Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1910-06-29
YANKEE HOME. HOME
E ditor ofThe Advertiser Visit
ed National Soldier, Home
at johnson City Ten
nessee. s: IS:

hSScSS.itFSfS}ittls y. ~. -.
It may be of interestto some OF
The Advertisers readers to know
something in detail Of tile National
Soldiers Home that the writer
visited while on the recent press
trip. There are nine homes through
out the country maintained by the
national government fsr the sur,
yivor. who fought under Grant
during the Civil war rhe Home
which we visited is located on the
outskirts of Johnson City Tenn, a
town of about 10000 popalation.
1t is an ideal institIlioIi OF its
kind. But why should TT not be,
when the government has xpended
about ten millions Of dollars within
the past four years eaaipping it.
The Home is located near the CEN
tire of tract of 400 acres, much of
which is laid out with beautiful
walks and drives. Out ini front Of
the main buildings, which are very
massive and imposing IL appear
ance. is an artificial lake: which is
teeming with fish and upon which
snow-white swan glide graceful.y
seemingly conscious ofsGheir beauty,
and Importance. ToSghe rear of
these buildings is the deer park,
where several deer and e herd of elk
can be seen. :.
Near this park was the dairy and
cattle barn which contained about
a hundred of the finest Jersey cows
that we have ever seen.
While some Of the national
homes have as many Z, 500 and
5000 old soldiers, there are only
about 1900 in the Mountain Branch
Home. These are composed of al
most every nationality about rs
being negroes. The colored men
have separate sleeping darters and
are assigned to one5end of the large
dining room The writ asked one
of the "Blue Goats 4 they are all
required to wear The regulation
blue coats at the Ho if there
were not a great numb gef foreign
ers in the Northern during
the war and his replly y Curing
The arebe eIlions there Ha
mixture. Represe saftgss every
nation fought with ns. 4 haVe seen
whole companies whose captain
had to give his. commands IN
French, somein German and others
in Italian" We did not like the.
use of the word Rebellion but.
g gritted our teeth and said moth.
ing. This same old Yankee, original
ly from New York, took great
pride in being able to say that he
was with Sherman in his march
through Georgia, volunteering the
statement that the South could have
held out longer had it. not been for
Sherman. Had he not been an old
man the writer might have lost his
temper while talking with the old
fellow. 1t would not do, however,
for some of Edgefeld's old Rebs"
to meet such dyed-in.the-wcol
south hater, either on government
property or off of it. 4
While strolling leisurely about
the place, we talked with several
of the inmates and our impression
is that many of them were stragglers
and buns who never saw any actual
service, and they are ncW not only
supported in grand style at these
Homes but receive a pension be-
sides. We were informed that mum,
bers of the inmates of the Home
have bank accounts in johnson
City. Think of how many old Con-
federate veterans exc out hsad-to-
mouth existence while these Union
soldiers have all of their wants pro-
vided for and are given several hun
dred dollars year in cash besides.
Among the inmates of this splen-
didly equipped Home are some young
men who were in the Spanish-Ameri-
can war. One remarked to member
Of our party that he was simply
there to have an easy time but did
not care anything for those d-n
Yankees"
To loyal Southerners, sons of
those who wore the gray, there is
something uncanny about the place,
an indescribable something in the
atmosphere that makes them un-
comfortable. The writer was charm
ed with the splendid buildings, spa
cious well kept grounds, beautiful
flowers and shrubbery but apart
from this we can not say that we
enjoyed our brief visit to the Noun
tain Branch Home.
A stranger rode up to a farm