Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-06-19
CHAPTER I.

A HERO RETURNS.
on the field Of Appomaftox Genera Zee Zee
was waiting the return OF courier. fis
handsome face was clOuded by the deep
iening shadows OF defeat: hurnors OF
surrender had spread like wildfire. and the
ranks OF his once invincible army were
breaking into chaos
Suddenly the measured tread OF a bril-
rade was heard marching into action, ev-
cry movement quick with the perfect ois-
cfpIine. the FIRE. and the passion or the
first days Of the triumphant Confederaey
what brigade is that7'' he sharply ask
.sCox's North Carolina" an aide replied.
As the troops swept steadily past the
general. his eyes filled with tears, ne MT
ed hts hat. and exclaimed;
God bless old North Cardinal!
The display OF matchless discipline per-
haps recalled 20 the great commander
that awful day OF Gettysburg when the
Twenty-sixth North Carolina infantry mao
charged with so men rank and file and
left 70 dead and wounded on the ground
that nlghtl Company + from Campbell
county charged with ninety-one men and
lost every man killed and wounded Four
teen times their colors were shot down,
and fourteen times raised again! The last
Vine they fell from the hands OF gallant
Colonel Harry Burgwyn, twenty-one years
old. commander OF the regiment. who seiz-
"a them and was holding them aloft when
Instantly killed.
The last act OF the tragedy had closed.
Johnston surrendered 10 Sherman at
Greensboro on April Is. 1ssS. and the civil
war ended-the bloodiest. most destructive
war the world ever saw. The earth had
been baptized In the blood OF i've hundred
thousand heroic soldiers. and new map
OF the world had been made.
The ragged troops were struggling home
. from Greensboro and Appomattox along
- - rrmw
telegraph lines OF railroads The men
were telling the story OF the surrender
+ White-faced women dressed In coarse
homespun met them at their doors and
with quivering lips heard the news.
Surrender
a new word IN the vocabulary OF the
south-a word 50 terrible in its meaning
that the date OF fits birth was TO be the
landmark OF time. Henceforth all events
would be reckoned from this: before the
surrender" or after the surrender"
Desolation everywhere marked the end
81 A era. Not a COW. a sheep, horse.
. fowl OF q sign OF animal life save here
and there q stray dog. TO be seen Grim
ehfnneys marked the site Of once fair
homes Hedgerows OF tangled blackberry
briar and bushes showed where a fence
( had stood before the war breathed upon
the Iand with its breath OF FIRE and har-
xowed Il with teeth OF steel
These tramping soldiers looked worn
and displrited. Their shoulders stopped.
they were dirty and hungry. They looked
worse than they felt. and they Ielt that
the end OF the world had come.
They had answered those awful COM
rnands to charge without murmur; and
then, rolled back upon a sea OF blood, they
3 charged again over the dead bodies Of
their comrades. When repulsed the sec
ond time and the mad cry for a third
charge from some desperate commander
had rung over the field. still without
word they pulled their old ragged hats
down close over their eyes as though TO
shut out the hail OF outlets. and. through
level sheets OF binding fame. walked
straight into the Jaws OF he'll. This had
been easy. Now their feet seemed to
falter as though they were not sure Of
the road
In every one OF the soldiers hearts. and
over all the earth hung the shadow OF the
freed negro transformer by the exigency
OF war from a chattel 20 be bought and
sold into q possible beast 70 be feared and
guarded Around this duslzy figure every
white mans soul was keeping its grim
vigil.
North Carolina. the typical American
Democracy. had loved peace and sought
! IN vain 70 stand between the mad passions
/ OF the cavalier OF the south and the puri-
tan fanatic OF the north. She entered the
war at last with a sorrowful heart, but
q sT.s-c Gear N the sense OF tragic duty.
she sent more boys TO the front than any
other state Of the Confederacy-and left
more dead on the field. She made the
last charge and fired the last volley for
Lees army at Appomattox.
These were the ragged country boys who
were slowly tramping homeward. The
Z were marching toward the little village OF
Hamhright that nestled in the foothills Of
the Blue Ridge under the shadows OF
Kings mountain. They were the sons of
the men who had first declared their In
dependence OF Great Britain In America
z and had made their country a hornets
{ nest for Lord CORVALLIS In the darkest
days OF the cause OF liberty. What tongue
can tell the tragic story OF their humble
home coming7
In rich northern cities could be heard
the boom Of guns. the scream OF steam
whistles. the shouts OF surging hosts greet
ing returning regiments crowned with vic
toryl From every fiagstan futtered proud
~ the flag that our fathers had lifted in
the sky-the nag that had never met de-
feat.
It Is little wonder that in this hour Of
triumph the world should forget the de-
l1eated soldiers who without dollar in
their pockets were tramping 10 their ruin
ed homes.
Yet nature did not seem to know Of sor-
row or death Birds were singing their
love songs from the hedgerows. the fields
fwere clothed in gorgeous robes OF Wild
flowers beneath which forget-me-nots
spread their contrasting hues OF blue.
while life was busy in bud and starting
leaf reclOthing the blood-stained earth in
radiant beauty.
AS the sun was setting behind the peaks
OF the Blue Ridge. a giant negro entered
the village OF Hambright- He walked
rapidly down one OF the principal streets
passed the courthouse square unobserved
IN the gathering twilight, and three blocks
further along paused before a law office
that stood in the corner OF a beautiful
lawn filled with shrubbery and flowers.
Oars de ole home. praise de Lawd! En-
now Use erfeard ter see my missy. tell
her AGarse Charles's daid. Hitn Kill her!
Iawd hab mussy on my 20 black soul!
How kin To-
He walked softly up the alley that led
toward the kitchen past the big house.
which after all was a modest cottage
boarded up and down with Memberships
nesting amid a labyrinth of climbing
roses, hOneysuckles. fruit bearing shrub
berry and balsam trees. The negro had
no difficulty in concealing his movements
as he Passed.
'LOrcy. dars missy watehin' at de win