The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1878-04-11

were red, but she had pinched, starved
look, and an eye like hawk. She car.
ried in her arms a half dozen bars Oh
yellow soap. piece Of dress silk. q long
box of stockings, and some raisins ana
herrings.. said:
"' Madam, beg your pardon; out
you are forgetting yourself. Inese
goods are not yours. You have not
paid for them, and you will not be per-
mitted TO leave this store with them;
.'She looked at me-" said the Major,
sin wild way, rs though endeayorlng
to comprehend what had said, and then
went to the counter and threw down the
goods. As she came back she delber-
ately took me by the arm and slung me
from her with such force that l went
spinning around like a top, and struck
the front of the building so hard that 1t
took the breath out of me. She than
quietly gathered up her load from the
counter and walked out. The Alabama
Captain looked at me and laughed, but
kept his hands in his pockets and said
nothing. told him thought we were
out of place, and he nodded. We con-
cluded after that to remain simple spec
tators.
Meanwhile the women were ap-
proaebino the Jews quarter. The He
brews were credited with great wealth.
1t was said that they had made barrels
of money out of the COnfederacy, and
the female Communists went 1T them
without a qualm of conscience. Moses
and Isaac, however, had heard what
was going on above, and tried to protect
themselves. They put up their shutters,
barricaded their doors, ran up stairs,
ard watched the proceedings from the
second-stOry windows. But the women
were not dispayed. While some OF
them ran for axes, Others found long
piece of scantling, and used 1t as Dat
teriug ram. The first door heW open
amid the cheers of the outsiders, follow
ed by wall of sorrow from the jews.
sOh, mine kOttl mine kOtti | ish ruin
ed! ish ruinedl' was the cry. But
they made no further defense. Indeed,
IL would have been dangerous for them
To attempt il, for if one OF the female
robbers had been hurt, the crowd of hus-
bands and brothers would surely nave
avenged it.
"And sou said the MAJOR, "the sPo-
/ liation continued. At last rumCr ran
/ through the street, The Governor IS
{ coming It proved true. Down the
/ hill came Gov. fetcher, accompanied
by his staff and few friends. He as
cended cart, and made speech, when
/ had as much effect as such speeches
usually do have The mob of women
/ kept steadily at work, and the Governor
pumped himself dry without producing
! The least effect. The crowd on the out
skirts opened respectfully for him to
pass out, and the Jews moaned more
pitifully than ever. The women pitch
ed in with renewed vigOr, and shawls,
sugar, poplins, bottles of pickles, rib
bons, washing soda, muslins, and bags
of hominv were pitched into the wagons
at the doors. Then q second rumOr
spread over the crowd. The President
was coming. This also proved true.
President Davis rode down from the
Capitol, followed by Capt. Gay with q
hundred of the Guards. He mounted a
wagon, and every body was silent. !
had seen him several times, but had
never heard him speak. SO forced my
way within ten feet of him and stood
spellbound. 1t was the most eloquent
speech I ever heard. Tall and slender,
he swayed with emotion like the willow
in the wind. His words were carefully
chosen. He spoke of his experience III
the Mexican Tar, and while expressing
his deepest sympathy with the sorrows
and sufferings of the children of the
Confederacy, sternly maintained the
necessity of law and order"
The Major heard that many OF the
women stopped pillaging, and gathered
at a distance, listening to the words tlat
they could catch. At the close OF ms
speech the President took cut his watch
and gazed at it long and earnestly.
Capt. Cay" said he, '''order
your men to load with ball cartridges. y
"The order was obeyed, land the ring
inc of ranrods was heard. The crowd
began to give way.
Captain Gay, ," said the President,
still looking at his watch, "'if this
street is not cleared within five minutes,
order your men to fire down Main
Street until it is cleared
s'Mr. Davis rode away. Within three
minutes there was not a soul in sight
4 but the Guards. The mob funneled IT
self into the side streets. Those nearest
the President gave the information to
those in front and rushed against them
with the force of a wave. They are
going to firel' The words were heard
by the pilferers in the stores. They
knew the character of Jefferson Davis,
and they knew the reputation of old
Capt. Gay Where Davis would not
finch from giving an order, Gay would
not finch from obeying it. The women
dispersed as suddenly as they came, and
that was the end of the female Com
mune. They never held another meet
ing"