The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1895-06-20
TEN BROTHERS IN THE ARMY.
General Lee Refused to Let One Go
Home.
fClicagO Inter-Ocean


A few days ago Chancellor Boggs
received letter from Prof Charles S.
Venable, of the University of Virginia,
asking that inquiry be made for the
name of the lady who wrote General
Lee from Clarke county, asking that
one of her ten sons be allowed to come
home and make a crop for her hus-
band and herself.
The letter has already found answer
through Miss Anna Gean, a grand
daughter of this old lady, who fur
nished the following bit of family his
tory.
Mr.. James f. Bone and his vile
Mildred Bone, lived in 1860 in Clarke
county. There had been born to
them twentythree children, sixteen OF
whom had lived to manhood and wo-
manhood-ten sons and six daugh-
tiers.
When the war broke out the mother
buCkled on the swords of her ten
sons and sent them all out to fight for
Dixie. These sons were Hardeman,
Jonathan, James, Sanders, George,
Clark, Joseph, William, Matthew and
Willis. They were all in the Army Of
Northern Virginia, and fought through
the war. Clark was wounded and al
forwards died from the effects OF his
wounds. George died of -Inx
during the war. Four sons nov sur
vive, Hardeman Bone, of Forsyth;
Willis Bone, of Kentucky; William
Bone, of Harmony Grove, and James
Bone, of Barnett Shoals
On April 7, 1868, being hard
pressed for necessities of life, Mrs.
Bone wrote General Lee letter asking
that one of her sons be sent home to
make crop. TO this letter General
Lee replied. Following is a copy of
the reply, taken from the original,
now in possession of Miss Dorcas Bone,
OF this city, sister of the ten broth
ers:
HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF
NORTHERN VIRGINIA,
April Is, 1868.
Mrs. MILDRED BONE, Athens. Ga:
DEAR MADAME.-YO our letter of eth
inst. asking the discharge or furlough
OF one of your SONS has been received,
Pou have set noble example in de-
voting your ten sons to the service of
their country, and in encOura ging them
to defend their home. We need every
good soldier we have in the army. If
we allowed all to return who are needed
ut home we should soon have no
country and no homes. | sympathize
with you i'll yOnr anXieties and priva-
tons, but | trust your kind neighbOrs
III the patriotic State of Georgia, will
not permit you to want while your
brave sons are doing their duty man
fully against the enemy. am. very
spectfully your obediant servant.
*. f. LEE, General.
This letter of inquiry has developed
= other facts Of interest on the same
line. Wiley Thornton and his wife,
Harriet II. Thornton, sent from Clarke
county to the Army of Northern Viz
gina three sons, and 10 the Army Of
the West seven sons, ma king ten in all.
There were twelve Elder brothers.
Ten OF them went to the war in the
Clarke Rifles and two in the Johnson
Guards. Two of these soldiers were
killed and several were wounded.
Six Bradberry brothers went out
from Clarke county to fight for Dixie.
Four Of these were killed during the
war. 1t is said that the bullet that
killed John NJ. Bradberry passed
through his hip and wounded his
brother, ]. V. Bradberry.
There were six Heinrich brothers
from Clarke county in the war, three
of them in the command of Major w.
S. Grady, father Of Henry w. Grady.
1t is doubted whether any county
IN the Confederate States furnished
more soldiers from as few families as
these instances record.