Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-07-15
On tho Wing.


DEAR LEDGER: The silvery moon
beams shedding light Of beauty and
sublimity, the noculi Of crimsoned and
gold-fringed clouds swimming amid
heavens deep blue depths, the glittering
astral gems that deck the ethereal vault
above, the sweet intonations Of woman's
winning voice, and the Eolean strains
of artificial music, all tend to arouse the
dormant gushings of our hearts, and
transplant our minds to celestial spheres
beyond the skies.
Perched upon cosy seat on the Sec
oud- story balcony Of the hotel at Tulla-
homa, Tennessee. in company with Miss
Mollie P, Miss Millie McC-, Miss
Jennie B., Mra Jane H and Dr.
H, enjoying the above described
scenery, at II o'clock on the night of the
4th, we saw in the distance many pale
horses, with death-looking, tall giants
mounted upon them. No sooner than
seen, the air was rent with the words
"Ku.Klux Ku-KIuxl" in every posi-
BILE direction. In few minutes one hun
dred and eightyseven tall, slender, un-
earthly-looking ghosts, with sharp hats
four feet long, their persons (if they had
any being perfectly disguised by white,
death.looking sheets, all mounted on fiery
steeds draped in pure white, stood in line
in front of the hotel They were gem
uine "Ku. Kluxes," all of whom had been
killed at the battle of Shiloh; and as it
was their first visible appearance at Tul-
lahoma, you may depend there was some
excitement among men, women and
children; black, white and copper color
A dance was also going on in the ball
room at the hotel, but the women rushed
frantically to and fro in search of "Ku.
Klux," trying to shake hands with his
dry bones. They came crowding down
the steps pell.mell, so contangly mixed
that l couldn't tell which was my gal,
nor could my gal tell which was me.
In the hurry down stairs some beau
tiful young lady's high-headed wa
terfall struck the elongated extrem'
ity of my proboscis, and oh | scis.
sors and beeswax how it did hurt, and
/ thought the house was full of stars.
My nose is continually popping against
something, or is always getting in the
way. Well, such another shaking of
hands with the dry bones, regular old
fashioned, sure-enough grave bones, for
l felt one fellows paws, and it felt SO
curious it like to threw me into exclama-
ton points. But while all this, and
more too, was keing enacted in front,
scene was also occurring in the rear.
The fiddler dropped his fiddle on the
floor, and made for the back door, and
has net been heard from since. About
this time ten or twelve negroes made for
the hand.car, and as the Ku-K Klux made
up the road, the loaded haDd.car made
time down the road at terrible rate,
never taking time to look back, thinking
the Ku. Klux were closing in upon them.
Going with lightning speed, they soon
came to the railroad switch, which hap
pened to be turned the wrong way for the
poor fellows, and then they tumbled
heels over head" with the hand-car
down the embankment; but they soon
rallied, and away they sped bareheaded
to the woods, in every direction, halloo-
ing Ku-Klux I" at every step. Another
negro ran across town for life, to tell the
crowd at colored ball, where a couple
had just been married. When he sounded
the alarm, some ran out at the front door,
some at the back door; women jumped
through the windows, tearing their fine
dresses all to pieces; two or three
crawled under the house, the balance
making for the blackjack bushes in
every direction. During the melee the
married couple became separated, and
for foriy-eight hours afterward had not
been able to find each other. The Ku-
Klux marched all over town, blowing
their whistles, bat so far as l have been
able to learn, did no damage to anyone.
Next day the postmaster Ia Radical) Of
fered his resignation as Sabbath School
superintendent, and on Monday morn
ing said be was for sale.