Connecticut western news., 1881-10-26
A PRESENT FROM GEN. SHERMAN.
How the General Paid a Georgia
 Woman for Her Chickens.

Governor Murray tells us a laughable story of his experiences in the Georgis march to the sea, which is worth re- beating:
 "Speaking of the march through Georgia" said the Governor, ''I shall never forget the amount of money il cost us to keep an old woman from cry ing herself to death. Of course we were obliged to subsist off the country as we went along, and we naturally took | possession of a chicken ranch kept by an old lady, who stood at the front gate with broom and threatened to lick all of Sherman's forces if they didn't move on. Now, chickens were considered as l officers meat, and, as we were very hungry, we went for these old hens pretty lively. When she saw that her favorite fowls were being caught and killed, she keeled right over and began to cry. Presently she began to scream, and finally you could hear that woman's yells clear to Atlanta. I sent the sur geons in to quiet her, but they failed, and then all the officers took turns, but the more attention paid her the more she howled. I then got pretty nervous over the internal noise, because the whole army would hear it, and they might suppose somebody was torturing the woman. Finally Sherman rode up, and asked what it was all about, and when we told him he said: Give her 8 bushel of Confederate bonds for her hens, and see if that won't stop her. Acting on this hint, I proceeded to business. We had captured Confed- crate train the day before, with $4, ,O0O,- 900 of Confederate money, and hunted up the train at once. The money was worth about two cents on the dollar. We'll, I stuffed about $5OO,O 900 in an old carpet-sack, and marched into the house.
 "'Madam, said I, opening the sack, 'Tll give you $5O,OOO to quit this noise.' It was as still as death in 8 minute, and then her face expanded in broad smile. I laid the packages of money on the table, and I never saw such 8 delighted woman. The effect pleased me, and I continued Gen. Sherman presents his compliments and $1O0, ,00O.' I never in my life saw such pleased old woman, and wound up by dumping the contents of the sack right down on the floor, and telling her that when it came to contributions to dis tfessed females could not be out-done by any man living.
 "She invited the officers to supper, and she cooked every chicken on the ranch, and set out cider as free as water. We were having pretty good time, when long, lank old coon came in, and she said it was her husband. Pretty soon his eye fell on the money.
 "'Sarah,' said he, where in the world did you get all this darned truck ?
 GA present from Gen. Sherman said she.
 "'Tain't worth 8 continental cent i; they're kindlin' fires with it down at New Orleans
 "The old woman rose up, her face as white as your shirt front, and her eye wasn't pleasant to meet.
 So you are the rascal that gave me this, are you ? she called out, reaching for the old broom.
 ''The entire mess rose and started from that house. We never heard any more of her, and there isn't a man of the crowd who would meet that old wo- man for all that Confederate money, if it would bring 100 cents on the dollar at the Treasury Department, Washing ton."