The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1905-02-08

truce was sent to the feet, 70 know
whether the city was to be destroyed !
with it's women and children. owe |
will give you two days to remove your
women and children" vas the reply;
ION Monday Charleston will be bonn
barded in earnest"
Oh, what time Of stress and storm
| Forty eight hours for helpless women
and children to find refuge among
strangers, to leave their homes alone,
for husbands and fathers we're either
away In camp, or in service OF home,
end could not leave.
TO take anything but little cloth
ing was out of the question. First,
the railroads had enough to do to take
the people, besides they knew not
where they would find shelter for
themselves. by mother decided to
join some friends who we're going TO
refugee in Orangeburg.
Never can / forget that night at the
South Carolina Railroad Depot. The
scene must have borne strange re-
semblance to one wh;oh had been
enacted nearly two hundred years be-
fore, when our Huguenot forefathers
left their homes to seek shelter in a
foreign land save for this differ
ence-that then, the husbands and
fathers had their families in care.
The night of cur flight was hot and
sultry, we were so huddIed together as
to make it literally Sitting. Then the
leave-taking. l saw strong men pale
with grief strain weeping wives, and
children to their hearts, and fairly
totter from the cars in agony, not
knowing what their fate might be, or
il that farewell be not their last in
this world.
| AT midnight, OF perhaps later, we
arrived in Orangeburg, and me
full weary band Of people left the de-
pot, to wander about in the darkness,
seeking shelter. From door to door
tb.y heard repeated "no room,' "no
room," till finally about q mile up the
town, ct o place which was called
"Hotel,S We were allowed to enter.
Seats or beds we're out CT the question,
80 into one room Se crowded. aud sat
until daylight, .:c3ing only such sup
port as we could get from leaning
| againsG each other.
AS soon as we could see to walk
around, We went into the yard and
finding we'll Of water performed such
ablutions as we could, without the
luxury of basins and towels, then we
were told we might have breakfast.
A sorry breakfast table indeed, at
which the refugees gathered, looking
more dead than alive; even the fun
loving girls and boys quailed at the
sight. But We we're hungry and
glad to get anything, 90 I helped my-
self to waffle, and as I cut it
horrors! large roach was snugly en-
bedded therein. At that moment.
! directly opposite, I saw poor, worm
{ out refugee mother fall over, with o
wild shrek, into faintirg ct; ell Of
| which frightened me to such degree,
| that I sprang up and rushed from the
room as fast as my feet could carry
me.
| Later, my mother succeeded in OBJ
tanning On attic room in which she aud
her six children lived, until the
townspeople, recovering little from
the shock of having their yillage so
Inundated by strangers, began opening
and renting honses and rooms 20 them;
and afterwards we became more oom-
Portable. Although we lived for
kmonths in that attic we were nci,,.a-.
/ happy. Three other families oooprjlI !
| the three remaining reoms. we :sers
| all. from Charleston, sharing the same
Universities, young people in each
room. the great old hall was our gem:
eral meeting place, To this day when
iany Of that crowd meet toge, Ss, We
| revive the memories and laugh over
the fun end frolio We had in eur
1 "high life under the esves; for
youth cannot always bs sad, even
though grim war has the land in les
| clutches. 5;ss
Zach Of those ATTIC rooms vas s
! camp. Oars waa s.Ssns Souei, 3 3
another was (" Camp Welcome, q and
n SO on bat ell Of them were opon TO us.5
q And go We lived up shere in . little
4 world Of our oTn.. But oh, the hum
Il ger end the hardships ID those deys.
y ~ ~ 8 SGio5auauEata money nut shes
I aas desreasing In value daily. Had
4 ENe had specie 20 could have obsained
oonfestss bnt Few of the refugees had