Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1872-05-30

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islands, hammocks and the like, were learned
and located in their memories. Signals we're
agreed upon in case they were needed; and
Grace took pains to learn allshe could imagine,
or any one told her, might be of use in case
Of emergency.
To Conway's laugh and sarcastic questions,
she would say
"It can do no harm and if it does no good
I shall never regret the time and exercise it
takes"
Christmas came, and with it Russell Elliott
and his cousin Arthur; but Mr.. Ellison
thought it was no time for soldiers to leave
their posts so he and Jack did not apply for
furloughs.
1t was expected by the family that Arthur
would marry Grace. He was willing, "demned
if he wasn't, when she was the handsomest
girl in the State, unless it was Conway, who
had been snapped up by Jack, deuce take
him. But then Grace wouldn't quarrel, and
Conway had temper of her own, he'd be
hanged if she hadn't; and he didn't want
wife kicking up a row for every little
thing fellow did, Grace would have just
as much tin as Conway, so he believed he
had a better bargain than Jack, demned if
he didn't"
It will be seen Arthur Edwards had way
of using coarse words; but he was rich-Mr
Elliott's favorite-and must have chance to
SOW his "wild oats" like other young men
he'd come out all right!
To do him justice, it must be said he was
good.natured, obliging, brave, not a spend
thrift, and hardly as profigate as the most OF
his associates. He wasn't the longest headed
man in the country, but that he couldn' help.
The house was not crowded with company
as usual at the holiday season; nearly all
their friends were off refugeeing, and did not
like to 90 so near the coast.
There were gloomy apprehensions all
through the country, and when Savannah
fell they were greatly increased. The news
of Sherman's creeping nearer and nearer was
known, but the fall of the city was unexpec-
ted, and gave great shock to the country.
We can all recall our blindness now, in
hoping against hope,' but then each new dis
aster and defeat came with a suddenness, an
unexpectedness, that showed how strong our
confidence had been.
"Shall we stay, or Ay?" was the question
again anxiously asked. All fled who had
the means Of going, except the Elliotts and
the Wrights. Russell, whohad fingered over
his ten days leave of ABSENCE advised wait
ing till they saw which route Sherman's army
was about to take, and then getting behind it,
or keeping on one side. What they wanted,
to save to take with them, or bury.
Mr.. Wright said he had no where to 60.
All he had was right there, and it was better
to lose it at home than among strangers. He
had talked with soldiers from Georgia and
the border States, and it was hard to tell
where safe place was when an army was
bent on overrunning the country.
Russell and Arthur were recalled, and the
family felt uneasy, unsettled The costly jew
elry and massive silver service Of the family,
andthat belonging to Mr.. Ellison, were buried
by Mr.. Elliott and Stuart, and the others
were made acquainted with the places Of de-
posit.
So we'll and secretly was it done, that even
Maud, Conway's maid, who was most trusted
of all the servants and thought she knew eve.
rything that went on in the house, supposed
the whole family treasure to be in Bank in
Columbia. She would have taken oath that
she helped pack it, saw it put in the wagon to
go to the depot, that Mr.. Elliott went off on
the cars with it, and was gone three days, and
she saw him give Mrs. Elliott paper stating
the things had been deposited in the Bank.
She little knew what change had been made
in the contents of the box, in the hour Conway
had kept her in the garden helping her about
a new fower-bed she was planning, and how
Mr.. Elliott and Stuart worked and blistered
their hands in digging holes for burying it;
nor how near they came to being discovered
as she passed near them on an errand to
distant negro house.
Some time in the early part of January,
set of men calling themselves Wheeler's cav
airy, came for horses, cattle and provisions,
threatening to destroy everything if their Or
ders were not obeyed and what they asked
for given at once Mrs. Elliott's GOODNESS and
frmness prevented their entering the house
or taking the horses but they stole several
things from the yard and went off with curses
and threats. In day or two they returned,
but Mr. Elliott was at home, and he told them
if they took Single horse or troubled any
thing he would get regiment and hunt them
down till there was not one left. They we're
not Wheeler's cavalry and were acting with
out orders The country should be made too
hot to hold them if they did not leave.
They clustered awhile, threatened to shoot
every one of the family, and rode around as if
intending to do great things, but at last went
off and were soon heard of in other neighbor-
hoods doing great mischief and bringing dis
credit on brave company, whose name they
had stolen. Mr.. Wright was protected by
some soldiers from the true "Wheeler's caval-
ry," who were picketed there at the. time of
the last coming Of the scoundrels; but on
their first visit they had quite an exciting
scene, which we will let Ellen tell. She and
Albert had rode over to Mr.. Elliott's and after
listening to their account of how the thieving
deserters and skulkers talked and tried to
frighten them, she related what they did at
her fathers.
"They went from here right over to our
house ordered dinner to be cooked, the keys