with it; you who have had so much more interesting matter to
write of. I trust you will be able to decipher my writing. Rheu-
matism has rendered my hands almost useless, and, as old age
(85 years old) does not improve them, I write only to dear old
friends.
Susan N. Jervey.
Columbia, S. C.
The Confederate Woman 33
THE CONFEDERATE WOMAN
By Vic Reiniiardt.
A mammoth task is this : to tell
Of those who ever would excel
In all that's good ; to break the spell
Of meditation, and to swell
With glad acclaim her praise, so well
DeservtHi, presents no parallel.
For, to no woman e'er befell
Such crucial tests ; and to foretell
Her destiny, so vast.
Need but repeat the past.
Thy sphere, exalted, thou uncrowned
Queen ; oft in humble cottage found
As gilded homes of wealth ; resound
Alike in patriot theme, and, bound
By cords of devotion, strong wound
In sweetest unison, there doth sound,
And resound, in the sweetest round
Of melody, bound and rebound
Aloft, and smoothly float
Without discordant note.
Peerless in greatness of thy state;
To lend thy rare jewels, and wait
Their return, oft in vain ; donate
Them, all — for love is obdurate —
And long for more to dedicate ;
Nor, for a moment deviate
From life's hard task ; early and late
To trust, to pray, to stimulate
The loved ones on the field
To fight on, never yield.
From thee, those matchless soldiers' trend
To greatness, valor, love for friend.
Chivalry were learned, and they lend
Lustre to history's page, bend
Homage from foes who would contend
In fiercest conflict to the end.
Tribute to thee, but don't ascend
To thy high place, or comprehend
Thy wealth of character
Thy grace, so fair, so pure.
3— S. c.
34: Stories of the Confederacy
Would garland decorates be meet?
Lay gold and silver at ber feet
Or monuments erect to meet
The lofty clouds, so grand and neat?
No one can the heart throbs repeat;
The toil and wait, in cold, in heat —
The struggle at the mercy seat
For loved ones ever dear.
For cause, the heart so near.
In peace, the queenliest of all,
Nor did she fail to heed the call
For help, for refuge from the thrall
Of meshes set by human gall,
To check the venom tide, appall
The world ; and they who know extol
Her virtues, sweetness, each install
Pre-eminent, high over all.
Such jewels, with age grow
Bright ; richer lustre show.
But, ah ! Soon the last one we'll lay
Gently, sadly, beneath the clay.
Her richest legacy, we pray,
May be to impart her sweet way,
Her spirit and impress to sway
The Southern heart — revere the gray
And, next, the unseen seraphs flay
The air, to bear her swift away
To brigher realms above
All care, in peace and love.
Terrell, Texas.
Battle of Gettysburg 35
BATTLE OF GETTYSBURG AND HARDSHIPS OF
SOLDIERS
The following war-time letter, written forty-eight years ago,
by Dr. S. G. Welch, a surgeon in the Confederate army, to his
wife, giving a gi'aphic description of the battle of Gettysburg
and picturing the terrible hardships of a soldier's life, wull prove
interesting reading:
CamiD Near Orange C. H., Va.
August 2d, 1863.
My Dear Wife:
On the night of the 29tli of June we camped on the west side
of the Blue Ridge Mountains, where the}^ extended into Pennsyl-
vania. On the morning of the next day (30th) we renewed our
march. Shortly after starting it began raining, but the road was
hard and well macadamized, and the rain made the march rather
agreeable than otherwise. On this same morning we passed where
a splendid iron factor}^ had been burned by General Early, of
E well's Corps. It belonged to a very celebrated lawyer and poli-
tician of Pennsylvania by the name of Thaddeus Stevens, who is
noted for his extreme abolition views and his intense hatred for
slaveholders. The works are said to have been worth more than
one hundred thousand dollars. The burning had thrown a great
man}' operatives out of employment and they seemed to be much
distressed.
During the day we wended our way up the mountains. The
scene around was very different from what we had just passed
through. Instead of the enticing fields and lovely landscape we
had now around us that which was rugged, grand and towering.
