Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1901-10-09
THE GEORGIA SOLDIERS HOME.
Mr.. J. C. StribIing, OF Pendleton, Visits tho
"Boys" Who Wore the Gray.
[Anderson InGelligencer.]

Anderson InGelligencer.]
About four miles from the heart of
the CITY of Atlanta, at the terminus
of the street railway, is beautiful
hill covered with primitive forests !;
upon the highest point of the hill,
amid large oaks, is nestled a grand, q
beautiful building, built there in 1891
by the efforts of Henry Grady and
the good and patriotic women Of
Georgia for Soldiers llomc.
After thus writing down their sen
timents and generations for the grand
old heroes who wore the gray in a
tangible way at the cost of $4,000
invested in 119 acres of land and this
grand edifice by private subscriptions,
they rendered this building and, land
to the State of Georgia to house her
INDECENT soldiers in, if she would
feed and care for them. But the
politics of Georgia were then like
they are here in South Carolina TO-
day, and the Georgia Legislature re-
fused to accept this grand bequest,
and gave her INDECENT soldiers pen
sions, ranging from IS to 500 year,
or about $50 year where we give
$19.60-and told the old soldiers it
was better for them to take this and
live among their friends at home.
But after ten years experience it was
found that $50, or even 800, would
not half board and clothe them and
pay some one to attend to the de-
crepid or sick soldiers, and on the
first of June, 1901, the home was oc-
cupied and formally possessed by the
State with an appropriation Of $4,000
for its support, if so much be neces-
sary, and the home is now occupied
by 70 inmates, the sight of which l
wish every member of our South
Carolina Legislature could look upon
that his heart, if even stone, would
soften and he would at once be con.
vertcd to the truth that no treasury
could hold dollars enough to repay
these old veterans for their patriot
ism that has deprived them of the
use of limb or body-some of them
hobbling around on one leg, some
with heads bowed low down with
suffering from wounds or rheumatism
while yet others are in bed never to
rise again.
No soldier with q heart of flesh,
who has ever grappled with the dogs
of war or experienced it's vicissitudcs,
can look upon this gathering of the
relics of our great army without
feeling a choking lump rise in his
throat.
When news was spread through
the home that an old South Carolina
soldier was at hand on mission to
inspect the home, the gathering
around and the eagerness of the old
boys to hear the news and give infor-
nation during the war, (for Georgia
is to-day in front on duty for her
soldiers, and South Carolina is in tho
rear,) and after hearty handshak-
ing from the official head down to
the old army nurse, was invited to
breakfast that would have been
considered good enough for Gen.
Lee or President Davis during our
army days.
These old veterans piled questions
and queries about their South Caro-
lima comrades faster than three men
could answer, and among the ques-
tions was one that had rather took q
whipping than to have answered, viz !:
What sort of Soldiers Home havo
you in South Carolina +? My reply
was that South Carolina had at least
two locations offered her for q homo
that were better suited for home
Lhan thelrs, and that there was no
doubt in tho minds of our people but
that South Carolina would at the
next meeting of our Legislature step
to the front and provide a homo for
her worn out soldiers that would be
second to none in the South.
Tho home building of Georgia is
three stories high with veranda after
tho style of the health resort hotel,
and contains G5 rooms, 10 of which
are mostly large rooms for memorial
hall, library, drawing room, dining
room, kitchen, and for each office for
superintendent, matron and steward,
and basement rooms for laundry,