The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1900-06-06
UNMARKED BY A STONE.

III Was the man insane? He kne
y praying upon the bank OF the YaZoo,
~ memorial wreath In each hand, and
| watched him from my boat he arc.
=" AID cast the wreaths one after auotht
l. into the river.
: Par don me, sir" said |, as steppe
ashore, If | ask the meaning Of thes
; WI caths. AS this is Memorial day,
i suppose your acLiOn is inspired b
) some sad memory Of the civil war"
Y es," he replied solemnly. 18th
y strange act which you saw me perfcrr
: memOrializes what was to me one {
, the saddc3t incidents OF the civil wa
was decorating the grave of jon
Douglas, private in Pennsylvani
regiment of volunteers, brave ma
and the truest friend | ever had"
" Ills grave " | exclaimed. 81 Sc
no grave-only water"
: And only water covers my hero
His grave is there somcw here in th
} river.
What you say" | remarked, sex
cites my curiosity. | served in th,
campaigns along this river and shall
be deeply interested If you will tell IN,
!, the story" This he did rs we sat sid,
by side on the bank OF tho river.
The Pennsylvania regiment tC
which | belonged" said he, formed
part of the force with which General
Sherman attempted to attack Vlcks
burg by way Of the YaZoo river. We
ascendcd the river on transports on
December %, 1862, and began opera
tlons on the following day. Between
us and Nicksburg lay u swampy reg ion
lntersected by numerous bayous. After
several sl1irmlshcs it was found inn
possible 10 force q passage thrOugh
the Swamps, which were passable only
| by narrow causeways, commanded by
Confederate batteries, and tho attempt
was abandoned after u few days.
In the last Of the skirmishcs | was
severely wounded and was left un-
| noticed by my comrades in dense
| cnnebrake upon their return to the
Yaz)o after the attempt had failed.
lay for some time in Is semiconscious
condition, securely screened from the
eyes OF my enemies, as ! lad been, un-
fortunately, from those OF my friends.
My condition WAS truly dcplorable, for
WAS not only seriously wounded and
weak from the loss of blood, but the
causeway WAS not patti oiled by Con
leueratc soldiers, and even were it
otherwise the Federal troops had pro-
badly by that time re. e.elnbarked on the
transport, and should | reach the
hands OF the enemy.
Without any definite purpose to
guide my steps, but impressed by the
necessity Of leaving IL position where
was in danger Of being captured,
moved aimlessly through the dense
thickct in Is direction which led me
away from the causeway. A Slight
frost had rendered the swampy soil
more firm, and the chief difficulty en-.
couptercd WAS in making my way
through the cane and bushes aud in
terlacing vines.
After slowly cropping about in this
manner for three or four hours | SAW
rising ground in front OF me and an
opening in the thick growth of trees
crowning it which thought indicated
II near approach to the abode OF man.
II my con lecture was correct, tempo
rary relief was ut hand, for even
enemies would not refuse 10 aid me in
my pitiablc condition. Upon reach
ing the opening in the woods cav
neat, whiLewashcd cottage, surrounded
by an orchard, short distance in
front Of nc, while ia the rear OF the
house small, well cultivated farm ex-
tended down the opposite slope to u
bayou whore the oasis abruptly ended.
Completely exhausted and feeling
that even death would be u relief |
painfully made my way to the gate
leading through the orchard to the
cottage. Upon reaching it | saw In
the path before me a tall, beautiful
girl, and then | remembered nothing
more. When | recovered conscious
ness | found myself lying in bed in
q tasiefuily furnished room. The con-
clusion was forced upon me that had
fallen into kind hands, and then, just
rs | recalled the vision OF u beautiful
being in white, the girl herself stood
before me.
"How can | describe her beauty
her perfection of form? | thought Of
Murillo's masterpiece. The lmmacu-
late Conception, but hore was a beauty
transccnding the painters Inspiration,
and the music OF her voice was like
the trill Of song bird, softened by the
COO Of Is dove.
"She came forward with some de-
gree OF hcsitancy and apparently maid.
eny reserve, and In Il tone Of sym
pathy inquired after my condition.
She told me that had becr very i'll
and delirious and had already passed
two nights in the house. Her father,
she added, was ardently devoted to the
Southern cause, as she VAS herself,
but they were always ready to respond
to the calls OF humanity and In minis
tcring to the sick they made no dis
tinction between Confederate and
Union soldier.
AS you may judge from my cnthu-
siasm, fell in love with this fair
angel OF the Yazoo, Olympia LIE Moync.
| convalesced rapidly, all too rapidly,
| for dreaded the approach of the time
when | would be compelled to re Join
my regiment and leave her, perhaps
| forever.
| WAS soon on footing OF the most
friendly intimacy with her father,
Francis LIE MOyne, who had been at
one time engaged in business In New
Orleans. Why he and his daughter
Olympia bad removed TO that lionel y
spot, in u region OF swamps and bayous,
did not inquire, and they volunteer
cd no explanation. They we're people
OF refinement, and whatever their
motive in 30 secluding themselves
felt 1T to be ono that could cast no dis.
credit upon them.
"l remained month in the lie
Moyne cottage. OLYMPIA and myself
were together on every possible op
portunity, aud finally she made mt
supremely happy by confessing tha
she loved me. How well | remember
each separate incident in this delight
tul and romantic period OF NV life !
was oblivious Of everything but tina
contained within NV narrow enyirOn