Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1919-05-07
Wednesday, May z.
The Home For Confederate
Soldiers.

dierS' Home recently as MEMBER OIL
the board of trustees of that institu-
ton. The other members of the
board are Gen. Lyon, of Columbia,
the chairman, Col. Welch, of Char
lesion, and Col. Brailsford, of Cam
den, all of whom are Confederate vet
erans themselves and typical repre-
sentatives of the Old South, whom
to know is to hold in the highest es-
TEEN and admiration. 1t is indeed
delightful privilege to be associated
with these gentlemen.
The Soldiers Home is ideally To-
Gated on an eminence in the center
of an eighteen-acre tract of land in
the northeastern suburbs of Colum-
bia. The institution was established
some IL or Is years ago as a haven
of rest, real home for Confederate
veterans who possess but little of this
worlds goods and who have no near
relatives to care for them. The in
stitution under the capable manage
ment of Col. Lewis Wardlaw, him.
self a veteran of the sixties, is meet
ing every need that was contemplated
by its original founders. Col. Ward
law is son of old Edgefeld, broth
er of the lamented Mrs. DR.. J. w.
Hill, and was reared in the house
where Mr.. Thomas H. Rainsford now
resides. Although he left Edgefeld
soon after the close of tn eCivil war,
Col. Wardlaw has lost none Of his
loyalty or love for his native heath.
1t is indeed interesting to hear him
relate his school-day, boyhood ex-
periences, his early life having been
intimately associated with the older
generation now living in Edgefeld.
The father of the writer and Col.
Wardlaw were desk-mates when they
attended the old Edgeield Academy.
Col. Wardlaw is wonderfully well
equipped for the duties that devolve
upon him. In the first place he is a
practical, successful business man,
managing the executive or business
end of the institution in a highly sat-
isfactory manner After providing
for every need and wish of the SIS
old soldiers, representing practically
every county in the state, he not only
stays within the bounds of the appro-
priation made annually by the legis-
lature for the maintenance of the in
stitution, but generally has a small
balance left at the close of the year.
Every possible comfort, including
wholesome food in great variety and
abundance, can be found there for
the enjoyment of the men who offer
ed their lives for their country. Col.
Wardlaw is uniformly kind to them,
humors them, pets them, sympathiZes
with them, and yet all the while he is
firm and unyielding when occasion
requires it for the best interests of
the inmates of the home. He is "a
well-rounded, large-hearted, sympa-
thizing friend and benefactor of near
ly three score of men who have seen
better days. One of them, Mr.. E. B.
Zimmerman, is from the Meeting
Street section of this county, than
whom the ranks of the Confederate
army did not contain braver
soldier. We could not help clasping
his hand just a bit tighter and hear
tier than we did the rest of the group.
In the person of his good wife, who
moves about the home carrying
warm-hearted sympathy and sunshine
wherever she goes, Col. Wardlaw has
an indispensable co-worker. Mrs.
Wardlaw, she too being a typical rep
resentative of the Old South, is an
angel OF mercy to these men to whom
the shadows are rapidly lengthening
in their declining years. The writer,
together with the other members of
the board, was the guest of Col. and
Mrs. Wardlaw at dinner, consequent
ly we were for few short hours
close and very pleasantly associated
with them around their own fire
side.
Col. Wardlaw has another valua-
BILE helper and co-worker in the per-
son of Sergt. E. ]. Jones, who mar
ried Miss Ellie Brooks, an Edgefeld
lady. Their only son, an officer in
the American expeditionary forces
has been rendering splendid service
overseas. Sergt, Jones is employed