The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1897-04-01
story OF SHELL ANNIE.
An Incident Of sherman's March
to the Sea.

to the Sea.
Nobody expected Gen. Sherman to
come into Atlanta from the south.
Oh, no, in the natural course of
vents he must have certainly shoul.
red his way right straight on from
80 north, and accordingly the grim
md griny, frayed out fragments Of
sod's confederate army wallowed in
&c sitting trenches all along the
st semi-circular line of outworks
Hat faced the valley of the Chatta-
ochee and commanded the ap-
aches from the Allatoona hills be-
md.
I,ut he of the eagle eve was strate.
st, He wanted to cut off and coop
he gray Jackets inthe city, and for
reason he quietly marched the
er part of his army up the west
bank of the river eight or ten
WI s, flung them across the river, and
Il mighty swing of that ponder
trip.hammer Of war he struck them
the south, thus cutting off their
Ines of supplies by the Georgia rail
.aa. Then followed those terrible
which wound up with the fierce
1a3laught Of July %, when the hope
$50. half-starved southern men, the
Allant men Of the west, met in a
hty gladiatorial contest which re-
assed in the fall of Atlanta,
hese are matters for the historian,
ru what am going to recount is one
those wild, weird romances with
ch this terrible conflict was SO
aj, hit, and here is the strange story:
IN to the sea, was the watchword
sherman's armies, and the sullen
i dogged retreat of the coniederates
ioneshoro was the first movement
d The defeated and despairing confed-
rates.
Jonesboro wac little inland town,
nestled amid field and forest, inter
5persed with beautiful undulating
hills and grassy valleys green with the
anpe of the harvest, but little suited
'sfensive point for the bruised
a2 sattessd legions who were recoil-
slowly toward the southern sea.
Breastworks had been hastily thrown
up flanling the line Of the Central
ililroad, and in the bitches behind
ncm the struggling remnants of obsti-
aate confederates were entrenched.
1t was gloriously beautiful sum.
ner day when the skirmish line of the
sorthern hosts debouched from the
ariis and took up position in front of
aese breastworks..
iaSen by surprise after relying in
,1n on the ability of the southern
oops to check the onfow Of the le-
is Of the conquering hosts, the
men and children, led by the lame
-he halt and the aged men of the
guntry, were fleeing for life, panic
stricken and utterly demoralized.
As the sun rose over the swelling
Tidges the eyes Of the soldiers Of either
armg caught the CLEAN of little
white tent, half hidden in wood just
title to the left of the line of attack,
auq above it fluttercd a tiny white flag,
no bigger than mans hand.
Il was woman's handkerchief, and
all the chivalrous feelings of the
american soldier were aroused as the
frim veterans caught sight Of that lit
appealing bit Of cambria floating
here through the uprising mists Of
ar The order was passed to respect
lat flag, and when the great guns be-
m their work and shot and shell
ere hurled blazing and crashing
sross field and wood from either di-
ation, never a gunner trained his
zee toward point near that little
white house.
The battle was fercely fought, but
Ae combat was Of short duration, and
s the shadows heightened eastward
e southern troops were seen in full
.reat, leaving the field to the tri-
auphant victors
AS they swept forward drummer
g, Otto Barden, Of q Pennsylvania
ment, passed by the little white
: in the wood.
Guards in blue uniform surrounded
VI and while the smoke OF battle
irled above and around there was a
intive cry from the tent, and the
.alwart surgeon lifted the flap of the
little tent and emerged followed by an
DID negress, bearing in her arms a
Tiny. white bundle.
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 Miss
Annie ef yo' does"
mot bit Of 1t, old lady, not bit
Of it," replied the good-natured sur
geon, with smile.
Hello Otto, you're the very boy
want. This Ia your prize, as you are
nearest her age. and we are going to
detail you to take charge of this wee
prisoner and see that the little reb
don't escape"
The rough soldiers came crowding
around for peep at the prisoner. and