Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1899-03-17
AN CID COUPLE WED
DED
Iohn d. Clews, 1o2, Marries
Mrs. Jennings, Aged 100.

resident o. Springfield, Ill
was married at Franklin, Pa,
recently to Sarah Jennings, 100
years old, who at one time was
member of a brahan Lincoln's'
household. Despite their adVanc-
ed years, Mr.. and Mrs. Clews are
still sprigdtly anl active, and
on the day of the wedding peo-
pie il the church said:
"Wouldn't give her a day more
than co." and really, Tor a dam
ST. Of 100 years, Mrs. jennings
walks and talks and think with
creditable fire and vigcr.
behind this singular marriage
lies little romance Of the war,
tending TO show that the cours=
Of true love viii generally end
III happiness, even after the
trials and storms Of q hundred
years 1t was in Springfield, ILL.,,
that they met. John {. Clc"s,
born i'll Richmond and tied down
to the law, had even displayed a
weakness for the life of the solids
ier and when, i'll 1916, the Mex
lean war broke out. he enlisted
as private, won his commission,
and returned to Richmond wear
ing the Captain 'sepaulets.
1t was some years later when,
as a gray-haired, thoughtful man
Of 90, lie began the practice of
law in Springfield, where Abe
Lincoln then lived. Mr.. Lincoln
and Mr.. Clews often met in
court, and this, with the aboli
ZIONIST agitation, then at its
height, formed the bond that
was to end only with tive assaS-
sination of the President. Fstab
lished III Mr.. Lincoln s home
with Miss Jackson, & stately,
grave, handsome da1uc, 4 relative
of Andrew Jackson, and carry
ing some Of the indomitable ex-
pressions Of cold Hickory" in
her face.
Between MI. Clews and Miss
Jackson there arose ono of those
calm, commonplace attachments
peculiar to the conditions III
which they lived, and it was pre-
sently known all through Spriug
field that the lawyer and the
President ward we've to be wed.
The boys and girls might l,ugh
at them and call them fools
"Oid Abe" himself might make
a few of his inilnltablc jokes at
their expensc-but TOR this they
did not care. 1t is probable that
they would have then married
aud settled down into a peaceful
old age had not the firing on
Fort Sumter ended their plans
and disrupted all human things
III this land. The old campaign
tevcr caught CleWs and held him
fast. He must go out, he said,
and by and by the head Of his
company, he rode away to join
the Army of the Potomac
III W. were boy and girl III
stead of old man and middle
aged woman l would not love
you half as we'll as l d." he.
said to her at parting. II shall
carry your image i'll my heart
through the war. If am alive
when the Union is saved l will
come back to you"
Mr.. Clews was with Generals
Grant and Sherman. He was one
of the first to go up against that
terrible wall at Fredericksburg,
when the men Of the Union were
moved down like sheep. Under
the unerring hail of Confederate
bullets he was az the taking OF
Nicksburs, aud in Sherman's
march to the sea, and he was
twice imprisoned in LIBBY.
The woman waiting at home
wrote, and wrote again to her
absent lover, but no word came
in reply. Then one day she heard |
that he was dead. Her wait was
ended. A year later she married |
James Jennings, OF Column bus,
Ohio.
Gle IS, released frcm his pris, |
on, and now man without oc-
cupation or cares, hard that his
sweetheart was married. For
many years he wandered over
the country, finally settling in
Cincinnati. lie never brought |
to her mind and her heart the
knowledge that he was alive,
but cherished the memory OF his
only love.
I hree years ago one Of those
strange accidents (which some
times bless the unprotected PEG
pie Of this world brought the
lovers together again. 1t was at
a reunion of army veterans t..
.!rs Jennings, now a >iiow,
and Mr.. CleWs we're formally in
tr0duCed.
AS her eyes fell upon his face
she gave little hysterical cry
and laugh and fell into his arms
The story was ended. The}