In the afternoon about 1 or 2 o'clock we halted and bivouacked
among the mountains. Our stopping place was in a basin of
the mountains which was very fertile and contained a few very
excellent and highly cultivated farms. A while after we stopped
I started off to one of these farm housas for the purpose of get-
ting my dinner, as I was quite hungry, and wanted something
36 Stories of the Confederacy
different from what I had been accustomed to most of the time on
the march. On going to the house a very nice, smiling young
girl met me at the door and, upon my making known my wishes,
she very pleasantly said she "guessed" so; but said they already
had agreed to accommodate a good many and that they would do
the best they could by us all if I would return at 4 o'clock.
This I did, and found Adjutant Reedy, of the Fourteenth
Regiment, and several others of my acquaintance. Reedy, being
quite a young man, talked a good deal to the girl. I was hungry
as a wolf, but when I came to the table and viewed what was
upon it my hunger was aggravated more than ever. It seemed
that there was no end to everything that was good. We had nice
fried ham, stewed chicken, excellent biscuit, light bread, butter,
buckwheat cakes that were most delicious, molasses, four or five
different kinds of preserves and several other dishes. We also
had plenty of good coffee and cold rich milk to drink. None
but a soldier who has experienced a hard campaign can conceive
of how a gang of hungry men can appreciate such a meal. I
must say that this late dinner was a perfect God-send.
After we had finished eating I felt ashamed to offer them Con-
federate money, but could do no better, and offered it with an
apology. They very readily accepted it, and when I insisted that
they should take a dollar the}' refused and would have only fifty
cents. This house was guarded to prevent our men committing
depredations such as they had been doing, and which was having
a demoralizing effect upon the army. Soldiers must be made to
behave or they will not fight.
Upon returning to camp I found that an order had been
received during my absence to cook one day's rations and have it
in haversacks and be ready to march at 5 o'clock next morning.
This at once aroused our suspicions, for we concluded that we
were about to meet the enemy. Next morning about 5 o'clock
we began moving. We had not gone more than a mile and a half
before our suspicions of the evening previous were fully verified
and our expectations realized by the booming of cannon ahead
of us in the direction of Gettysburg. Upon looking around I
at once noticed in the countenance of all an expression of intense
seriousness and solemnity, which I have always perceived in the
faces of men who are about to face death and the awful shock of
Battle of Gettysburg 37
battle. As we advanced the cannonading increased in fury. It
was Heth's Division ahead of ours fighting. At last we arrived
upon a hill, where, upon another hill in front of us and about a
half mile distant, we could see Heth's cannon arranged and
booming away at the Yankees, who were replying with consider-
able briskness, and we could also see the infantry of Heth's
Division advancing in line of battle. It was really a mag-
nificent sight. The country was almost destitute of forests and
was so open that it was easy to see all that was going on. Our
division (Pender's) continued to keep within about a half mile
of Heth's. McGowan's Brigade was at the right of the division
and the Thirteenth Regiment at the right of the brigade. This
being the case, I could see from one end of the division to the
other as it moved forward in line of battle. It was nearly a mile
in length. The scene was certainly grand, taking all the sur-
roundings into consideration. After Heth had driven the enemy
some distance it became necessary for our division to go to his
support. McGowan's South Carolina and Scales's North Caro-
lina Brigades were the first to relieve Heth. The hardest fighting
did not begin until McGowan's and Scales's Divisions went into
it. Then such a rattle of musketry I never heard surpassed. It
lasted for about two hours and a half without cessation; and
how many brave fellows went down in death in this short period
of time! Officers who have been in all the fights tell me that
they never saw our brigade act so gallantly before. "When the
order was given to charge upon the enemy, who were lying behind
some stone fences and other places of concealment, our men
rushed forward with a perfect fury, yelling and driving them,
though with great slaughter to themselves as well as to the
Yankees. Most of the casualties of our brigade occurred on this
day (1st July). As the enemy were concealed they killed a great
many of our men before we could get at them. There were a
good many dwellings in our path to which the Yankees would
also resort for protection, and they would shoot from the doors
and windows. As soon as our troops would drive them out they
would rush in, turn out the families and set the houses on fire. I
think this was wrong, because the families could not j^revent the
Yankees seeking shelter in their houses. I saw some of the poor
â– women who had been thus treated. They were greatly distressed
and it excited my sympathy very much. These people would have
38 Stories of the Confederacy
left their houses, but the battle came on so unexpectedly to them,
as they often do, that they had not time. I passed through
a house from which every one had fled except an extremely old
man. A churn of excellent buttermilk had been left where it was
being churned and I and some other doctors helped ourselves.
