The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1899-10-12

time ago that In hpplctOn's biography
OF Forrest, which was said to bo writ
ten by Colonel Jordan, his adjutant
general, it was recorded that he was
very illiterate, and that his dispatch
announcing the fall Of Fort Pillow WAS
read rs follows
eve busted tho fort at ninerclock
and shattered the niggers. My men
is still d cellanem in the woods. Them
as was cotchcd with spoons and brcst-
pins and sicb we kilt. The rest was
payrold and told to git"
George was indignant when | showed
him copy Of it and acclarcd that it
was some deviljsh lie that was made up
on him. e. khow," said he, that
Forrest was no scholar, but he never
him that | know he wrote, and while
he mis- spelled some words, they were
fairly we'll written. | don't believe
that Colonel Jordan wrote any such
thing about Forrest. Some OF these
biographers are just like some news
paper reporters. II they can't hear a
lie they scratch their heads and mako
one just for o sensatiOn.'
II George dies from this stroke, and
reckon he will, whore will | 90 to
whilo away an hour with 8 friend.
His cflico in the Kimball was SO con
vcniont aud his chairs SO comfortable
and his welcome 50 cordial tnat | viii
feel lost when |. visit Atlanta. The
boys wont. have timo,or inclination to
talk to me. 1t was the rendezvous Of
other valued friends ike DR.. Alcxund
or and Evan Howell and J. Hcnly
Smith and Cousin John Trasher and
the Confederate veterans generally.
But George was the chief attraction,
the center of space. He was q friend
in need and a fri3nd indeed. He
granted his favors With checrfulness
and q willing heart. Sometimes |
wanted. an indorser on, aibank note Tor
q few dollars and he always said {:
Eyes, yes, my friend, of course Twill "
If l shall ever need one again / will
not know where to 60. | have thou
sand good friends in Atlanta, but they
arc not Of that kind.
| was Illuminating about the diff
erence between his domestic surround
ings and my own. He dies at home
with wife and all his children at his
bedside. His eyes can look upon them
| oil, and perhaps his ears can hear their
loving voices.
But my wife and are living out our
days in sad apprehension of the COM
ing stroke, for four Of our dear boys
arc far away too far to reach us even
at the call by telegraph--one In New
York, one in Texas, one in Florida
and the baby boy, as his fond mother
calls him, is 5000 miles away in
Mexico. This is the hardest part OF
life-these scattered children. Sup
pose that one OF the unmarried ones
should approach the door of death and
his earnest telegram should be for his
mother to come to his bedside and
soothe his last moments, what could
she do but stay at homo and weep
Oh, for another life in another world
where all Is love without ailliction OF
| griof or separation.
Farewell, good friond. 1 would that
you might be spared to us yet awhile
spared to read your own epitapbs and
to realize what noble life is worth to
a man. Would that the rising genera
tions might learn u lesson from your
example. The approach of our disso
luton Is vory stculthy. When last
saw my friend he WAS rs bright and
genial as a boy and showed no sign OF
failing health. thought that he
would Outlivc mo, for nowadays | gel
tired and when tho night comes | an
the first to sock my bed. Yesterday
was busy planting out strawberry
plants, and 1t was bending work anC
| over ana anon L nau 10 Stralgntcn W
lowly and carefully for fear something
would break or hitch or give way, ant
then | would try it again. / can't hold
. out ike | used to. What's the matter
with me, anyhow Why should
, wear out? Why shouldcnt q healthy
man live on and on? If ho has got tt
die, why don't he dlo oil over at once
and turn to dust like tho one e-hOrst
shay? Why should the heart get SICK
, whom all the rest is we'll ? / reckon
We viii all know by waiting.
, This morning ! went out early II
, peruse my now strawberry patch aN(
suro enough there had been dozeI
. dogs In there last night, and they hcl'
) q carnival and % circns and playe'
base and tag and maddog all over M
' pretty beds, and t0ro up lot OF m
, plants, and now | am not calm an
. serene, and my wife wont lot me put on
a strychntne, for she says 1T iacut fai
q nor noighborly, and 80 ] have got t
9 stretch moro wire along the fence
y 1hcre are about forty dogs within cas-
1 reach OF my house and they are no az
0 | count
. FOR IN this town more dogs are found
u Ihan ever you did see,
:. Both mongrcl, puppy, whelp md houn
. And dogs of low degree.
t Confoand 'em--dogon 'em.
BILL ARP.