Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-07-05
| ONGSTREET'S
WIDOW TELLS
Of REUNION
Describes Meeting Sharpshooter
Detailed to Kill Husband,
Whom General Captured.
BY HELEN D. LoNesTREET.

Of Americas loyalty are pitched to-
day on the worlds greatest battle
field Gettysburg's bugles echo to-
day over a reunited nation.
Standing on the bOrderland of eter-
nifty, with its shadows touching their
bent forms and silvered heads, these
last survivors Of an army the like
Of which the world shall see no more
have gathered here, not Northern, not
Southern. but all American, bridging
the bloody rift OF the sixties with
fraternal unity more ancient than
seCtiOnalism, more lasting than hate.
To the youth Of this nation the in
spirational value of this day on Get
tysburgs field will outweigh the
sordid accumulations Of all the
ROckefellers the world will ever pro-
duce.
Where did you lose your arm ?"
! asked Of one melancholy faced SOL
der in blue. who walked a little
lamely Notwithstanding his brave eff
forts
Detailed to Kill General
After the battle Of ChiCkamauga,"
he said II was one Of twenty sharp
shooters detailed to kin Longstreet
He captured us all and | lost my
right arm. Did you ever see Long
street, he inquired pathetiCally
How sorry I am that he did not live
to be here"
Gazing over seas Of Old Glory.
miles Of which stream from the
houses and dot the hillsides, swath-
ing the trees and bridging the
streets until a loyal canopy Of red,
white and blue almost Conceals the
blue heavens above.
'Oh, isn't it glorious," / said to
veteran in gray. How could you
look on the old flag and know its
meaning and fire on it?"
The veteran in gray said, brokenly,
as he looked with me upon the shin
ing colors of our Countrys standard:
That's Ny Flag Forever"
7 didn't stop TO think so much
about what we were fighting about;
my land and my people called to me.
| They were in trouble; 1t was about
mother Right or wrong, / would
rush to her rescue"
But now you are glad" ! said
glad that you didn't win; glad that
! the American Union lives"
He barred his head and pointing
| 10 the glorious sweep Of color, said
reverently.
THAT Is my flag. the flag Of my
| fathers, the flag of my country my
/
| In the skies. Il means strength and
progress and peace that will endure
| II hlazed the only road to national
! happiness and greatness"
| A melancholy eyed veteran in worn
! gray gazing wistfully across Gene
| terry Ridge had gone back to the
| daring days Of the long past Lost
| to the present. obliviuus Of surround
! ings he said sadly:
Mourns Over Pickett's CHARGE.
"If Pickett hadn't made that charge
| we stood good chance of whipping
| the Yankees
But" / said at is best for us all
! th-t you didn't whip them; and they
| are no longer Yankees. just Ameri-
| cans, and looking toward the East,
| shoulder to shoulder. heart beating
! close TO heart, our Country's mighty
! destiny is our common hope and
| glory
81 know all that" he said, but I
! just sometimes can't help feeling
( powerful sad when / think of them
| brave boys who had to die out there
! for nothing"
oh" replied. nobody ever dies
| for nothing who dies for right"
on this field of fearful memories a
/ sea of brown tents stretching miles
| In all directions, il is learned that no
/ provision whatever has been made
! FOR the participation in this greatest
! event in the Country's peace history
| Of the women who sent husbands
| and fathers and sons and sweethearts
to answer the call at the first tap of
the drum i'm 1861. The hardship, the
! suffering, the agony Of the women
| who waited in the war homes of the
nation may never be told,
Veteran Longs for Wife.
Some day a grateful Government
will erect a monument that will
pierce the blue heavens from Gettvs-
burgs stateHest, sunniest slope, and
ON ii will stand the figure of one In
whose courageous soul every battle
was fought and every victory won
the woman who placed the flag of
her faith in the hands of her best
beloved and sent il TO the front when
the first gun was fired on Fort sum
ter
A veteran, stumbling rather defect
eddy along up Emmitsburg Road
! overlook me. He was hot dusty
brella. | really would rather walk
He Strengthened up with some Of
the old fire and vigor
"Pshaw | was fighting up this
! road before YOU wuZ born | guess
| l kin stand a little sun now. But
how wish Jane wuz here She had
a harder time than / did enduring
the war.
Later a little woman with faded
eyes overlook us up Emmitsbure
Road"
Il wasn't expected" she said but
/ Just couldn't help coming Jim
was killed along here somewhere
| think il must have been about here %