The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-09-29

1t needs no lurid coloring 10 intensity
this picture. 1t is better represented by
the more than silhouette blackness in
which that old man and his wife and
the little group of women and children
found themselves. The captain told Of
the death of his boys, and, except for a
suppressed sob or the exclamation of the
word "Godp' forced through the closed,
set teeth, there was nothing in the man.
ner of the group buried there in the
darkness TO tell of the fresh thrusts to
hearts already wounded unto death
And then they told him of their trials,
not by way of exciting sympathy or con-
trasting suffering, but because their
hearts were full and till death must re.
main full of the one subject.
There was no chiding, no complaint,
no wishing that one course rather than
another had been taken, nor were they
sustained at this time by the sublime
faith which glorifies martyrdom and
renders torture delight to the religious
devotee Each had acted as he or she
thought for the best, The result had not
been as they could have wished, and so,
like fatalists, they accepted the present
without complaint, but it was not in
the nature Of the race to Weld without
resisting. They would keep right on,
doing the best they could and fearlessly
awaiting the end, be that what it might.
Not the least sad feature of the old
patriots visit TO his mountain home
was the fact that, instead OF being able
TO assist those who so sorely needed il,
his presence added TO their already seri-
Gus burdens and helped 20 decrease the
little stock of meal they had on hand.
He could not stay in his own house,
but had to hide up the mountain, where
the old woman and the others visited
him at night He brought with him a
lot Of Confederate money, which was
very abundant in our army at that time,
and this the captain gave his wife, hop
ing she might find it Of some use, as
greenbacks had no value in that part of
Tennessee AZ that time.
As IL would be cruel to remain where
he could not help and where the danger
TO himself added to the anxiety Of his
wife and the others, the old captain de-
termined to make his way back TO Cum.
berland Gap before one-half Of his 80
days leave of absence had expired.
Heavy OF heart though Captain Beatty
was, he did not permit his own troubles
To blind him 10 the duty he owed that
cause that grew dearer to him in proper.
tion TO his sufferings for it,
AT this time, August, 1852, Kirby
Smith, with corps, was moving mp
through east Tennessee for the purpose
of CO operating with Bragg. then prepar-
ing for his great foraging raid into the
blue grass region of Kentucky. One
purpose Of Smiths campaign was 70
surprise the Federal garrison ut Cum.
berland Gap Captain Beatty was less
cautious on his return, and so he ran
against a courier fastening in tho direc-
tion Of Knoxville. A fight followed, and
the Confederate's horse and dispatch
bag were the spoils of the Union soldier.
The old captain reached the gap camp
In safety, but what effect his informa-
tion had on that campaign cannot pre-
tend to saw, but certain il is that Kirby
Smith neither surprised nor captured the
Union troops under Morgan though lac