The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1901-06-05
OUR WOMEN IN THE WAR.
Searching the List Of Killed, Wounded and
Missing. g.---i ractica1 Side Of Girls Life
During the War.---Singing at the Spin
ing Whee1.--Outragc and Plunder.

oSot "iIiSACo ouOulltIC0 ny ldulCS Ol
the subject Of "Our Women in tho
War" The following article, which
was composed by the late Miss Anna
Il. Simpson, q sister Of Col t. w.
Simpson, Of peudleton, was awarded
the second prize and published that
year. Having secured copy Of the
paper containing the article, We have
decided to publish ii. foi NC know ii
will interest al Of our readers -
EDITOR
"Flcct fotcd is the approach Of woe,
But with Il lingering step and slow it's
form departs.
Perhaps there was no portion Of the
Southern States that suffered less, in
some respects, than many Of the quiet
villages in the upper part OF South
Carolina during our late civil war,
while numerous homes elsewhere were
devastated by fire and sword. We
were far removed from Sherman i
fiery II k. We felt nothing Of the
fearful jars that shook Virginia to her
very centre by actual cont lct with ccn
tending armies, sometimes rctrcating,
leaving the helpless women within the
encmy's lines, then advancing and en-
folding them, as it were, in the very
heart Of the Confederate army, and
even then with only temporary sense
of safety. The only personal expc-
rience We had with either army was an
occasional nights entertainment given
to few struggling horsemen, who
claimed to belong to Gen. Morgans cav
alries or other commands, and once Or
twice, after Gen. Lee had surrondercd,
By visit from small squad Of Yam
kec soldiers belonging to some of the
numerous troops that roamed upon
every highway and by-path through
the land in pursuit Of our ill-fated
President and his party.
We knew comparatively little of the
terrible privations. exposures, sacri-
fees and losses Of our sisters by the
scashore. We can never fully under
stand the experience Of the Charles
ton women during the bombardment
of their fair CITY by the Sea-" And
brilliant CLEAN of light, like an au-
rora borealis, in the direction of our
beautiful capital was all that we know
of Columbia's fearful visitation from
Sherman's merciless raiders. But
while far removed from all these hor
rors, we had our experiences, which
we're ssd and gloomy enough. Our
losses by death-the death of our best
and best-loved-exceeded in proper
tion the losses in many sections in
the South. We mourned over as
many
OPEN GRAVES AND MISSING BOYS,
and took back to our homes as many
precious forms, bleeding and torn by
bullet and shell, after "thc cruel war
was ovcr'-in some cases only TO die
in our arms-as any other portions OF
"Dixie Land" Beside this VIC bore
our full share of burdens and priva-
tions in many other ways; and the
story Of our experience, even if it does
not compare in thrilling adventure
with some others, is nevertheless a
part Of the history Of those cvcntful
years. That cxcitoment Of action, un-
dor the necessity Of movement, which
supported many women driven ruth
lcssly from their homes, and enabled
them to meet bravely each fiery ordeal
as it came, was not at any time part
of our experience. Still we knew not
what day or hour might bring the
dreaded evil; and all too soon we
learned the lesson that suspense is as
potent factor in che sum Of human
misery as the worst realizations. Then,
remote as we were from the scenes of
strife, when battle had been fought
and news of the slaughter was flashing
over the electric wires, VIC could only
stand still and wait-onc, two, three,
and sometimes ten days-enduring
CTucl IuTIuIc. WlIu WIFI ahAiSIS, o"N
yet afraid to hear, lest that fearful list
of ''dead and wounded" might contain
the name Of our dearest and best loved
-pcrchancc father, lover, OF the
dear brother with whom We had sport
cd through all our happy days of
childhood.
Every battle brought its list Of dead
and dying to our village, when at last,
its fatal results were known, and one
by one, each home within its borders,
was desolated. Ill news came herald
ed by signals we'll understood. Loud,
prolonged and piercingsoreams Il might