The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1903-03-18

comedy strangely combined. Espe-
cially, when pleasant scenes are called
up, the veteran will break his silence
and talk a little.
A few days ago Elijah Thompson
died. He was a patient, dutifuI SOL
der that never dreamed Of promotion,
even to a corporalship. When the
call for volunteers was sounded far
and wide in 1861 there were four
brothers in n family, living not far
from the site Of the Clifton Mills.
They were very poor. had been brought
up in a home that knew no luxuries.
The boys, as they got old enough,
hired out by the year. They were
good, simple-minded, honest, unedu-
Gated men. If they could ges into q
good home and get board and four to
six dollars a month they felt they
were doing we'll. When the call for
volunteers came all Of them ansW cred
promptly and went into the same COM
pany. One of them, Mike Thompson,
unmar- led, would not take a furlough
during the wal. For four years he
never left his post for anything. TT.
writer often endeavored to get him to
go home for a few days, but he always
backed down when it came to prspar-
ing his application. He passed away
last year.
Elijah. the one who died a few
days ago, was wounded at Gettysburg.
He was more anxious to get home.
He had a hole bored through one arm.
He adroppod his gun and started to-
wards the field hospital. The blood
was streaming from his battered old
coat sleeve. AS he passed the writer
he held up that bloody arm and said:
i've got it; I'm going home, now"
But he soon returned and was loyal
and true to the last. S. we're the
other three brothers. With them il
has been . struggle to live. But they
have never been arrested, never been
in t:ouble, never beer disloyal to
State or friends. They had nothing
to fight for in the way Of property or
expectations, and yet they we're good
soldiers and citizens.
While they we're in the trenches at
Petersburg, in the spring Of 1865, the
writer witnessed o scene that was in
striking contrast to the simple, earnest
devotion Of these four poor boys. It
was his fortune to get leave of abb
sence for q few days the last Of March,,
1866. Time was up and he set out for
Virginia two days after the burning Of
Columbia. Going across Broad River
at Hewel's Ferry, he o reached the
Lincoln road, (was that the namely
leading from Chester towards the
mountains. It was the same road
that Lord CORVALLIS travelled when
he was moving up the. river aftef Dan
lei Morgan.
When that road was reached a great
cavalcade Of negroes, sheep, cattle,
horse, mules, men and women were
passing mountainwards. For miles
one was moi often cut Of sight II d
group of men fleeing with their prop
erty.
They were Sleek, well-fed fellows.
wearing fine clothes, with no sign Of
the dust of battle or.the smell Of gun
powder about them. They looked as
if they had come out Of well-furnished
"bomb-rroofs," with no thought ex-
eept to save themselves and property.
There were enough Of them to form q
company. Where they came from or
what their history was the writer did
not learn, as he was huRr::i ing on to
Chester to take one Of the last trains
for Petersburg. 5sJ
All honor TO such men ae the
Thompson boys. This god Of var is q
veritable artist. He draws bold and
striking outlines Of men and scenes
and character. He makes no mistake.
He is q likeable soas Of fellow, not
bad to have around in this old world
occasionally. He comes at one time
with his fan and he separates the
ohaR from the seund grain.
AT another time he came with ham
mex as heavy as chat Of the. old Nor,
weigian god and mashes into Ane dust
error aud wrong and false conditions.
He brings people 60 themselves. Il.
is a great event ina human life when
o man comes to HIMSELF" il 10 great
er in q nation. For some centuries TO
come we might as we'll bear in mind
that this Same god OF wei 10 going 20.
be with US, with his hammer and
"villainous >saltpetre aud his artists
brush. Special toNews and Courier.