The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1902-12-03
In WARll!'TIME. 4

lived the balmy. days sscnly to know
tbe soft sisc;ssss.:ssld Of, pleasure, and
rsnose.n m We wandered Sin gardens
II fragrance and slept in fortreasea
Of Of security" riitty" bpt Ike all pleasure
20 cookers we were now weary Of the
monotonous round Of hneventful
davs. @ and former delights grew
& et:le. Gentle Mrs. Gray, ard Miss
Harland, the invalid whose thin,
scarlet cheeks and bright eyes told
too plainly the presence Of the de-
stu stroyer, the quiet rector and the
somewhat pompous majer, with his
little blond wife, made up our party.
"Some one tell a story, please .
cooed the pretty blond, tossing aside
%Tero Worship" tsWho ever knew
live hero?" sho laughipgly asked.
a." promptly answered Mrs.
VII How delightful! Do tell us about
MIN. Who was he z.
"The only true hereism that ever
came under my immediate notice. -
said the little woman, "was display
ed BY hero of ebon hue, q strong
Young Hercules; who, though rough
and untaught, possessed q grand
nature" NJ
"Yes," assented the sentimental
major, "often among the humblest
flowers we find the rarest odors."
"And," resumed Mrs. Gray,
~among the busy workers, with
hardened hands and toll stained
faces, we find great hearts. During
the late war;" she continued, "my
father and brother were in ] the
army, and, the overseer being draft
ed into service, my mother, my sis
ter and myself were compelled to
leave our beautiful home in the city
and go up the river to the planta-
ton to manage as best we could the
affairs of that place.
"Our people were trustworthy
and kind, so we had but little trou-
BILE. A few weeks after our arrival
at the plantation our hearts were
saddened by the death Of q much
loved servant. Rachel was her
name. She had nursed my mothers
older children, and we were all very
much attached to. her. Rachel died
suddenly of heart trouble, the ply
sician said, and her little children
we're cared for by a good old granny.
Albert, the husband Of Rachel, was
q field hand and reliable man"
"Of what time do you speak 2"
"This was in the spring Of 1864.
The transmississippi department.
was under the command os the Con-
federate General e. Kiroy Smith.
The struggle east of the Mississippi
river had drawn from us the chiv-
airy of the great southwest. The
sons of Arkansas, Mississippi, -Loui-
sia1a and Texas were scattered from
Gettysburg to Vicksburg, and a di-
minished force composed Of the fa-
theirs and husbands was left to meet
the gathering foe that Threatened,
with General Steele at Little Rock
and General Banks at Alexandria,
La The conscript bureau had
cleaned the fields OF the last Of the
bearded grain.' and nothing was
left but the flowers that grew be-
tween'-the boys too young 10 go. s
'Then new order came. and the
men slaves were Impressed and sent
to the shops "a laborers and team
sters in the various departments to
i'll such places as they could In or
der that for every siaya 90 employed
soldier could be relieved and 80 to
the front. The burden Of Feeding,
and clothing the army devolyed
upon the women OF the south.
4 Cheerfully and with untold. sacri-
ices did they do their part. Our
people did not escape the Impress:
ment law" Ia;
4 Excuse me, but whom do you
mean by our people ? g" chirped the
beauty from the ham mock.
4 I'VE called our slaves sour peo-
pe. responded Mrs. Gray, with q:
smlle. "They were impressed into
service and sent to Shreveport, La,
'o work: Among the men was one
aTno had been married only q year.
5ae objected to leaving his wife and
4eaoy. Jake was his naMe. While
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