The National tribune., 1903-01-08
A CONFEDERATE HOME.

A CONFEDERATE HOME.
A glimpse was thus afforded as of
plain home within the Confederate lines
in war time. The men Of the house were
off at war. The wife and mother was in
charge. She was no more inquisitiye than
a Northern woman would have been, but,
like many another person whom l had met
in her region, she had only vague ideas OF
the North and the Union army. AT Little
Washington, a few weeks before, man
whom | met inquired:
How big's the Norf? Big as New
berBe?"
Newberne was the largest city he had
ever seen, and it was consequently his
measure Of magnitude. After all, our
ideals are in the main based on our ex-
periences and observations. What we
have seen limits and shapes what we
imagine.
This woman had evidently known a few
she thought they might be in the North
ern army.
BE thar ony Harrisons in yer. army
she asked.
This was large question for one man
to answer. Surmising what prompted her
question, responded inquiringly:
Did You ever know a man named Har-
rison?'
Vas"
Where was be from?"
1.-THE North"
"NNhat was his bus:ness?"
"SelIin' clocks"
Then l thought I could locate the part
of Connecticut he came from.
She brought to US part of u quarto vol
ume of a Government report Of a survey
of lines for the Pacific Railroad. One
leaves.
Hers n book yur army dropped when
it went along" She said. .Some OTIS
gone; but theirs good deal OF left"
She said this as il book were sold by
the pound. regardless of its completeness
or continuity. 1t evidently had no other
value to her. We saw that it must have
been taken by our soldiers from some
house below, a portion Of it torn off, and
the remainder thrown away. Thanking
her for her kindness. we declined to re-
claim it. We made ourselves as comfort
able as we could for the night, the officers
sleeping indoors OH the floor, and the men
outside.
1t was nearly noon the next day before
the messenger came back from Gen.
Evans. The General said that one officer.
unattended. could come on to KinstOn. A
| driver would be furnished on that side Of
the lines for single ambulance with the
| collins. and all needful assistance would
be furnished by the Confederate authOri-
ties. AS l was the only officer who knew
just where our officers were buried, l was
necessarily designated for this service.
Parting with the others, I put myself un-
der the Confederate cavalry escort, and
started on toward Kinston
IN TIE ENEMY's COUNTRY.
This was n new experience No longer
under the Stars and Stripes, nor yet under
white flag, | came under the Stars and
Bars, and committed myself, moth ns
doubling, to those whom our men had
striven so earnestly to destroy when
passed up that road before. Not Union
soldier was near me. In spite of my con-
! fidence, there was feeling of strangeness
went forward with the enemy into the enc
my's country. Every attention that could
promote my comfort was shown by Lieut..
Hines, of the 63d N. c., in command of
IT, cavalr. escort, and l convcrsed pleas
antly with him as / rode by his side.
1t is the privilege of an enemy, receiv-
ing an officer on such a mission. to bind
him by his word Of honor not to divuge,
to the opponents injury, any fact obtained
by him while thus guest. Or, he may
be blindfolded while passing any fortifca-
ton or other important point. knowledge
Of which might give his side an important
advantage subsequently. l have been
blindfolded, and have been parO!ed, under
such circumstances, but no such precau-
tion was taken in this case. 1t was there
fore my patriotic duty to observe every
fact calculated to advantage my Govern
ment, and to obtain all the information
any one would give me while on this side
the lines.
Signs of war were visible on every
hand. The fences had been destroyed BY
our men as they marched and bivouacked.
The fields were tracked and torn by artil-
lery or army wagons. New earthworks
had been thrown up across the road, and
at points on either side. since our forces
these extra defenses. Soldiers were on
duty at various points, ano officers were
busy III carrying out the orders of their
| commanders. 1t would not be so easy as
before for Gen. Foster to reach Kinston.
if he should now attempt it, expensive as
was his first advance
AS we came in sight of KinstOn, across
the Neuse River, / recognized the several
points of chief interest on this side. where
was the gallant charge and the heavy loss
of the regiment l loved. YOnder was
| where so many of our men went down.
There was the little Baptist chapel. within
and behind which sharpshooters had pick
ed off the officers and men. On this side
and the other of the road we're the houses
we had made use of for temporary hos
pitfalls. 1t was nearer the bridge where
had buried our officers. I had carefully
| noted the spot, and thither l was at once
conducted.
We reached the place about O'Clock
| was received by Col. Moore and Mai.
Bryan, of Gen. Evans's staff accompanied
by DR.. De FOntaine. formerly correspon-
dent Of the New York Herald. and now a
correspondent of the Charleston Courier.
Col. Moore had been prominent as the
| messenger between the authorities of
South Carolina and Maj. Anderson in Fort
Sumter, at the breaking out of the war.
| Both he and Maj. Bryan were from
Charleston. having pointed out the
graves of our three officers, negroes were
directed to exhume the bodies, while
stood near.
Meantime, Confederate officers crowded
| about to see and hear the Yankee Chap
| LAIN and they piled me with curious
questions. or made comments on recent
events in Virginia or North Carolina A
Maj. Mcneil was there. He had been a
Secretary Of the American Bible Society
| in New York City before the war. He
and ! had many friends in common. Al
though clergyman. he was now q Major