The fighting on the first day ceased about night, and when our
brigade was relieved by Lane's North Carolina Brigade it was
nearly dark. I returned to the hospital and on my way back
came to Anderson's Division of our corps (Hill's) lying in line
of battle at least two miles in rear of where the advance column
was. Pender's Division and Heth's had been fighting all day,
and they were exhausted, besides being terribly "cut up," and
when they drove the Yankees to the long high range of hills,
which the Yankees held throughout the fight, they should have
been immediately reinforced by Anderson with his fresh troops.
Then the strong position last occupied by the enemy could have
been taken, and next day, when Ewell and Longstreet came up,
the victory completely won. If "Old Stonewall" had been alive
and there, it no doubt would have been done. Hill was a good
division commander, but is not a superior corps commander. He
lacks the mind and sagacity of Jackson.
When arrived at the hospital my ears were greeted, as usual
at such times, with the moans and cries of the wounded. I went
to work and did not pretend to rest until next morning after day-
light. I found that Longstreet had come and that McLaw's
Division of his (Longstreet's) corps was encamped near the hos-
pital. Kershaw's Brigade was almost in the hospital grounds.
On looking around I distinguished many of my old friends from
Laurens whom I had not seen since the war began. They all
seemed surprised and glad to see me; but I had work to do and
they had fighting, so we could not remain long together. They
were all lively and jocose. Milton Bossard was in a gay humor
and left me as one going on some pleasant excursion, but before 2
o'clock of the next day he was a corpse. He was shocked to death
by the bursting of a shell. Captain Langston and a number of
others were killed in the Third Regiment who were my acquaint-
ances.
On the second day of the battle the fighting did not begin until
about 12 or 1 o'clock, from which time until night it raged with
great fury. The reason it commenced so late in the day was
Battle of Gettysburg 39
because it required some time for Ewell and Longstreet to get
their forces in position. Longstreet was on the right, Ewell on
the left and Hill in the center.
On the third day the fighting connnenced early in the morning
and continued with the greatest imaginable fury all day; at one
time. aboTit 3 o'clock in the afternoon, such a cannonading I never
heard before. About 150 pieces of cannon on our side and as
many more on the side of the enemy kept up one incessant
fire for several hours. It was truly terrifying and was like heavy
skirmishing in the rapidity with which the volleys succeeded each
other. The roar of the artillery, the rattle of the musketry and
the wild terrific scream of the shells as they whizzed through the
air was really the most appalling situation that could possibly be
produced. Our troops (Pickett's Division) charged the enemy's
strong j)osition, which they had now entrenched, but with no
avail, though we slaughtered thousands of them.
On the night of the 3d General Lee withdrew his army to its
original position, hoping, I suppose, that the enemy would attack
him; but they didn't dare come out of their strongholds, for w^ell
they knew what their fate would be if they met the Confederate
army of Virginia upon equal grounds. On the 4th our army
remained in line of battle, earnestly desiring the advance of the
Yankees, but they did not come. During this day the rain fell
in torrents, completely drenching the troops. A while after dark
we began to leave; but took a different and nearer route to the
Potomac than the one we had just passed over. Though nearer,
it was very rough and not macadamized, and the passing of
wagons and artillery over it cut it up horribly and made it almost
impassable. Yet over this road our large army had to pass. I
was lucky enough to get into a medical wagon and rode until the
next morning. It rained nearly all night, and such a sight as our
troops were the next day ! They were all wet and many of them
muddy all over from having fallen down during the night. Billy
looked as if he had been wallowing in a mud hole, but was in a per-
fectly good humor. On this day (the 5th July) we recrossed the
Blue Ridge Mountains. Climbing the mountains was very tedious
after so much toil, excitement and loss of sleep, but we met with
no obstacle until we came to Hagerstown, Md., where we stopped
on account of the Potomac's being too high to ford. While here
40 Stories or the Confederacy
the Yankees came up and our army was placed in line to meet
them, but they did not dare attack. In this situation we remained
for several days with them in sight of us.
