Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1923-08-31
ROMANCE OF '65 ENDS By
BELATED MARRIAGE In 1921
Aged Veteran, Wounded In Battle and
Nursed By Girl, IA, In Hospital,
Takes Her, Now Silver-Haired,
AS Bride. s.
(By w. M. Moore)

Statesville, N. c., Aug. 25.-On a re-
cent visit to Newton, discovered a
little romance of intense interest. On
one of the rustic seats on the court
house lawn of Catawba' S capital, there
Twas seated an honored Confederate
veteran who had gone beyond the
| four-score mark by two years, and by
his side was his bride, silver haired
refined woman of seventy-four sum-
liners. The face of the veteran-Mr.
George w. Rabb, known and admired
| by possibly every native citizen of
Catawba county-is familiar to every
one in Newton. His hair is now thin
and he wears a gray mustache and
chin whiskers. One leg is missing-a
constant reminder, as he moved around
on his crutches, or peg" for the past
six decades-of the awful tragedy of
the war between the states. Mr.. Rabb
is a farmer, manufacturer, business
man, school teacher, legislator, having
devoted the best part of his life to the
upbuilding of his native county, and he
is recognized as one of Catawba' s most
substantial, useful and beloved citizens
The little white haired woman by his
side, his bride, is descended from
one of the best families in the .cele-
brated Valley of Virginia. While Mr..
Rabb was in a Virginia hospital for
treatment following the loss of his leg
in 1864, bright, beautiful, auburn
haired maiden of fourteen summers
nursed him, brought him food and
clothing, and showed him every posi-
BILE attention and kindness during the
three months of critical illness which
developed from the wounded limb.
The medical and surgical attention af-
forded by the Confederacy at that time
was entirely inadequate-th best, how
ever, that the lost cause could provide
and it is likely that the volunteer
nursing and attention given by the lit
tie girl in question and the other good
women of the Old Dominion saved Mr..
Rabb's life. After the war Mr.. Rabb
returned to his native county, married
Miss Robinson and lived happily with
her for fifty years, her death occurring
in nineteen hundred and sixteen During
this period of more than half century
he never forgot the kindness of the lit
tie Virginia girl four years after his
first wife died. he got into correspond
ence with the attractive nurse of his
youth-Miss Sallie Cullers, of Wood
stock, Va.-then a maiden of three
score and ten years, fixed it up" with
her and they were united in happy
wedlock. The bride does not wear the
natural roses in her cheek, nor does
she possess the twinkle of eye charac-
teristic of blushing maiden of sweet
sixteen" but in her bright, cheerful
face there is picture of sunshine, cul-
tue, refinement and the reflex of
noble life and character of surprising
beauty-a beauty which does not fade
by the lapse of time, but grows more
and more attractive as the years come
and go. Mr.. Rabb's story follows.
WOUNDED AT FISHERS HILL.
"At Fishers Hill was on the sharp
shooters line, one and one-half miles
from the front line of battle. / tore
down fence and made me good pit.
shot eleven times before the Yankee
mimic ball struck my right leg at the
knee and ranged downward, coming
out at the heel. A cavalryman threw
me astride his horse and took me back
to the company doctor later | was
taken to brigade headquarters, and at
10 o'clock that night, four hours after
| was shot my leg was amputated.
MEETS FUTURE WIFE.
II was then taken to the Methodist
hospital at Woodstock, in the Valley of
Virginia. Two days after I entered
this hospital, complications developed
and my leg had to be amputated the
second time. No one thought would
recover. The ladies of the town pre-
pared our food and gave us every at
tention that could be given anybody
we could not have Jared better at
home. There | learned my present
wife when she was fourteen years of
lage. | stayed in the hospital from
ISeptember 1864, until January 1, 1865.
, when left for home.
while in the hospital at Woodstock.
my present wife, Miss Sallie Cullers.
the little red-headed girl, was always
kind to me and showed me a great
deal of frlendliness and kindness 7
learned to know her then and never
forgot her. She kept my clothes clean
and often brought me something GOOD
to eat. | could not help but like her
| remember Sallie bringing me a GOOD
big eggnog on Christmas morning
1864 Her mother kept jars of Yeast
going a.. the time to make poultices for
the soldiers wounds. Sallie's father
made me my first crutches
81 came home and married Miss Poh-
Inson in 1868. We lived together for
fifty years, her death occurring in 1916
kept in touch with Miss Cullers. meet
in her at var Gus reunions, and she
was once visitor in my home DURING
my first wife's lifetime She never
married. Four years after nv wife
died, Salie and fixed it up and mar
Iried."
When Mr.. Rabb came home from the
war he started life at the bottom
handicapped by the loss of one limb.
When he married the first time he had
to borrow the money with which TO
purchase his license. He went into
the shoe repairing business and con-
tinued in that line for fifteen wears
Then ne went in with Mr.. Carpenter
and built cotton mill /; later, thew en-
larged and built another cotton mill
he was one of the founders of Tenoir