The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1905-09-27


"Warfare's Devastations." one must
have passed through tho country
which / then trayersed aud at the
time of which | write. During the
long day $ march over this broad stage
road, now overgrown with weeds and
grass that had crept up through in
terstices between the poles and boards
OF the old rotting plank roadway, that
led through this boggy section 10
stretches Of milrs in extent, felt the
awful Significance Of the spectacle
around me. On all sides were to be
seen the charred remains Of once hap
py homes, the blackened chimueys
standing like gloomy memorials,
pointing toward Heaven in silent but
intense duplication, calling upon
God to witness the devastated path
way Of one Of the most hell.inspired
armies that ever traversed the boun-
teous land OF civilized nation. At
places along this road were to be seen
the bones Of mon aud animals, min
gled with the fragments of the blue
and grey uniforms Of both armies,
which told of the carnage that had
taken place there but few weeks
before, and where the vultures and
the ravens, and the wild and hungry
dogs aud other denizens Of the swamps
had held high revel over the aareases
Of all, and torn to shreds the closhing
OF both the blue and the, grey.
After travelling about eweaty miles
the first day, the friendly darkness of
night ahut out from view the dav's
psgeantkof horror, and I sank upon
the ground and soon fell asleep,
peacefully, despite the knowledge
that the coming Of another day must
renew to my eyes the terrible scene
Of the devastation around me. My
fatigue Was such. that nothing dis.
turbed my slumbersf during the night,
except occasionally when chorus Of
plaintive,$ hooting from the swamp
owls and the pitiful bowling Of the
lost and famished dogs that had taken
shelter in the wilderness came to my
ears with especial clearuess and in.
sistenoe.
/ was.awakened by singular pull
ing atamy .haversaok, now about
empty, while q sound Of smiling
reached my ears. I sat up, and this
sudden sign Of life in q mistaken
corpse caused ,lank, halR-starved
dog toEfee for his life, while hock
of ravens in tree-top5 near by-vhich
had no doubt been TfeastiDg sump-
tiously upon che late carnage of Sher.
man 0 march to the sea--croaked their
disappointment at this same sign Of.
life in what had promised apo ther
feast for them aud their kind. The
morning was foggy and damp The
heavy dew drops, falling from the
trees, seemed like tears Of deep sor-
row shed over the surrounding soene
Of desolation. If Sherman had not
himael., said that "war,is hell, = one
who runs might have read 1 ere in
crimson, cruel and awful a.guage
and in the remorseless hxudwritipe
Of Sherman across the face Of the
country, To me, as I gazed around
me, the firing Of the guns Of an. adj
vaneing army would have been well
come refaf, for the feeling Of depres-
sion which came upon me, and which
was akin TO . state of halting prefer.
enee between life and death, almost
.overoame me. g. & s. =
%s Bnt the thought of Jacky, RE- my my
brother, lying there at Fayetteville 8
and perhaps meaning for the eight
and the help Of . brother, & Ind q
thought Of the mother at. llotne now now
waiting anxiouslys and amid the 3,il1 an-
certainty Of whether she would over
see; either OF sus again alive, ?neryed me
onward and y 4 again took Sn 81 1a i
staff to Try 70 eh horsen tie sixty miles
That still lay bet twean nas 81 and my
s,unund led broth er. The seeond days
tramp was mainly arepetition of the
first. with the exeeption II that my
mind. nnuaeated 5as ii .WsSe sby this con-
tinuous speetabl % horrer, became
still more depres Is At ssnnd Town,
after u weary val i tswantys sfvs
milep, I waa 10 reality 5 wosnhront9 t d, and
very siok man iR Sody ;as wsll as d iii m
mind. Still. s ssasing this antirs
second day not q sight Sf sspsls
human being had I'd oopno to Sblass3 nv 4,
sired eyes. And go aank down I 81 81
nigG GtfalI the fear that 4 might nos DO
able ltos srise in ths 81 oEning aud that
hare Iishond a die sunk now, !, d 81 asl slssnds