The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1912-04-17
Interesting Letter from Mrs. r
E. Hill.

10 ne ApDeVllle CHdpleI VI lHe y. ~
C.s.
Ladies:
1t was my pleasure to be present
on the occasion of the unwilling of the
Monument to the Women of the Con-
fedoracy erected in Columbia, S. c.,
by the gallant men of this State, which
event occurred on the 18th inst.
While 1 am not a native South Car
Gilman it has been my adopted home
for the last twenty-five years and no
doubt will be for the remainder Of my
life-I therefore feel as if I were to
the n born a South Carolinian.
That being the case I take as great
pride in the fact that South Carolina
was the first of the Southern States
to give substantial expression to her
appreciation of the noble heroism
+ and ~self-sacrifices on the part of her
women ip support Of the cause so
dear to all true Southerners, as it Is
possible for any native born South
Carolina woman to feel.
My home during the war, was in
that part Of Virginia where some of
the bloodiest battles were fought and
where the country for the greater
part of that memorable struggle was
over run by either one or the other
of the contending armies, and there
fore became familiar with much OF
the hardships and sufferings of the
wives and mothers Of those gallant
men, who were away from their fam
lily, fighting the battles OF their coun-
| try, and E.have often thought especial
ly Of late years, that these women and
the thousands of others who were ex-
posed to similar hardships should not
be overlooked and forgotten; it there
fore did my heart good to look upon
| that beautiful monument erected at
the capitol of the State by the men of
| South Carolina, commemorative of
| the sublime devotion Of the women
of this State in their Country's Cause.
But ladies, the prime object had in
view in this communication, was not
to give expression to matters in con-
nection with the monument" but to
endeavor to correct al erroneous i'm
preston which seems to have found
Judgment in the minds of some OF
your number.
You will doubtless recall the fact
| that at the last meeting IF our Society
hit was stated by a member thereon,
| that she had been informed that the
| condition of the inmates OF the "Oid
| Soldiers Home" established and main
tanned at the expense Of the State
was anything but satisfactory.
At the suggestion Of u worthy
President, I. in company with Mrs
W. A. Calvert, visited the Home
while in Columbia, for the purpose Of
seeing whether the conditions there
| we're as reported, as having a humber
of Old Soldiers from Abbeville county
as inmates thereof, we naturally felt
a lively interest in the matter.
1 am pleased to be able 20 report
that we found everything in a most
| satisfactory condition.
The rooms and in fact every thing
| about the premises were as clean anu
| as neat as the average private home.
We learned, from conversations
had with those inmates from Able
| Vile county and others, that the fare
| and their treatment generally were
all that they could expect or desire.
Each of the inmates was neatly
| clad in a suit of grey recently furn-
ished by the State, and all of them
! presented, the appearance Of being
we'll provided for and as happy and
contented as it is possible for them
to be situated as they are.
/ We met, and had considerable talk
with Mr.. John B. Wilson from this
county, who it is said was one among
the best soldiers in Genl. Lees army,
and who is now past 80 years of age,
and we were delighted to see him
looking 80 well and so satisfied with
his treatment-he really looks young
or than he did the first time 1 ever
saw him, which is more than rs years
ago. y
AS these Old Soldiers are, as 1t were, the
wards Of the daughters, I think it might
be we'll for any Of them when visiting the
city of Columbia to make 1t a point to go
out to the Home and see whether these
old men are getting such treatment as they
should and as the liberal provision made
by the State for them would warrant and
demand.
Yours sincerely,
Mrs. r. E. Hill.