Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1901-04-18
HORRORS OF WAR,

with Lees army, returned to hlf
home on the north side of the
Rappahanock, says writer in Nc
Clure's Magazine. He was % years
old and when he went to war his
father owned a farm Of several
hundred acres, with handsome
buildings, fine stock, and $50 ne
groes. Lawrence had always lived
the life of son of a country gen.
tleman. Returning to Fredricks-
burg penniless, be crossed the rlv-
er aud started across country to
his old home. Before he had gone
a mile be had lost his way. The
country, which he had once known
as well as one knows the different
halls and rooms of his own house,
was like a foreign field to him.
The forests had disappeared, and
where once there had been single
road there were now 20. The army
of the Potomac of over 100000
men had occupied this place al
most continuously for 6 months.
They had cut every tree and sap
ling for miles in every direction, to
get fuel to burn, logs for their
huts, and corduroy for their roads.
When Lawrence Ialiaferro at
tempted to get to his old home he
was in a country of which he knew
nothing. His way lost, he could
only wander from one new road to
another, until at last be came upon
an unfamiliar hut. He raped
and an old darky came out. He was
one of his fathers former slaves,
and the mau conducted him to his
old home. All the fences and out
houses had disappeared, as we'll as
the shade trees and shrubbery.
There Was only the shell of the
house. He found his father and
sister living there. Two of the
old servants had remained, refus-
ing to leave their old master. Up
on inquiry he learned that all that
was left Of the farm property was
one old mule and a much patched
harness. 4 few days after his re.
turn, AL older brother came back
from Lee 5 army and brought with
him WORKOUT horse. Tlen be-
gan the struggle for daily bread.
The two young men patched up
the harness for the mule and the
horse, borrowed an old plow, and
began to prepare the ground fo1 a
garden. They had not been al
home many days when they
learned that 8 couple Of men were
10 Fredericksburg buying bones.
Now for miles around Fredricks-
burg the fields were thick with the
bone of mules and horses which
had died during that long period
when the country was occupied by
both armies.
As soon as the TaliaferrOs dis
that these bones We're ssla-
able, they borrowed from a friend
a remnant of a wagon and started
ont to pick them up. As the re-
suit of , days work they found
they had 2O00 pounds, which they
sold for > cents pound. Il
thought my fortune was made,
when l got that money, said Mr..
Taliaferro. From that time on
they put in every hour of daylight
gathering up bones. while the two
old darkies We're putting in the
garden and preparing the ground
for corn. They carried on the bone
business for month, when they
made a new discovery. Quanti-
lies of old iron We're lying on the
fields. This thay found was sala-
bic and sccJ dinghy went into the
Junk business. They were much
crippled in their wol X by the fact
that their team was 50 poor thst
not more than half a days work
could possibly be gotten out Of it.
This had been going on for about
a month when a great piece of
good fortune fell to them. \ wing
Of the Federal army 10 marching
north passed Lear their home, and
one night the Ia}Iaferros were Wis
ite3 by two Union officers They
had come. they said. 10 see if old
Nr ralifcrro WAS living and il
good health. 1t seems that at the
time the Union army hsi been en-
c+mp.d 4 on and around his planta-
tion the old gentleman had teCome
"a great fav rite with tae officers
The visitors were invited in. and
.he Ialiai-tro~ did their best T.
get them % good supper. The men
were very much pleased with their
ana when they
wen, home. insisted tas. the hoy-
-h,uli ~ over % tie army with
thc.r wa-o4 Die next ity sui re-
turn their visit Hu- ,asF 1ti.
and when they star & II Y. home.
they found rh1t tha wagon bad
ben 4 ..
ss-.Ira
ui. G.
So the ra... l. -.