The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1901-10-10
GEORGIA VETERANS HOME.
A Day With the Old Soldiers Who
Once Wore the Gray.

Once Wore the Gray.
The following article was written by
Capt. j. &. Strlbling, of Pendleton
giving an account of his recent visit tc
the soldiers home near Atlanta, ant
which was destroyed by fire on the
30th of September, only few days
after his visit there. In view of the
agitation for soldiers home IN SoutE
Carolina, the article is reproduced in
our columns:
About four miles from the heart OF
the city of Atlanta, at the terminus OF
the street railway, is a beautiful hill
covered with primitive foresta upon
the highest point Of this hill amid
large oaks is nestled a grand, u beauti-
full building, built there in 1891 by the
efforts Of Henry Grady and the good
and patriotic women of Georgia for a
Soldiers Home.
After thus writing down their senti
ments and generations for the grand
old heroes who wore the gray in tan.
gible way at the cost Of $45, 900 inveet-
ed 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 Leg
iBlature refused to accept this grand
bequest, and gave her indigcnt soldiers
pensions, ranging from $5 TO 800 a
year, or about $50 year where we
give $19.60-and told the old soldiers
it was better for thom to take this and
live among their friends at home. But
after ten years experience it was found
that $50, or even $1C0, would not half
board and clothc them and pay some
one to attend to the decrepid or sick
soldiers, and on the first of June, 1901,
the Home was occupied and formally
possessed by the State with an appro-
priation of $4,000 for it's support, if
80 much be necessary, and the Home
is now occupied by 70 inmates, the
sight of which wish every member of
our South Carolina Legislature could
look upon that his heart, if even of
stone, would soften and he would at
once be converted to the truth that no
treasury could hold dollars enough to
repay these old veterans for their pat
riotism that has deprived them of the
use of limb or body; some of them
hobbling around Oh 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 vicissitudea, can
look upon this gathering of the relics
OF our great army without feeling
choking lump rise in his throat.
When news was spread through tho
Home that an old South Carolina SOL
der was at hand on mission to in
spect tho Home, the gathering around
and the eagerness OF the old boys to
hear the news and give information
during tho war Cor Georgia is to-day
in front on duty for her old soldiers,
and South Carolina is in the rear),
evinced itself, and after hearty hand
shaking from the official head down to
the old army nurse, was invited to a
breakfast that would have been con-
0i,lered good enough for Gen. Lee or
President Davis during our army days.
These old veterans piled questions
and queries about their South Carolina
comrades faster than three men could
answer, and among the questions wac
one that had rather took whipping
than to have answered, viz: What sort
Of Soldiers Home have you in South
Carolina? My reply was that South
Carolina had at least two locations Of
fered her for q Home that was better
suited for q Home than theirs, and that
there was no doubt in the minds OF our
people but that South Carolina would
at the next meeting of our Legislature
step to the front and provide Home
for her wOrnOut soldiers that would be
second to none in the South.
The Home building OF Georgia ls
three stories high with veranda after
the style of the health resort hotol, and
contains 65 rooms, 10 of which are
mostly large rooms for memorial hall
library, drawing room, dining room,
kitchen, and for each office for super
intendent, matron and steward, anil
basement rooms for laundry, gas gen.
orator and storerooms and commissary
90 rooms are made for bed rooms, with
2 single beds, 2 rockers and 2 arm
chairs, 2 bed rugs, bureau and wash.
stand, towel rack, etc., all of which
cost about $50 for each room, and
every rooms furniture, that is now
Furnished and occupied, has been con
tributed by some individual or societ,
OF ladies or gentlemen, whose names
are written in large letters above the
doors OF the rooms they have fur
nished, such as Chapters of the Daugh
ters OF the Confederacy, Memorial As
sociations, Camps Of u. G. VS., etc
But the most touching of all was do
nation for furnishing q room flon
the Atlanta Camp Of the Grand Arm,
Republic-our once enemies IN war
while the merchants, manufacturers
firms, ETC., have filled all The othe
rooms, halls and closets with all th
necessary fixtures and appliances. Me