The Robesonian., 1917-07-26
MEMORIES OF THE C0NFtDERACY

In q few days he cheerfully returned
to his post. We heard regularly from
Mira up to the 1st of February, 1855,
when his letters suddenly ceased to
arrive In March Sherman for 'es
invaded our country, destroying
bridges ard cutting off mail commun-
ications. In April Gen. Lee surren-
dered at Appomattox, and the rem
nant of our Southern braves began to
straggle home; but our boy came not,
and we heard no word from him save
that one of his boy comrades report
ed to us that he had been stricken
with fever and carried to hospital.
he knew not whittier. This ominous
news weighed our hearts with a heavy
burden of anxiety and suspense-hop-
ing, fearing, looking and longing in
vain, for the beloved form, the firm,
quick footstep and the music Of the
blithe and happy voice.
There dwells in my memory pic
ture which time can never erase, that
of nv gentle, sweet-faced, devoted
mother, sitting day after day, watch
ing through a mist Of tears, the road
toward Maxton, with last lingering
hope of seeing her boy, who came no
more
Like the mist above the mountain,
Like the snow flake on the river,
Like the bubble on the fountain,
He was gone, and forever!
Queensdale was wrapped in pail
of deepest sorrow when at length all
hope had flown and we were forced
to believe that the idol of our home
and hearts was no more, and "the
glory of our house had departed -
The weary days, weeks and months
dragged slowly by, until September
came, bringing to US at last, authen-
tic news of his death, with full par
ticulars, through a letter from his
nurse, Miss Sue McCausland Of Rocky
! Mount, who was with him through
his illness and received from his dy-
ing lips a last message to his loved
ones at home.
"Will you please write them," said
he, "that I hoped to live to see them
all once more, but God wills other
wise, and that 1 am ready and will
ing to obey His summons to my heav-
enly home" He died in hospital in
Wilson, N. c., March 18th. Loved
Christian brother, no longer father
and mother wait in vain your coming
or grieve DER your absence; for
many years ago they found you in
the house Of many mansions, the
home not made by hands, eternal in
the heavens.
No murmuring word escaped the
lips of the heart stricken parents, but
the dear, fragile form Of the mother
daily grew thinner, the pathos in the
sweet, patient face deeper, until
gradually she faded from earth to a
joyous reunion with her only boy.
Looking back on those gloomy days
I often wonder how my father had
the courage, amid the wreck and de-
vastation and the loss of his onlv son,
50 bravely to meet the trials and diff
ficulties which confronted him, "gath-
er up the broken threads" and go on
patiently to the end.
The above incidents are but illus
trations of what thousands of South
ern mothers suffered. Truly they
were tried by fire and nobly stood the
test. knew a mother in lower Rich
mond, now Scotland, county, whose
entire family Of eleven sons were in
different branches of the Confederate
service, brave soldiers all. Strange
to relate, only one of the number fail
ed to return. He was captured at the
fall Of Fort Fisher and died in a
Northern prison. The name of this
remarkable family was Jones, whose
descendants are now prominent cit
izens of Scotland county.
Maxton, N. C.