Holly Springs gazette., 1845-01-03
BACK WOODS OF THE MISsISslP-
PI

BACh WOODS OF THE MISSISS IL
4 PI
For more than an hour we sat in II
! burning sun; the intensity of the heat bein
greatly augmented oy the reflection ofth
rays from lhe polished surface of the water
listening TO jim, who bad just returned iron
d trip 10 the Northern part ofthe State, il
company with very distinguished gentle
men-a Democratic elector Jim was fill
ed with wonder at the appearance Of III,
country and habi,s of abe peopls-no lakes
Il aud The Squire" said Jim, "had a grea
IIme IN the ltawambd. coGaly piece " hal
the people enjoy as much f, eedom as on
any paTl Of the living globe. One night
I we Jfst numbered at least the Squire dId.
I We expected to camp, as twer~ getting
mighty nigh night. aud we could fad no
+ settlement, when discovered lots of tracks
I IN the road; folks tracks aad hoss :racks,
some wl.h shoes and some barf0oled. all
gVIne one way. Yves safe" said /. aud
on we went in mighty big spirits. Ar:er
[ gwlnG a short distance the tracks all turned
of into lille path "A quiIliI' or brand
dance, said |, and sure enough. we hadn't
gone quarter alore we heard the sound Of
a fiddle, and then the "clauern" CT leet the
tuHe Of
Dance, dauce, de boatman dance.'
In town with pocket fall Of donlcts, /"
said Barbecue and "a good bed" said the
Squire. PLENTY Of whiskey, Il bopcs)
dancing and wimmin'
as We rode up to the fences, fellow
came out in his shirt sleeves and said,
Light strangers light and hang your
horses 10 a tree-walk in-we'll spare you
some ticker, and give you something 10
gnaw on n-We're pretty I5ick about here
now and some Of US is sorler giving to mar
~ each other; Pm gwine to hang myself TO
that red haired gal, IL the corner thar, soon
as thc Squire comes. so list dart In and make
I yourselves al home. lis free doins-eveiy
man for himself and the gals for US al"
In ne went, and the Squire commenced
I such bowin to 'em all. aud looking Nigh
/ " serious andthe winmia sit.in with thal
hands crossed on their laps. oolS:n' down
OF The floor, aud the gals siit,n' UP ia lAe,
corner sorler giglng-but Lord. that jist
suited the SquTie; be can sweeten sucn "a
word as that quick as any man livin' He
shook hands with all the old uimmin, some
of'em he'll give a doutle shake, the yonng
wimmen and children; drank whiskev WIN
the men aud called an old nigger woman
'aunty' He can list stand up aud talk the
hair of mans head, and you jist better be
I lieve 1t want long afore he went to work on
'em. Then he stood al the water bucket IN
4 the passage with gourd of water in one
\ hand, and glass OF ticker in the other, Civ
/ Ing perfect cord of news. Presently the
/ fd1le stopped and out come the fiddler. a
/ lilIle lame red faced critter, what makes bis
/ lIvin' by fiddlng at froicks and playen
/ short cards at quarter races He took IA
drink, and then walked round and round
/ the Squire, list like YOU would round a hoss
YOU were gwine TO BY. He then walked
! up and says he, "Iook here Squire. amt you
Sanire Joe M--ws' Of Mars haII2"
Yes, my friend, that's my name. How.
dy"
The fiddler shouted it out, and every
thing on the grouud fiocked round hIm; the
men, wimmen, the gals. and the old nIgger
! 'oman, and sIch shakin of hands agIn,
and such "how DOM" you never seed
Then he had TO tell the news over again
Some on EN- wanted to hear all about The
governor, y hat he was doing, and when he
was ewine To commence dom somethln' fol
'em. Most all the wimmin We're mighty
Dertlckler about him, ami one sorter old ga
and a mighty good lookin one a; that, sort
er tall and active made, with light har, nj
had heap OF fine 6xens on her. she lIs
| parted the crowd aud come in: she wanLeC
! all the news about Ine ola nero. WneI
the Squire tod her | lived with him, sh'
darled al me her eyes. bright as diamonds
and she was all over in swlvet. She In'
vled me ia the yether room, and thar We
both sot down on a bed. and she talked on
Arter getln' through she Jumped and run
out doors. and comes IN with a good chunl
OF boy, sorler chunlPy and bright eye'
boy. and perfect picIur.
"How old is your boy. MissF
Hell be six years Old IN the sprng
"Aud what's his name, marmk"
81 call him arter his, The Governor
Did the Governor stay here much then
times 2"
IL reckon he did," said she tossin he
head, He used to stay month at Time
with uncle Josh"
well" said |, IF this don't beat RepudI
alton into fits I'm blessed
When | went back into the passage
Squire was s,ill leiln' on 'em about old Jack
son and the las; war Some on 'em haC
been with the old General at the Emuckfav
and Talladega. and New Orleans; an'
when he alluded to them fights, the mer
shouted aud the wimmin said Yes. Lord.
Some on EN- then asked the Squire .Whot
be the next President"