After a pontoon bridge was finished at Falling Waters and
the river was sufficiently down to ford at Williamsport, we left
the vicinity of Hagerstown. It was just after dark when we
began leaving. It was a desperately dark night and such a rain
I thought I never before knew to fall. I did not meet with such
luck as the night we left Gettysburg, Pa., but had to walk all
night, and such a road I think troops never before traveled over.
It appeared to me that at least half of the road was a quagmire,
coming in places nearly to the knees.
Hill's Corps went by Falling Waters and Longstreet's and
Ewell's by Williamsport, where they had to wade the river, which
was still very deep, coming up nearly to the shoulders. The
pontoon bridge was at Falling Waters where we crossed. Our
division was in the rear at this place and when we got within
about a mile and a half of the river we halted to enable the
wagons ahead to get out of the way. Being very tired, we all
lay down and nearly every one fell asleep, when suddenly the
Yankee cavalry rushed upon us, firing and yelling at a furious
rate. None of our guns were loaded and they were also in a bad
fix from the wet of the previous night. They attacked General
Pettigrew's North Carolina Brigade first. Our brigade was
lying down about fifty yards behind his. I was lying down
between the two brigades near a spring. General Pettigrew was
killed here. I was close to him when he was killed. It was a
serious loss to the service. We fought them for some time, when
General Hill sent an order to fall back across the river and it was
done in good order. The attack was a complete surprise and is
disgraceful either to General Hill or General Heth. One is cer-
tainly to blame. The Yankees threw shells at the bridge and
came very near hitting it just as I was about to cross ; but, after
we were close enough to the river not to be hurt by our own shells,
our cannon on this side opened upon them, which soon made them
"skedaddle" away.
We feel the loss of General Pender in our division. He died in
Staunton, Va., from wounds received at Gettysburg. He was a
very superior little man, though a very strict disciplinarian.
Your devoted husband. S. G. W.
The Maiden of Fairfax 41
THE MAIDEN OF FAIRFAX
It was the middle of winter 1863, and while the armies were
resting in winter quarters preparatory to the great struggle of
1864, soon to follow, the scout sought new ventures in dear old
Fairfax. This was then the enemy's country, our armies had
long since retired from thence under stress of increasing num-
bers, and we felt that our presence so far in the rear would never
be suspected ; hence w- ithout much trepidation we trod the paths
so well known during our earliest efforts. Knowing that our
citizens were ever loyal to our cause and to us, the night we came
near Fairfax Station, whither we had arrived after several
nights' cautious marching, we, about midnight, approached a
house situated far from the road in humble securit}'^, and gently
rapped at the window\ Presently a maiden fair to see came to
the window, and perceiving that we were soldiers, cautiously
raised the sash and parleyed with us thus:
"Who are you, and what do you want?"
I replied: "Miss, we are Confederate soldiers desiring
information of this country. We have long been away from
here, and know you may be suspicious of us, and to convince you
of our identity I will relate to you a funny incident of the early
encampment when here, and of which doubtless you know." And
then in a few brief words I told her of a poor love-sick soldier
who, without his shoes, had scaled to the window of his sweet-
heart, in whose room he was soon after captured and was subse-
quently courtmartialed for his escapade, to the chagrin of the
army.
When this story was related to the young lady, she laughingly
replied : "I now know you are our soldiers and I will soon be
with you." Thereupon she hastily dressed and was soon in our
midst. We could with difficulty refrain from embracing her, for
she was pretty, she was sweet, and she was one of Our Girls.
She at once proposed to lead us to her brother's house, some
three miles distant, in Avhich I acquiesced, and in a little while,
with this lovely creature in the van, single file, we were thread-
ing a narrow path through the dark forest, over the ice-clad
42 Stories of the Confederacy
ground, to her brother's house. Arrived there, we were given a
hasty meal, which we greatly enjoyed, for we were hungry.
Our heroine was a graceful blonde about eighteen years of age,
and her beautiful blue eyes sparkled in merriment at her escapade
while she related to her brother her acquaintance with us.
