■It itili mmm <^. "oV^ <^ 0' .'-j^r^ ' %> - » „ o ^ -^ V^ MRS. JESSE MERCER BATTLE (Laura Elizabeth Lee) FORGET-ME-NOTS OF THE CIVIL WAR A ROMANCE, CONTAINING REMINISCENCES AND ORIGINAL LETTERS OF TWO CONFEDERATE SOLDIERS. BY LAURA ELIZABETH LEE ILLUSTRATED BY BRYAN BURNES All rights reserved ST. LOUIS. MO. PRESS A. R. FLEMING PRINTING < COPYRIGHT 1909 By MRS. JESSE MERCER BATTLE .'BRARYof CO.NGRESS| Two Cocies Received JUN 16 ISOJ^ Copyntnt £ntr> /.Xc TO JESSE. THE HUSBAND. WHO IS STILL MY BOY LOVER. TO HELEN, THE DUTIFUL DAUGHTER. WHO HAS BEEN THE LINK TO WELD MORE CLOSELY OUR LOVE, AND WHOSE LIVES I HAVE WANTED TO FILL WITH SUNSHINE. BUT WHERE THE SHADOWS HAVE OFTEN CREPT. THIS VOLUME IS LOVINGLY DEDICATED. MAY ITS PAGES BE ILLUMINATED BY THEIR LOVE AND INSPIRATION. LAURA ELIZABETH LEE. CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. My Arrival at '* White Oaks'' . . 9 II. Some of the Things That Happened 17 HI; Our Removal to Clayton .... 23 IV. The Attempt to ^'Tar and Feather" My Father 29 V. The Year Eighteen Sixty-one . . 33 VI. The Gallant Fourth N. C. Regiment, State Troops 37 VII. I^etters from George and Walter . 41 VIII. My First School Days .... 135 IX. My Father's Death and Burial . . 139 X. How the Sheriff Swindled My Mother 147 XI. The Work We All Did During the War 155 XII. Sherman's March to Raleigh, North Carolina * . 159 XIII. The ^