Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1895-02-18
SHELL ANNIE.

Nobody expected General Sherman to
come into Atlanta from the south.
Oh, no; in the natural course Of events
he must have certainly shouldered his
way right straight on from the north,
and accordingly the grim and grimy,
frayed out fragments of Hoods Confed-
crate army wallowed in the sitting
trenches all along the vast semicircular
line of outworks that faced the valley
of the Chattahooche and commanded
the approaches from the Allatoona hills
beyond.
But he Of the eagle eye was strate.
gist. He wanted to cut off and coop up
the gray jackets in the city, and for that
reason he quietly marched the larger
part of his army up the western bank of
the river eight Or ten miles, flung them
across the river, and with mighty
swing Of that ponderous trip hammer of
war he struck them from the south, thus
cutting off their lines of supplies by the
Georgia railroad. Then followed those
terrible days which wound up with the
fierce onslaught Of July %, when the
hopeless, half starved southern men and
the gallant men Of the west met in
mighty gladiatorial contest which re.
suited in the fall of Atlanta.
These are matters for the historian,
but what I am going to recount is one
Of these wild, weird romances with
which this terrible conflict was 50
fraught, and here is the strange story:
son to the seav' was the watchword
Of Sherman armies, and the sullen and
logged retreat of the Confederates to
7onesboro was the first movement of the
defeated and despairing Confederates.
Jonesboro was little inland town,
nestled amid field and forest, inter-
spersed with beautiful undulating hills
and grassy valleys green with the hope
Of the harvest, but little suited as de-
fensive point for the bruised and batter
ed legions who were recoiling slowly to-
ward the southern sea.
Breastworks had been hastily thrown
up aanking the line Of the Central rail.
road, and in the bitches behind them the
struggling remnant Of obstinate Confed-
crates was intrenched.
1t was a gloriously beautiful summer
day when the skirmish line of the north
ern hosts dehouched from the works
and took up position in front Of these
breastworks.
Taken by surprise after relying in
vain on the ability of the southern
troops to check the onflow of the le-
gions Of the conquering hosts, the wom-
en- and children, led by the lame and
the halt and the aged men of the coun.
try, were fleeing for life, panic stricken
and utterly demoralized.
As the sun rose over the swelling
ridges the eyes of the soldiers of either
army caught the CLEAN of little white
tent, half hidden in a wood, just lit
tie to the left Of the line of attack, and
above it fluttered tiny white flag no
bigger than mans hand.
Tt was woman's handkerchief, and
all the chivalrous feelings of the Amer.
lean soldier were aroused as the grim
veterans caught sight Of that little ap.
pealing bit Of cambria floating there
through the uprising mists of war. The
order was passed to respect that flag,
and when the great guns began their
work and ehot and shell were hurled
blazing and crashing across field and |
wood from either direction never gun.
ner trained his piece toward point |
near that little white tent.
The battle was fiercely fought, but
the combat was Of short duration, and
as the shadows heightened eastward the
southern troops were seen in full re.
treat, leaving the field to the trium-
plant Federals.
As they swept forward drummer
boy, Otto Barden, of Pennsylvania
regiment paused by the little white tent
in the wood.
Guards in blue uniform surrounded
it, and while the smoke of battle swirled
above and around there was plaintive
cry from the tent, and the stalwart sur.
geon lifted the flap of the little tent and
followed by an old negress,
bearing in her arms a tiny, white bun
die.
"Please God, marsa, is you gwinter
take us off ter de norf?" walled she.
with the big tears coursing down her
withered face It'll sho' kill Mis- An.
ME eff yo' dces."
"Not bit Of 1t, old lady, not bit
IF It," replied the good natured sur.
yeoll. with smile.
Hello, Otto, you're the very boy
want. This is your prize, as you are
nearest her age, and we are going to
letail you to take charge Of this wee
prisoner and see that the little reb don't
The rough soldiers came crowdinQ
.round for peep at the prisoner, and
many eyes filed with tears of tender.
less as they gazed on the baby that had
irst seen the light in such grewsome
"Ain't it wonder that she and the
mother were not blown to pieces?" said
he sergeant.
1T is indeed, " replied the corporal,
for look there where a stray shell cut
ts way through the bushes, clean as i
.nife."
well, boys, she Is our prize. Let us
kristen her, for time is up, and the
ohnnies are waiting for us behind some
ush heap de-vn the road. Come, Otto,
peak up You shall have the honor Of
aiming the little miss, " said the sur
con.
"CAl her Shell Annie" said the
nv IA hia mind revertafl "a HE our, I