Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1881-10-26

Nhhai tSiiS oi'il
of his experiences in the Georgia march to
the sea, which is worth repeating
"Speaking of the famous march through
Georgia. said the governor, II never shall
forget the amount of money it cost us TO
keep an old woman from crying herself to
death. OF course we were obliged to sub
sist off the country as we went along, and
we naturally took about the best in sight.
One day We took possession of chicken
ranch kept by an old lady, who stood at the
front gate with a broom and threatened to
HEX all of Sherman's forces if they did not
move on. Now, chickens were considered
as officers meat, and as We were desperate
iy hungry, We went for these old hens pretty
lively. When she saw that her favcrite
fowls were being caught and killed she
keeled right over and began to cry. Pres
emily sne began to scream, and finally you
could hear that -somar's yells clear TO At
lanta. | sent the surgeons in to quiet her,
but they failed, and then all the officers
took turns, but the more attention paid her
the more she howled. | then got pretty
nervous over the internal noise, because the
whole army would hear it, aud they might
suppose somebody was torturing the woman.
Finally, Sherman rode up and asked what
was il about, and when We told him he said
:. Give her bushel of confederate bonds
for her hens, and see if that won't stop her,"
Acting On this hint, l proceeded to busi-
ness. We had captured a confederate ii ain
the day before with 81, 4,OG0. 900 of confeGer-
ate money, and l hunted up the train at
once. The money was worth about two
cents on the dollar. Well, | stuffed about
half million dollars in an old carpet-sack
and marched into the house.
.s'Madam,' said |, opening the sack. I'll
give you $4,000 to quit this noise.' Itwas
as still as death in minute, and then her
face expanded in a broad smile. laid the
packages on the table, and never saw such
a delighted woman. The effect pleased me,
and l continued: General Sherman pre-
sents his compliments and 100000 |
never in my life saw such pleased old wo-
man, and 1 wound up by dumping the con-
tents OF the sack right down on the floor,
and telling her that when il came to contri-
buttons to distressed females could not be
outdone by no man living.
'.She invited the officers TO supper and
she cooked every chicken on the ranch, and
set ont cider as free as water. We were
having pretty good time when a long, lani;
old coon came in, and she said it was her
husband. Pretty soon his eye fell on the
money Sarah p said he, swhere. in blazes
did you get all this darned truck p
ga present from General Sherman said
she.
"s'Taint worth a continental cent: they
are kiBdli1g fires with il down at New Or
leans
"The old woman rose up, her face as
white as your shirt front, and her eye wasn't
pleasant to meet.
$50 you are the blk that gave me this,
are you y she called out, reaching for the
old broom
1.-THE entire mess rose and started from
that house. We never heard any more of
her, and there isn't man of the crowd who
would meet that old woman for all that con-
federate money, if it would bring one hun
dred cents on the dollar at the treasury de-
partment, at Washington. ."-Sah Lake TTi-
buae.