The National tribune., 1906-07-19
A ROMANCE AND MYSTERY.
4 Reminsscence OF Bragg's Kentucky
CampaiGn.

The Herald. of Harrodsburg. KY. in
recent issue published the following
touching story Of the civil war, which
comes to- tis "a this feverish Goth century
life like a oo6ling breeze On hot Sum-
mer's day.
"Forty7two years ago that part OF
Bragg's army under Gen. Pat Cleburne.
who was afterwards killed in the battle
of Franklin. was encamped near Har-
rodsburg. about Payne's famous spring.
g. w. Robards. then a small boy, whose
active little brain was filled with natural
curiosity as to the soldiers slipped away
from his home and off to camp. 1t was
the day before the battle Of Perryville,
and the soldiers were making their
preparations for that clash of arms
which was certain to bring death to so
many of them. The boy stopped in
Payne's woodland to watch regiment
pass, and near by he discovered a SOL
dier'S outfit, apparently dropped and
forgotten. AS the crowd moved out
they carried with them a young man in
chains, screaming and fighting. whom
they said was crazy. The child followed
them for a time, and then returned to
the spot where he had seen the for
saken outfit. He waited a while to see
If anyone would come and claim the
property. and as no one did he picked
1T up and carried 1t home with him. In
the pockets of the clothes he found a
pistol, some cartridges some tobacco and
an old-fashioned daguerreOtype of a
beautiful young girl. Her features were
strikingly regular, and her abundant
dark hair hung loose about her Shout
ders. Her dress in the quaint style of
the period was cut low enough in the
neck to show full. rounded throat. en-
circled by gold chain and cross, and a
handsome lace collar, held IN place by
an Old-style brooch finished the neck
of the gown. Without any of the meth
DDS of modern photography to improve
upon nature, the picture was true to life,
and n sweeter, more exquisite face could
not be imagined. During all these years
Mr. RObards has kept the picture, little
dreaming of the secret 1t held. The
other day while cleaning out his desk he
picked 1t up, and noticing that a corner
had slipped up from the case he tried
to fix it. In so doing the whole thing
came out, and back of the picture. Sc
curely fitted In the case, was a sheet Of
faded pink note paper. on which was
written this touching little poem:
"'Constnncy.
" When other friends are round thee,
And other hearts are thine;
When other days have crowned thee,
More fresh and green than mine;
Then think how sad and lonely
This wretched heart will be.
Which while 1t beats beats only,
Beloved one, for thee.
'' Yet do not think 7 doubt thee;
/ know thy truth remains:
would not live without thee
For all this world contains
Thou art the star that guides me
Along life's troubled sea;
Whatever fate betides me,
This heart still beats for thee
Folded sin with the poetry were two
locks of hair tied together, one almost
black, the osher brown. On the back
of the paper. in womans handwriting.
was written Lizzie CyiIler, Thursday.
June s, 1884, to A. H. Church, New
York. +
Undoubtedly the picture was given to
some loydr before he went to war. by
his sweetheart. Was the owner or the
picture The poor. crazy fellow whom
suffering had fdemented? How came a
New York man in the Southern army?
Who wersllthe sweethearts? Does the
soldier lie In some unknown and un-
marked gravt,, and has her sweet face
grown pale and wrinkied. waiting for
the day when death shall still the beat
ing of her faithful heart and unite the
lovers?"