The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1880-07-08
A VIRGINIA ROMANCE.
What Came OF SlaTpjng a Cavalry Caps
tain Across the Face.

Driving from the White Sulphur
Springs, West Virginia, to Lewis
burg, pleasant village situated on a
plateau 1000 feet above sea level, and
which nearly equals in grazing quail
ties the far-famed Kentucky blue
grass region, l became much interest
ed in our driver, a loquacious old man,
who had passed a life of sixty-five
years in the immediate vicinity Like
many of his kind he had seen better
days, having filled the position of a
sort Of maiOr-domo in one Of the first
families Of Virginia: at leaet he said
so and his general department and
conversation went far toward sustain
ing the allegation. His knowledge of
the country and its inhabitants was
good, while the local history appeared
equally familiar.
"DO you see that old brick house
over yonder, major" he said.
"Wait tillwe get on this hilltop /;
there now do you see it g.? Well, away
back i'll the war times Col. Tilford
lived there the colonel, of course,
was away with his regiment, but his
family and slaves were there all the
same. Nowat that time some Yankee
cavalry were encamped right near
Lewisburg, and being pretty hard
pushed for grub, foraging parties
secured the country at all times
night and day, fair weather and foul,
there was no rest because of them.
The slaves were in mortal fear of these
fellows, for if they didn't bring down
the butter and ham and eggs why the
troopers would pretend to slit their
ears-not really meaning to do any
harm to the niggers, but just to make
them work faster.
Toward the close of an afternoon
in October a company of this cavalry
under Capt. Beamish rode into Col.
TilfOrd,s plantation. Having been
out all afternoon without success, they
were not in a very genial temper, and
with a great many eXpletives told the
slaves they hadn't long to wait; that
they must have SO many hams and Sc
much smoked beef, with chickens
butter and milk-all in twenty min
utcs. Ibelieve everything was furnish
ed to their satisfaction; at all event;
the soldiers moved off. AS the distance
to camp was short, Capt. Beamish
who was a very young man and fonC
OF having a little fun, thought h
would stay behind and pay his re
spects to the family. He had just en-
tered the dining room, made his bow
and was commencing to say something
about the fortunes Of war compelling
him to do that which he would not b,
guilty of otherwise, when Miss Til
ford, who had a dish-clout in her hand
let him have it across the face. l
was the funniest sight you ever saw
There was the captain wiping his reek
ing face and clothes, and the CIR
laughing as though she'd never stop
Mrs 1ilford said: Have you an,
shame left, so be going round robbins
Gefenceless women! If Col. TilforC
was home, somebody would have beel
shot for this insolence.' Madame,
said the captain, If you are in rea
need of that which we have taken
l shall Immediately restore it, and h,
was as good as his word, in a very
little time his men had not onl7
brought back the provisions, but apollo
| gized to Mrs, Tiltord for the annoy
ance they had put them to.
During the stirring scenes tha
were constantly being enacted, W,
soon ceased to think of this little epis
ode in the great struggle, and tn,
chances are itwould never have beer
thought of more had it not been re
vived last summer by the appearance
in Lewisburg of a party of three gen
tleman from the North. They came
over from the White, as you're doing
now, and wanted to be driven to Mr.
Randolph's place; one of the olde
gentleman knew NIr. Randolph. yer,