The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1904-04-13
GEN. STEPHEN D. LEE.
An Idlll Of the Bi,ouac.

ahi ian0 than hung over the South in
the winter Of 1860. 1t was the death
struggle of q civilization. Defeat aud
disaster thickcncd around brave and
devoted people. Crash after crash
came as pillar after pillar of the old
fabric Of the Union our fathers reared
fell in hopeless ruin around US. In
Virginia Lees tattered and defiant
veterans, shivering in the wintry
winds, and stretching in slender lines
from the Chickahominy to the Apo
'nattox, held at bay Grants innumcra-
bic host. Hood $ army was rccliDg
back from the blood stained hills Of
Tennessee, leaving dead beneath their
SHOWS, the very flower of Southern
chivalry. In myriads of homes all
over our sunny land the agony of
broken hearts was rendered kecner
still by the conviction that the loved
one had died for hopeless cause. o
the bitterness Of that memorable
time .
Defended by the fiery swords of For
rest and Walthall, who hung like
forked lightuings on the front of the
victorious foe, the Confederate col
umn5, broken but still defiant, fell
back to bivouac along the Tombigbee,
and reform their shattered ranks.
Among them rode proud and gallant
chief. lie was in the prime of early
manhood, tall, erect, with kingly as
pcct, and heart of fire. He stood with
the bravest in the flaming front of
battle; he shared with the humblest
the hardship of the march; he laughed
with the mcrriest around the camp
fire; he wept with the tcnderest over
the soldiers 8 bier. The young warrior
had played an exceptional part in tht
drama Of war. When Beauregard de-
manded the surrender of Fort Sum-
ter. he carried the summons, and
brought back the answer. When the
order to open fire was given, he took
it, woke the soldiers asleep around
their guns, cut t. fuse of the charge,
and gave the command that fred the
first shot Of the greatest war of mod
ern times. little dreaming Of the sig
nihcancc Of the act. When the fort
was discovered to be on FIRE, at the
risk of his life, he crossed the bay in
boat, climbed into the fortress,
stood among the grim and blackened
soldiers at the guns, and offered
truce to the garrison, and the service
of the entire fire department of Char
lesion to cxtinguish the flames; an
offer that was politely declined by
Major Anderson in command. Stone
wall Jackson relied on his judgment at
Antictam. Davis trusted hin IL
front of Eicksburg after its fall to de-
fend what was left. Sherman advised
Grant to have him shot if captured.
In every position he had won distinc-
ton, and the laurels of the brave; and
amid the gathering gloom and disaster
of that awful winter Of 65 he stood
calm and resolute. like tower Of
strength in lime of storm.
There is an old home in Columbus,
Mississippi. The great brick mansion
stands some distance back from the
street amid Wilderness of shrubbery,
half hidden by magnolias and honey
suckles, and Grape myrtle and delicate
beautiful japonicas. 1t was home
of wealth and culture, and lovely
girl wore the roses in her hair, and
plucked the four ,leafed clover at her
feet, and dreamed of the gallant young
officer in dingy gray with the stars on
his collar. Womans love is the most
wonderful and the sweetest thing in
this world. Adversely only intensi-
fes it. Darkness only makes it shine
the brighter. Many waters cannot
quench it, neither can the floods drown
Il. AS they strolled along the path
with its hedge Of ',ox, and he held her
hand under thc stars, he told her
frankly of the future. All was dark.
The part he had taken made him q
marked man. He loved her deeply
and could die for her; but that very
love made him shrink from asking her
To share his danUors Whan Tho, I'D
plightcd their troth, the sky was
brighter. Now all was dark and
his fate uncertain. 1t is needless to
say what true Southern girl 8 answer
was.
So the ragged Confederates around
Columbus, shivcring about their BIZ
vouac fires, had something to talk
about when there was a wedding in