The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-03-02
SARGE PLUNKET'T
Views the War CLOUD and Discusses the
Same.
Atlanta Constitution.

AVtA1uS Va "noe WoA 10 uVA SAAS
it brings.
The talk is now that war with
Spain would be short and principally
between the navies. They said the
war in 1860 would be short-so short
that the soldiers would most get back
for breakfast. The truth is that the
southern young men we're scared that
they could not get there before it was
ended. This ought to make US very
careful now. It is fine to listen to
the speeches of orators and step proud
to the sound of martial music, but
such things are not a part of real var,
nor do they teach things of war mat
ters.
Fighting, itself, is not all Of war,
though that is a plenty for me and
Brown. You can march man and
perish a man till he would take fight
ing as dessert. There are many
things in war that youthful mind
never dreamed Of.
At first fellow was mighty proud
and his people were proud to sec him
off in the last war, but it got mighty
serious before the end. There are
many yet living who can remember the
sad partings after We had awoke to the
seriousness Of the affair. And many
are living who can remember the sor-
row which bowed down all the South
when these soldiers began to return
after the war.
There we're many--yes. so many,
that never did return and there was
sorrow for them all. Loved ones wept
all along the highways. Mothers: sis
ters, wives and children watched overy
road. To many the return was with
out hope, for they knew that theirs
could never return; bat it vas re-
minder sadder than death, darker than
the grave. In this connection I could
tell many story. but one in particu-
lar fingers in my memory and will
bear repeating here.
Charley, We will call him, was one
of the first and one of the proudest to
leave our settlement in 1861. he left
a young wife and sweet little girl and
boy at his home. They lived On the
river in lonely place, but they done
the best they could without grumbins
till the war was over, when their feel
ings were wrought to the highest pitch
of joyful expectation. The whole
talk was Of the fathers return. Every
morning they were up blight and early
and the children were. dressed with a
mother pride in full expectation Of
the father coming.
Day after day these children would
sit on the fence and watch up the road
for the returning soldier. When they
saw soldier coming in the distance
they would clap their hands and call
their mother. She was soon there,
and time after time her sad disap-
pointment was beyond describing
here.
AS the squads of soldiers grew far
ther apart, till there was only now and
then one, weaker than the rest, the
more intense grew the watch Of this
mother and children, and greater by
far grew they in anxious suspense.
So it went day after day and night
after night, till the mother hope was
gone and she broke down in tears.
Passers-by began to pity the little
family, and there was much wonder,
for it was we'll known that Charley
had escaped through the WAY and had
started home.
There was only q stray squad pass
ing now and then, but the poor woman
and the children still watched. Per-
haps they would have watched much
louger shan they did but for the impu
dent remark Of Il careless man. This
man let it drop in the presence OF the
children that perhaps Charley had
found another home and another wife
and that he might never return.
This man was not wicked man at
heart and he meant his remark more
as a joke than otherwise; but it was
no Joking matter with the children.
They told their mother what they had
heard and you may be sure that it was
70 joking matter with her. She burst
into screams. She broke down under
the sorrow, and despite everything
that could be done, she died in Il few
days, and folks said she died Of Il
broken heart.
At the death Of the mother there
was much bitter feeling against Char
ley, but upon the day of the burial
there came revelation that changed
the whole current of feeling and every
heart went out in sorrow for the
stricken family.
There was no way for soldiers to re-
turn to their homes after the surrcn-
der but on foot. Charley had started
out thus and as he gOt nearcr home