The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-07-27

court House the other day, procured
license, returned to his pretty sweet
heart and together they went to one Of
our ministers and were married.
[ watched the movements of these
young people as they sauntered around
in the shades of Decatur till food of
memories set them in the background
and I lived again in the years of the
sixties just as fresh as if bus yester-
day. In 81 they had a song-I wish
could remember all these old songs
anyhow, it went
''Wait till the war cloud is over"
All marriage engagements were de-
clared off in those days, and upon
this could be told many sad story Of
why many sweet woman has lived
and never married. 1t was common
in those days for young man to re-
ceive the pledge of his sweetheart
that she would never marry until his
return. Many of these promises were
broken, I presume, but there were
many others never broken, and to this
day there is living, sad and lonely, as
ever lived who still remember that
pledge and hold it sacred. The world
has never understood the secrets of
these sad hearts and never will, but
whenever I hear dippant miss or a
simlin-headed youth speak Of cold
maids" as something Of reproach l
feelin my heart pity for their igno-
rance and contempt for their man
ners.
A few years ago I wrote of young
Arkansas soldier by the name Of
Archie, who died in Griffin after the
surrender and was perhaps the last
Confederate to be buried by the YAM
KEGS. At the time I received letter
from a lady thanking me, as they had
never known of his fate, and inciden-
tally and most delicately she told of
their betrothal and of how she had
pledged herself to 'wait till the war
was over, and for his return. Gas
he can never return she went on, II
shall ever remain true and wait to
meet him in heaven" )" wish / could
give this letter, but Lam sure that it
would shock the modesty Of woman
SO noble, and there are many, many
others throughout the, South who
have been just as true, and yet there
are those who only see them as ''old
maids" and know nothing of the
golden heart that still is true to the
boy of Dixie.
At one time during the existence Of
the Southern Confederacy, the govern
ment became impressed with the i'm
portance Of having these engagements
fulfilled, and to this end Congress
passed a Law allowing furloughs for
the purpose of getting married. At
the time it was impossible to get a
furlough save for this purpose, and
you may conclude that there was
much marrying in these days.
This reminds me Of marriage that
took place during General Sherman's s
visit that venture will have nothing
like it in the present war nor in the
world. There is no harm in giving
the story.
The lady was the daughter Of fine
old widowed mother and the sister of
four as gallant brothers as ever wore
the gray. "John'' was the name of
her bctrothed, and to him she pledged
herself to "wait till the war cloud was
over
One by one this young woman lost
all four of her brothers and then her
mother. John alone remained, and
from every battle she feared of hear
ing Of his death. 1t was under these
circumstances that John secured a
furlough and came home to marry.
There was no display at weddings in
those days. A few neighbors gather
ed-mostly women-and the bride in
homespun and the groomi in jeans were
made husband and wife.
The marriage had just taken place
and the couple were receiving the
congratulations Of their friends when
there wildly rushed in from the negro
quarters an old woman exclaiming:
yankees, yankees, yankees
John had to flee or be made pris-
oner, and SO he left his bride of an
hour and never returned again. He
was cut off by the Yankees and had
nothing to do but to return to Virgin
la, where he was killed, but the young
wife could mourn his loss publicly and
above board, and this was much better
fhon ~ ~ Jo-1 2L.o,~I xLa .-1J