The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1895-10-02
a HeroIne's Reward.

Editor Constitution: Having seen
from the papers that General Scho-
field has visited Atlanta within the
past few days, calls to my mind an in
cident of the battle Of Jonesboro which
for the sake of history and in justice
to true and noble soldier is worthy
of publication. My object further is
that the world may know through the
columns of your paper the true merit
of Southern womanhood as illustrated
by at least one Southern woman on
the bloody field of Jonesboro, and at
the same time show to your readers
the high esteem which this brave and
chivalrous soldier manifested towards
true southern heroine in the dark
and dismal hour of battle.
It was on the first and second days
of September, 1864, just little over
thirty.one years ago, when General
Hardee, Of the Southern forces, was
sent to Jonesboro from Atlanta with
a handful of $4,000 men to head off a
formidable flank movement Of the
enemy which had for its purpose to
cut off southern communication and
thereby compel the evacution of the
city of Atlanta. This flank movement
consisted of $1,000 or d., 900 men and
was commanded chiefly by Major Gen
eral John M. Scho6eld together with
General Sedgwick, who was also a
corps commander, and consisted Of the
best fighters of the federal army.
AS the two armies confronted each
other two miles to the north and north
west of Jonesboro, it so happened that
the little house and farm of poor old
widow lady was just between the two
lines of battle when the conflict open
ed and having nowhere to 60 she was
necessarily caught between the fire of
the two contending lines Of battle,
which were at comparatively close
range and doing fierce and deadly
work. The house and home Of this
old lady was soon converted into
federal hospital, and with the varying
fortunes she was alternately within
the lines Of each contending army,
when not between them on disputed
ground. So the battle ragged all day
and the wounded and dying Of both
armies we're carried to the humble
shelter and outhouses of this old lady
until all were full and her yard and
premises were literally strewn with
the dead and dying of both armies.
Now for our little story: During
the whole of this eventful day this
good and brave old woman, exposed as
She was to the incessant showers Of
shot and shell from both sides, moved
fearlessly about among the wounded
and dying of both sides alike and with
out making the slightest distinction.
She tore up every sheet and bed-quilt
she had into bandages for the wound
ed and when all had been used and
more were needed she tore up every
undergarment she had into bandages,
and even took portion of her cloth
ing off of her person for the purpose.
Finally night closed the scene with
General Scho6eld's army corps in pos
session of the ground and when the
morning dawned it found this grand
old lady still at her post Of duty,
knowing, too, as she did, the fortunes,
or rather misfortunes, of war had
stripped her of the last vestige Of
property she had except her little
tract of land, which had been laid
waste. 1t was at this juncture that
General John NJ. Schoield, having
known of her suffering and destitute
condition, sent her under escort and
arms large wagon load of provisions
and supplies and caused his Adjutant
General to write her long and touch
ing letter of thanks, and wound up
the letter with special request that
she keep it till the war was over and
present it to the United States gov
ernment and they would repay all her
losses.
She kept the letter and soon after
the Southern Claims Commission was
established she brought it to the
writer, who presented her claim in due
form and she was awarded about $500
all she claimed, but not being all
she lost. That letter is now on file
with the other proofs of the exact
truth of this statement with the files
of the Southern Claims Commission,
at Washington, D. c., and should be
preserved in the archives to be read
by future generations as an evidence
of General Scho6eld's s great big heart
and magnanimous spirit in the very
heat of battle.
Your readers will be curious to know
who is the lady. Her name was Allie
McPeek. She is dead now, but she
leaves a small posterity scattered about
who should be and are pround Of her
memory. Yet, she is buried in an
humble country graveyard, with no
distinctive mark of her last resting
place. Peace to her ashes. She was
only type of thousands Of true, brave
Southern women.
JOHN S. DoYAL.
JonesJoro, Ga, Sept 18th.
Corn SILK AS Remedy.
JVbo uo,,1J boro +hounht tbot tho