The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1909-08-27
OR

SO mduy GuOuSduuS VI otu0AS Aou So!S
down in the great wind-up, or she
might, if living, be wondering ''what-
ever became of that deceitful lying
St. Luke" (And a sickly smile came
over the wrinkled face Of the old SOL
ldier,as that half-eentury memory came
! back to him, and with his kerehief he
wiped away beads of-or was it a tear
from his furrowed brow. Continuing
the old veteran said:)
We glided along smoothly at last,
down the river, to where-no one
knew and no one cared. Dell and
Hester sang bars Of Norma, while
some Of the others let out on the old
song, popular at the South in those
days.
"Longstreet's on the right, he tells
US not to fear;
Magruder's in the center, and jack
sons in the rear"
Then another couple would take it
up leaving out the curse words, OF
course. There was a kind Of gambling
chorus about "laying your money
down.
"We charged them at Manassas,
We charged them with a yell,
And drove them from their breast
works,
Dad blame their souls to:
I lay five dollars down,
I count them one by one,
If anybody tells me.
How fast those blue coats run"
Nov wasn't it strange, to look at
it, at this distance, that these young
officers left their post on the battle
line. in the face Of the enemy. and
that enemy Grant, without leave or
license, to 90 between the lines on a
lark, led by a lot Of girls whom none
Of US had long known, and who, tor
all we knew, might be leading US to
destruction? For, to be caught oy
friend Or foe would have been our
undoing. In any army but the South's
to be caught thus away from our post
and duties would have spelled "eash-
iered.'' But we took big chances,
for we knew, like many in other parts
of the army, Lee wanted just suen
boys when the roar Of battle was on.
And lust such froliesome boys and
fiery blades commanded those units
Of the army that, by their cohesive
ness. made the Southern army the
greatest that ever trod the planet, and
helped to make the name OF Lee
immortal.
Who we're those young meng We'll,
T sha'n1t name them, but you all
knew them, or some, at least, mlgnty
we'll. We never talked much about
this layout, for the reason that we
were all ashamed Of it. But would
YOU believe me when I tell you, that
nRecrult'' was seven times congress-
man. and got to be governor OF one
Of the greatest States in the South;
another has been adjutant general o.
this State; son Of one held this
same office for two terms; one became
sheriff of his county:another one OF tne
greatest cotton factors that lived on
the Mississippi during the last hat
century, and so on? Yes, yes, all but t
those who fell in the trenches did
we'll. Of course I've never done much,
but 1 guess I have had as much tun
as the best Of them.
After We had run some seven or
EIGHT miles, the old bargeman called
out, "Model Farm just ahead!' Now,
this time coming down was not all
spent in promenading and ''mooning"
with the girls, but the couples would
90 below to have refreshments, and
drink ale and porter, vile bitter con-.
coction, that neither Maggie nor l,
could stand. But the others, why they
could drink the stuff like English
lords. and then like the daughters OF
the horse leech. "cry for more.'
There, standing before US, on
great bluff overlooking the historic
river. was old "Model,' with its
great columned porticos, its Queen
Anne style of architecture, grim, de-
serted, and as silent as the great
"Towers of Silence' themselves.
Who built it, when. and for what