Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1879-08-28
ABOUT A DEMIJ0HN
A GEORGIA woMAN's REMNIscENcR OF

A GEORGIA woMAN's "REMINISCENCES OF
THE CLOSING DAYS OF THE WAR.
Although | was in hearing of the bat
ties of Chickamauga and Missionary
Ridge, and in the very thick Of the fight
at Resaca, and lived for two years in
constant dread and terror of having to
face Federal soldiers, owing to my home
being within the lines of military opera
tions. yet, strange to say, | never met
this object of my terror till the close of
the war; when | was n refugee in middle
Georgia. Here, ut last, | met my first
blue-coat, and. droily enough, he is as
sociatcd in my mind with dcmiiohn.
1t was in the spring of '65. Gen. ShCr-
man had made his march TO the sea, and
Gen Wilson had started on n raiding
expedition through Georgia to capture
Columbus and Macon, places Sherman
had passed by. This, OF course, threw
the country through which he passed
into the dircst confusion. All the popu-
lation that could fled from their homes
and betook themselves to- the swamps.
leaving their homes in charge of their
negroes.
As luck would have it, the friend with
whom was staying lived directly on the
route taken by Gen. Wilson on his march
from Columbus to Macon. To face n
party ofraidcrs in a town is not pleasant:
but to face them in thescountry is abso-
iutely fearful; one has then such lone
", unprotected feeling; and if face them
| must. | would have much preferred to
have returned to Macon and there await
the dread interview.
But Mrs. Willis, the friend with
whom | was staying, entTeated | would
not desert hCr. Her husband was off
with Gen. johnson in North Carolina.
and she and her four little children were
alone on her plantation. So promised.
and we rode over TO her brothers planta-
tion 20 hold a council Of war with him.
He was> Mt home on crutches from 4
wound received in one of the battles
around Atlanta.
By him it was decided that we had
better follow the example of our neigh
bors, pack up all our portable property.
take NIL the mules and horses and those
negroes that would 90 and betake our
selves to tho swamps; and no time was
to be lost in making our arrangements.
II was dusk when we reached home.
but Mrs. Willis sent n runner To 1.-THE
quarter to tell the negroes that she
wished to see them. There are two
scenes in this. my last campaign, that are
indelibly photographed in my mind: one
is tie adventure of the dcmiiohn, which
/ will tell n little further on, and the
other is Mrs. Willis first effort at stump
speaking.
To this day I can see that double row
Of stalwart blacks, their dark faces lii up
by the red glare of the torches held by n
squad of halEgTown negro boys. while
groups of negro women, with babies in
their arms and little children ciinging to
their skirts. fitted around But all eyes
turned to the young and pretty woman
who stood on the steps, telling them that
she had to leave her home and asking
who would 90 with her. reminding them
that when their master had gone ia the
wars he had placed her and his children
and all that he had in the care Of las four
head men. and they had promised 20 he
faithful.
At this appeal Adam. the shoemaker.
here literally the first man. stepped out
Of the ranks saying, 81 will 90, Miss
Fanny Adam was Mrs. Willis own
personal property, and prided himself
on "comin' from do Gibbs family" :"
Gibbs was Mrs. Willis maiden name. }
At this Jasper, the blacksmith. n most
majestic colored man, stepped to the
front and made bow. He was n Willis
negro. Whereupon Adam, not TO be
outdone, hoped upon the bottom step
waving his hat. This burst of enthui.
asm brought out Scott, the third head
man. and captain of the "hoe- gang"
and cotton pickers. Scott was as stupid
as the day was long, but M faithful as
he was stupid; 1t had just then entered
into his head what was wanted of him.
So he stepped out Of ranks, dragged off
= black thing which he called his hat
and scratched his head. This act of al
legiance carrieda before 1t. The other
negroes, following the lead Of their head
man, offered TO go with their mistress; !;
even Mingo, one Of the cargo of the
WandeTer (who was so pleased with
clothes, that adjunct Of civilization Of
which he was ignorant till he reached
Georgia, that he never could get enough
bright colOrs to wear). all promised to
east in their lot with her. All but Al
fred, one of the head men, who said he
was too old to go on such n haunt. but
would stay and look after the women
and children. Alfred was nm old
bachelor. an uncommon thing with n
negro. and his affections were fixed upon
n tremendous gray mule, called white
Mike" / will here state that Alfred
proved recreant to his trust and fled
away tho following night on the back
OF his idol to join the raiders. They.
hnyingno sentiment, confiscated "White
Mike, and put him TO pulling artillery
out OF the mud, and what became Of AZ
fred never heard, for he was ashamed
ever 10 return.
The next day, under the management
OF three head men. the house was dis
mantled and the furniture hid In the
fields. or in the negro houses. For we