We were fully informed of the situation. A regiment was
stationed at Centerville, and daily wagon trains from thence went
and returned laden with wood. We at once determined to cap-
ture one of these, and soon departed and rested as best we could
during the balance of the night, having received from the hands
of our fair hostess sufficient rations for the next day. The follow-
ing morning we were early in concealment preparatory to the
attack, and soon the trains began to pass, going forth empty and
coming back laden with wood. We let several of these pass in
order to ascertain if they were guarded, and discovered none, and
determined to attack the next, which came about 5 o'clock. It
was a mule team of six mules, which, the mules, seemed to be a
good haul, so presently as they came abreast of us we dashed upon
the driver and demanded his surrender, which he hastily did,
when, to our surprise and consternation, a guard of about fifty
infantry charged upon us, firing as they came. I knew retreat
hastily, yes, speedy retreat, was our only recourse, yet we gave
them a volley from our shotguns as a parting salute, and were
retiring in good order through a small opening in our rear, but
Mcllwaine and Farrell lingered behind, with a revolver in each
hand, firing rapidly into the ranks of the enemy, who at each fire
would fall to their faces, then rise and charge forward, firing as
they came, and in one of these onslaughts Farrell was captured
and Farley wounded in the right arm. With this discomfiture
and much chagrin and mortification and considerable fear, as the
enemy was in rapid pursuit, we fled into the surrounding woods,
now thinking only of safety in flight and desirous of saving our
wounded comrade. On came the foe, yelling like fiends, firing
volley after volley without aim, but our woodcraft and approach-
ing darkness saved us, and in a little while the pursuit was
stopped, and unmolested we, half carrying poor Farley, pro-
ceeded slowly on our way through the great woods until far in
the night we perceived near us an humble cottage, which we
approached for shelter, with perfect confidence in the loyalty of
The Maiden of Fairfax 43
the occupants. Here "sve sought some refreshments and dressing
for the wound of Farley, which we discovered was so serious that
he could not proceed further, so believing that he Avas with
friends and in comparative safety we left him ; but these people
were disloyal and the next day revealed to the enemy Farley's
presence and they came and took him to prison, and we never
again saw either Farrell or Farley, and they passed forever from
our knowledge.
They were gallant men and cheerful good fellows, and we
missed them and sorrowed over their fate, and after a lapse of
forty-seven years I am sorrowing yet and regretting our venture.
We were greatly humiliated at our defeat and resolved speedily
to wipe it out. Finding that no sentinels surrounded the camp
at Centerville, after a hasty but cautious inspection thereof, one
dark, cold night we quietly took therefrom the colonel's horses
while that worthy peacefullj^ slept, and next day his negro troops
were accused of the villainy and narrowly escaped, for want of
evidence, courtmartial therefor.
A party of carousing officers, near to morning, while on their
return to camp, galloped past us as we stood concealed in the
woods nearby. With our horses, which were fine ones, we rode
rapidly to the rear and by daylight had crossed the Aquitial,
where we lay concealed for another day and that night sped to
familiar haunts and rested for a day or two.
In this party, to the best of my recollection, were Mcllwain,
Farrell and Rife, of Mississippi ; Harris, of Georgia, and Farley
of Virginia. If any one has escaped my notice, it is from inad-
vertence, and I beg forgivenesss therefor.
We never again saw or heard of this fair maiden of Fairfax.
She was one of her kind, there were thousands of the kind, God
bless them, and I trust Providence has been kind to her and that
she has known but little care or sorrow.
These recollections bring vividly to view our glorious past,
when we were struggling for liberty, one of the best boons of
God to man. We, through stress of numbers and starvation, lost
our glorious cause, but as long as life lasts we will never forget
it or its stirring events. Geo. D. Shadburne,
Chief of Scouts, C. S. A.
At Byron Hot Springs, California, August 7, 1910.
44 Stories of the G^nfederacy
"OLD MISS" ON THE OLD PLANTATION
"Sweet memory, wafted by thy gentle gale
Oft up the tide of Time I turn my sail
To view the fairy haunts of long lost hours
Blest with far greener shades, far fresher flowers."
On the 6th of June, A. D. 1800, "Old Miss," as her slaves used
to call her, was born. In the year 1818 she was married to
Colonel Brooks, who was for many years Commissioner in Equity
and State Senator from his district (Edgefield) under the Con-
stitution of 1795. We had districts then instead of counties, the
former being changed to the latter by the Constitution of 1868,
the beginning of reconstruction or destruction, which was finally
destroyed by the Constitution of 1895.
Colonel and Mrs. Brooks had two sons in the Mexican War,