Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1879-08-08
ABOUT A DEMIJ0HN

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, vet, strange to say, l never met
this object of my terror till the close of
| the war, when | was q refugee in middle
Georgia. Here, at last, | met my first
blue-coat, and, drolly enough, he is as
sociated in my mind with demijohn.
1t was in the spring of '65. Gen. Sher-
man had made his march to the sea, and
Gen. Wilson had started on 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 direst confusion. All the popu-
lation that could fed 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
ilOlll NOluillOuS w hltJCOH. IL ltlCC ii
party orralueIs III II town Is NOT pleasant; !;
but to face them in the.country is abso-
lutely fearful one has then such a lone
lv, 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 l was staying, entreated would
not desert hlr. Her husband was off
with Gen. johnson in North Carolina,
and she and her four little childr were
alone ON her plantation. 81 promised,
tion 20 hold council of war with him.
He was at home on crutches from q
wound received il one of the bait es
around Atlanta. 80 s"
BY him it was decided that we had
better follow the example of our neigh
1ors, pack up all our portable property,
take all the mules and horses and those
negroes that would go and betake our
selves to the swamps; and no time was
to be lost in making our arrangements.
1t was dusk when we reached home,
but Mrs. Willis sent a 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 demiohn, which
| will tell a little further on, and the
other is Mrs. Willis first effort at stump
speaking.
To this day / can see that double row
of stalwart blacks, their dark faces lit up
by the red glare of the torches held by a
squad of halfgrown negro boys, while
groups of negro women, with babies in
their arms and little children clinging 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 har, reminding them
that when their master had gone TO the
wars lie had placed her and his children
and all that he had in the care of his four
head men, and they had promised to he
faithful.
At this appeal Adam, the shoemaker
here literally the first man, stepped out
of the ranks saying, 81 will go, Miss
Fanny" Adam was Mrs. Willis own
personal property, and prided himself
on "comin' from de Gibbs family
Gibbs was Mrs. Willis maiden name >,
At this Jasper, the blacksmith, most
majestic colored man, stepped to the
front and made bow. He was Willis
negro. Whereupon Adam, not to be
outdone, hoped upon the bottom ster
waving his hat. This burst of enthusi
asm brought out Scott, the third heaC
nan, and captain of the "hoe- gang
and cotton pickers. Scott was as stupit
as the day was long, but as faithful al
he was stupid; it had just then entered
into his head what was wanted of him
So he stepped out of ranks, dragged of
black thing which he called mis- ha
and scratched his head. This act of al
legiance carried all before it. The othe
negroes, following the lead of their heaC
man, offered to go with their mistress
even Mingo, one of the cargo of tn
Wanderer (who was so pleased will
clothes, that adjunct of civilization 0
which he was ignorant till he reached
Georgia, that he never could get enough
bright colors to wear), all promised t,
cast in their lot with her. All but Al
fred, one of the head men, who said b
was too old to go on such a jaunt, bu
would stay and look after the womel
and children. Alfred was an oil
bachelor. an uncommon thing with
negro, and his affections were fixed upoI
tremendous gray mule, called "Whit
Nike | will here state that Alfre,
proved recreant to his trust and fe,
away the following night on the bac
of his idol to join the raiders. They
havingno sentiment, confscated "Whit
Mike" and put him to pulling artiller
out of the mud, and what became of Al
fred | never heard, for he was ashame
ever to return.
The next day, under the management
Of three head men, the house was diu