdr1ed 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 dainties, 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 d.
vide with the enc my's sick the dainties
so hard to get in the blocltaded south.
She did so because it was duty, but
her heart was not in the work.
There was one of Grierson's soldiers
scarcely man in years who lay on
his cot in the delirium of fever. The
kindly black face of the nurse who
bathed 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 the dear
old lady surrendered and she took that
Yankee boy for her own.
Never was invalid more tenderly
nursed, and never hung life on more
slender thread. She watched him
from day to day and administered with
tireless hand medicine aud liquid food
He fingered days and weeks, his brain
clouded with fever fancies, and the
flesh shrunken upon his bones.
One morning there was a CLEAN of
intelligence in his pale blue eyes as he
looked up at the k nd, earnest face of
the southern. woman, and he whis-
pered: water" Af0er few sips he
continued. 81 thought you were moth
er-but guess as how won't see or
no more"
He closed his eyes and the dear old
lady sent at once for the surgeon. The
doctor felt his pulse and remarked:
His vitality is very low-we must try
to build him up with stimulants and
nou-ishing liquids"
These were obtained, but he refused
positively to touch the whisky, as he
had promised his mother never to do
so, he said, and had taken the pledge.