Saint Mary's beacon., 1901-05-09

W k1zU G4aEc0cf 0Cy.
Events that followed the eurrender at Apo
mattox. and which form q most interesting
chapter Of Southern History.
In April, 1865, Lawrence Talia.
ferro, who for four years had been
With Lees army, returned to his
home on the north side Of the Rap
pahannock, perhaps twelve miles
from Fredericksburg. writes Ida M.
Tarbeli in McCluse's Magazine.
lie was rs years Of age. When he
went into the war his father owned
farm of several hundred acres,
With handsome buildings. fine stock
and $50 negroes. Lasrence Talia.
ferro had always lived the life Of q
son Of q country gentleman. Re-
turning to Fredericksburg penni-
less, he crossed the river aud start
ed across country to his old home.
Before he had gone o mile he had
lost his way The country, which
ne had once known as we'll as one
knows the different halls and rooms
OF his own house, was like foreign
field to him. The forests had dis
appeared, and where once there had
BEEN single road there were now
twenty. The army of the Potomac
OF over 100, 900 men had occu pied
this place almost continuously from
November, 1862. until May, 1868.
They had cat every tree and sapling
for miles in every direction, to get
fuel to burn. logs for their huts.
and curduroy for their roads. When
Lawrence Taliaferro attempted to
get to his home, he was 10 q coun-
try OF which he knew nothing. His
way lost, he could only wander
from one new road to another, un-
til at last he came upon an unfa-
miliar b He raped and "a old
darkey Came out. He was one of
his fathers former slaves, and the
man conducted him to his old home.
All outhouses and fences had dis
appeared, az well % the shade t.eaS
zuG siFuUuUTy. 'risvzvswas~ oniA
the shell Of the house. lie found
his father and sister living there.
Two Of the old servants had re-
mained, refusing to leave their
master. Upon inquiry he found
that all that was left of the farm
property was one old mule and
much. patched harness.
A few days after his return. an
older brother came back from Lees
army and brought with him worn
out horse. Then began the strug-
gle for daily bread. The two
young men patched up the harness
for the mule and horse, borrowed
an old plow, and began to prepare
the ground for a garden. They
had not been at home many days
when they learned that q couple
of men were in fredericksburg buy
ing bones. Now, for miles around
Fredericksburg, the fields were thick
with the bones Of wornout mules
and horses, which had died during
that long period when the country
was occupied by Northern and
Southern troops. As soon as the
Taliaferros discovered that these
bones were salsble, they borrowed
from q friend the remnant of a
wagon and started ont to pick them
up. As the result of two days
working they found they had 2. 900
pounds, which they sold for 2 cents
pound. SCI thought my fortune
was made when ] got that money!"
said Mr.. Taiaferro. From that
time on they put in every hour of
daylight gathering mp bones, while
the two old darkies were putting in
the garden and preparing the
ground for corn. They carried on
the bone business for @ month,
when they made o new discovery.
Quantities Of old iron we're lying
on the fields. This they found was
salable. and accordingly they went
into the junk business. They we're
much crippled in their work By the
fact that their team was 90 poor
that not more than half O days
work could possibly be gotten out
of it.
This had been going on about a
month when 9 great piece Of good
fortune fell to them. A wing Of
the Federal Arrf in marching
North passed near their home, and