The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1901-09-11

what singular transition. llalI an !
hour before | had left Huntsville
beautiful Huntsville. nesting among |
the hills that slope away from tie !
Cumberland platcau-and WAS wOrltir |
my way nOrthward toward fayctto- !
Vile, Tenn. The plants in the yarCS |
beside the road were putting fUwh !
their buds, the leaves on the trees wcr"
opening, insects were awakening, birds
sinGing-al revived by the rays Of the
vernal sun.
permitted my horse TO drop into n
walk. A pleasant languOr stole over
me, replacing Il bitter mental turbu-
lcncc which had been ever present with
me for months. Perhaps ii was thc
genial warmth, the halmy air; perhaps
an absence of war scenes with which
| had long been familiar; perhaps both.
At amy rate. | watched the sun gliStCn
on the dcwdrCDs. felt its rays warm my
shoulders. and listened to the singing
of thr birds with Il consciousness that,
after all. sometimes it is pleasant to
live.
; ThCu came an unaccountablc sinking.
1t may have been something in the
| rcStfulnCSS. the security | had felt. in
CCuCruous with pcStilCnt war; just rs
= amid thc luxurious foliage of the trOD
los one i"cls that behind every lear and
flower turks invisible fever SrIddCnly
the shots rang out; then came my reply
to the girl standing beside me looking
at the dead bushwhackrr; then my
entry into the house AMI now | was
lying on Il comfortable lounge an oh
jcct OF tender sOlcitudc on the part OF
a
suddenly become very dear friends.
But suppose they knew mc--that |
was Il renegade Il traitor to the south
There was no name harsh enough
among ConfpdcratCS for those. of thCiI
OWL people who were not with them
and all who were not with them were
against them, and doubtless these now
found friends were all Confederate
synpathiZers. The buShwhackpr could
tell no tales. | was. thankful for shat
for he had known me well. The
thought Of him took mo back to that
night Of horrors. | was again at the
head Of those Tennessee UuioniSts en-.
dcavoring 10 lead them to n haven Of
safety. We were near the Cumberland
gap. One more day and we should be
at Camp Dick Robinson where we
should find Federal troops. Then the
attack. BY the flashing of guns !
could see their faces, and here and
there recognize n ncighbOr- men beside
whom had lived for years, and whom
civil war had converted into tiCnds.
One by one saw my friends shot
down. There was one dcarer to me
than all besides Through the dark
ness, guided by the flashes and the
sound Of my voice. she dartcd to me,
and found refuge in my arms.
Then that sudden dash OF Confedrr.
ate cavalry. felt the figure ! held
Iuiver and slip through my arms.
moancd and kissed the white lips; then,
like lightning the wild beast jumped
within me. looked up to see who had
done this last, this crowning atrocity
a Confederate officer sat on his horse
staring at me- in his hand n smoking
pistol. y sudden collapse, and | knew
that was hit This is all | rcmem,
bered of the massacre.
How | gloatcd in my revenge! The
homes Of men who had committed
those murders were burning. and had
applied the torch. Their barns. grain
everything they possessed passed away
in black spark spangled clouds, which
shot upward as If 10 carry vengeance
to the very heavens. These men had
made my life Il waste; | had made
theirs n hell.
There was one | had not yet pun
ishcd, one whose punishment | longed
for more than all the rcst-thc Cunfcd
crate officer with the smoking pistol
| sought for him without success. Then
! tried to forget him, but whenever
remembered that beloved figure flee
Ing to me for protection, that trcmor
that sinking away before the blight Of
death, ] would start again on my Ion
hunt. Joined the army. thinking tha,
wars greater horrors might for time
enable me to forget my fCud .Nll went
we'll TIL / heard OF him. He was at
huntsville. l burned to reach him.
OUR general was casting covctoij eyes
on northern Alabama. | hcg@cd him
TO let me go down and bring iuck n
report Of the country, the railroads. !ts
coiIlng stock. machine shops, bridges,
everything "A KNOWLEDGE Of which
would assist In its CAPTURE
But this low cur who EaI tried 10 xiii
me-hc was ut the massacre with my
own hand had applied fire 20 lis mis-.
cradle hut. How had he known li.Gt !
was In Alabama? II&l lc heard Of me.
during my stay ut IiuNlayii Ii lal
Deen brief, FOR rs soon nG | reached {
| town learned that my Crrny wa. 'nrt
there and, disappointed. turned my face
| northWard. Or had t!32 huaEwhsci,.I
met me by Glance? | did not know. I
% not know now. or o"r llliAg waY
certain-he was one OF ny o.d rngmlcS.
and they would huDt ne ihc 81 i.Hnc
l lay for hours unwillingly turning
over these war horrors as If they were
wheel on which | was obliged to
| tread. No one came into the room. and
| called no one. Doubtless they wished
| me to be quiet. | was weak and tired
tired In mind, tired in Dody, tired of
existence. If could only find him, the
world might vanish for all me.
1 fell into troubled Slumber. and
when l awol:c saw Standing In the
doorway girl of 8 or 8 ycars-a frail.
blue eyed little thing. with her hair cut
square about her neck and held by a
semlcircular>comb. She was gazing at
me intent(y. as children In fairy tales
stand on iDtoe and look at the slecping |