The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-08-21
A FoRAGING EXPEDITION.

to our own apartments, and Mrs. carte.
not being able to bear the fatigue, un
dertook to transfer them.
A FoRAGING EXPEDITION.
Mastering all the force could, which
consisted Of five little children, twt
whites ard three blacks, ranging in age
from six to ten years, the larger one
being busy "toting" water to the roof
and encouraging them by the promise Of
lump of sugar to each, q rare luxury
in those days, off ne started on our for
aging expedition. The lurid glare of the
flames in the burning district, with tht
masses of smoke-clouds swelling ane
rolling over our heads, the silent and de
serted appearance of the streets as We
passed along, and the novel and remark
able aspect of my little squad of fora
gers, as we trudged timidly but resolutelJ
on, presented scene worthy OF
better pen than mine.
On our route we saw sights to make
toper's heart ache; for in the cutters IN
several places flowed streams of wines
whiskeys and brandies, the hoardings O.
loving mothers and other providen'
women for the use of the soldier boys
who might be brought home sick OF
wounded; these we're now poured ou
into the streets for fear they might fal
into the hands of plunderers, and make
them indeed the rufjans we so muct
dreaded. One bottle, however, I rescued
for the use of my sick sister, and KEEP
afterwards hid in little cuddy to which
there was no access except by means o.
ladder, though all these precautions
proved to have been unnecessary, for the
privacy of our home, or of any other te
my knowledge, was never intruded upon
On reaching with my little band my
sisters deserted house l found the wall:
already hot to the touch from the close
proximity of the fire, and haste was i'm.
perative, so seizing two hams | placed
one upon the shoulder of each of my
two youngest assistants, then spread 8
table.cloth upon the floor, into which ]
threw pell.mell tea, coffee, sugar, spices
dried apples, black.eyed peas, infants
clothing, shoes, &C., &C., which, as it may
be supposed, presented most incongru'
GUS and ludicrous medley on being re-
opened. This I tied together by the
four corners and put on the head of mum:
Der three. Dipping into barrels I filled
a pillow. case from the contents of two ol
them. which afterwards proved to be
equal parts of corn meal and flour
This l handed, with a jug of molasses
to number four. Taking sheet filled
it with bed and table linen and clothing
of all descriptions. This huge bundle !
threw on my own back and held it with
one hand, while the other I helped num-
Der FIVE to drag along tin can about
three feet high and ore in diameter,
which contained few pounds of lard, to
which had added ham or two, several
bars of soap, &C., &c.
Thus loaded, the procession issued
forth. Though fully impressed with the
awfulness of the occasion, and the solem-
nifty of the fact that I was making des-
perate effort to ward off threatening
famine, my pack almost rolled Oft my
shoulders in my convulsions of lau ghteI
at our ridiculous appearance when I!
fancied what Col. -, Capt. = and
Others with whom had so recently prom
enaded and Airted, and who had always
seemed to i',agine that was not strong
enough to bring my own prayer-book
home from church, would think could
they see me now But my mirth was
soon checked by the thought that they
were at that moment going tbroug n ster'
ner scenes and harder trials with our
vanuuished chieftain. Fancy my cha
grin and distress when on reaching
home and triumphantly opening my
bundles to display my dearly.won treas.
ures, found the tea, coffee, sugar and
spices intermingIed in sad confusion.
while the meal and -four were we'll sha'
ken up together, and the bars of turpen-
tine soap had slipped down to the very
bottom of the lard can? However, peo'
pie on the brink of starvation must not
be too choice, and we shall hear from
some of these things again.
SEEKING FEDERAL PROTECTION.
AS nightfall drew near vague fears be.
gan to creep over lis, for we felt that
with the daylight would vanish most OF
our courageq and again we began to pic
ture to ourselves desperadoes, under
cover of night, forcing entrance into the
house. Again our little household was
assembled in conclave to devise some
means of safety, when in came our next
door neighbor, Mrs. Blaine. We all re.
oarded in amazement at her hardihood
Yenturing out, for of course everything
like business was suspended, but she
soon explained by telling US she had
heard that by going down to the provost
marshal's office we could get protection
papers," which would insure safety to
the holders of them.
can admirable suggestion" exclaimed
we all, "but," thinks to myself, we
are very much in the fix of the council
of mice, who decided that it would be an
excellent plan to bell the cat, when one
old grandfather among them inquired
who will put the bell on p"
Everybody thought the protection
papers ought to be gotten without delay
for the shadows were ominously length
ening; but nobody was willing to go tc
the aCity Hail." the very nest of the
dreaded "Yankees," to ask for them. A
protracted pause-the case seemed des
perate-something must be done, soon il
would be too dark to think of venturin
out. On one hand the idea Of making
our way into the midst of the terrible
Yankees, on the other scenes of horror
that might be in store for house full o.
unprotected women.
"rll gow said 1. 81 will be one o.
any three who will undertake the daring
enterprise"
The next volunteer was Mrs. Blaine
and Mrs. Mills, emboldened by her ex'
ample, agreed 70 make the third. So
collecting all the wells from the assem-
bled household, We douned three apiece
and linking arms together and followed
by the hopes and prayers Of all the rest
we sailed forth. On we went, our fea
lures set in grim determination, scarce 6
word spoken. No human being did we
pass on the streets save the Fedora
soldiers strolling about, as if enjoying
the sight Of. the city they had SO LONG