The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1905-12-13

left Georgia to join my husband, then
captain in the Confederate army
and on the staff Of Brig. Gen. John
*. jackson, whose brigade was sta
toned at Bridgeport, Ala. The troops
were guarding bridge about CON
pleted, which was to take the place
of Cue recently burned by the Federal
forces. No town, village, or settle.
ment was Increasingly house, ard
rough one at that, which tho brigade
commander had taken for his head
quarters; and it was to one room in
that dwelling that I 80 gladly went
with my TENN months. old child and old
colored nanny. Better any sort
Of abode together, even with hard
ships and discomforts, than separation
in those war times, with their daily
uncertainties aud an1ieties. To one
of twenty or thereabouts no serious
views OF the situation were taken as
those of older and wiser heads.
This journey, now on easy and
quick one, was then quite formidable.
1t was prolonged and by no means q
continuous one, but I was not to be
deferred. So with the light-hearted-
ness of youth made the trip, pre-
pairing my baby with bag of camp hor
and asafetids around his neck. In
the dirty oars aud on the irregular
trains Of those demoralized times,
crowded with troops and no sanitary
precautions taken, all sorts of oonsa-
gious diseases were abroad in the
land. No one thought of germs or
microbes then. made many similar
journeys during the four years of the
war, and never boiled any water or
sterilized any milk, yet I and my
child live to tell the tale.
In March before tho time Of which
I write, was in Chattanooga little
while, for I "followed the drum"
whenever I had the chance. My stay
there was cut short, 40 the troops were
ordered from there to Mississippi,
where early in April IVES fought the
battle of Shiloh. The oaby was then
but two months old, and We arrived in
Chattanooga during some bitter wealth
or, with snow and ice on the ground. :.
at the little hotel-poor in tho best of
times, and now crowded with troops
ard the accommodations totally in
adtquate-we managed to obtain a
very small room. In reply to re-
quest for FIRE, word was sent from
the office that one could not be fur
nished that evening. Then our re-
sourceful manservant-faithful to his
young master throughout the war-
took o coal scuttle and walked the
streets Of Chattanooga till, by his pitt
full tale Of q freezing young mother
aud child, he touched some hearts in
the express office, where the souttle
was generously filed for him.. My
baby slept in the tray of my trunk,
and his sleep was as peaceful as il in
a silk.lined crib. To the next room,
separated by board partition only,
with cracks wide enough for the light
to shine through, was the body Of q
little child who had just died from
meaales. But in those momentous
times it made little impression. These
were some Of the episodes in my career
as Confederate soldiers wife. :. ~
After this digression, return to
my Bridgeport visit: Reaching my
destination after by no means an un-
interrupted journey, aud in my de.
light at greeting my captain, I did
not take in at ouoe the rough looks
Of our house and its surroundings; but
old "Aunt Betsy"'. was heard giving
her opinion pretty freely: "What
Marse ice made Of to bring Miss Kate
and dis yer chile to sioh place-not
fitten for white folks?" :. ~. :: ~. F.. i
That same dingy, old house, how.
ever, will always be associated with q
happy period; for in my unhappinsss
during the succeeding years Of pri-
vation and sadness r often looked
back at that month Of bright winter
asss CO the banks es she Tennessee ea
the most serene and satisfactory Of all
those Of the three dreadful gears that
followed: I had only one room. =. A
bare floor, a etove with the pipe
through q window pane, one mattress
about two inches thick on a pine bed:
stead, q bog on legs with a pillow in
it drought in my trunk) for baby's
crib. . hand glass the only mirror, a
table with washstaud appointments;
nails about the unplastered walls ID,
olothes--suoh were my. quarters, ! fol
which I was most thankful. IF must
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