The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-07-24

gold and silver down there, and that he
could scarcely lift the trunk, it was so
heavy. They then said they had brought
him to the swamp to make him tell them
where it was. If he would give it up
| without force, all right; if not they
would hang him until he revealed its
hiding place. He repeated his first
statement. and told them he had no gold.
They then took him to tree that bent
over the path, tied rope around his
neck, threw it over projecting limb and
drew him up until his feet were OF the
ground. He did not quite lose conscious
ness when they let him down and said !:
"Now, where is your gold?" He told
them the same story, whereupon one OF
them cried: "We will make you tell
another story before we are done with
you. So pull him up again, boys p
They raised him up again, and that time,
he said he felt as if be were suffocating.
They again lowered him to the ground
and cried out fercely: CHOW tell US
where that gold is or We will kill you,
and your wife will never know what has
become of you." "I have told you the
truth have no gold," he again repeat
ed, adding: ri am an old man and at
your mercy. If you want to kill me you
have the power to do it, but I cannot die
with a lie on my lips. have a gold
watch at the house, but nothing else.
One of them, who seemed to be the lead.
er, said: ''Swing the old Rebel up
again next time we will get all the
truth from him." They then lifted him
up and let him fall with more force than
before. He heard a sound as of water
rushing through his head aud then a
blindness came over him, and dry
choking sensation was felt in his throat
as he lost consciousness. The next thing
he remembered he was some distance
from the place where he was hanged, ly
| ing with his head down the hill near q
stream of water, and one of the men was
bathing bis face and another rubbing his
hands. For some time he was unable to
speak. Then he heard one of them say !:
1--WE liked to have carried that game too
far" When he was able to sit up they
placed him upon the mule and brought
him TO the house to get his watch.
When Mrs. s. went to get Judge
H-'s watch, which was not with our
other valuables, the plunderers compelled
her to guide them to the place where
everything of value that we had was
concealed and sho came to me when she
returned to the house and, with trembling
lips, said that she hoped would not
blame her for showing them where our
silver was hidden.
.'sI couldn't help it," she cried "They
threatened to kill me if did not tell.
They said they had hanged Judge H
until he was nearly dead, and they would
do the same to me, if I did not show
them where everything was concealed; So
was obliged to tell them. They
even threatened to burn the house down
if kept back anything"
Poor woman! I did not blame her.
Life was dear to her, and she did rightly
to save it.
Oh the horror of that night! None
but God will ever know what [ suffered.
There my husband lay within scorching
fever, his tongue parched and swollen
and his throat dry and sore. He begged
for water and there was not drop to be
had. The Yankees had cut all the well
ropes and stolen the buckets and there
was no water nearer than half mile.
just before daylight one of the negro
men offered to 60 to the spring for some
water, but there was not bucket or q
tub to be found. Everything had been
carried of. He at last found g small tin
bucket that some of the negroes had
used for carrying their dinner to the
ield, and brought that full-about half a
gallon.
ONE GOOD SAMARITAN.
The next morning, Wednesday,
rough looking man from Iowa came to
the window and asked me if he could be
of any service to me. The negroes were
afraid to come near the house during the
day, but came at nig ght and brought in
wood and did all they could for us. 1
told the stranger that we had no water
and nothing to eat. He offered to bring
some water if I would give him bucket.
| told him every vessel had been carried
off and we had nothing. He then left
and in about an hour returned with q
wooden pail, such as the negroes used in
carrying water to the fields. In other
days should have hesitated to drink
water from such vessel, as it certainly
did not look very clean, but was thank.
full to get it and expressed my gratitude
to the man.
The good Samaritan then took from
| his pocket two envelopes, one containing
about two tablespooniuls of parched cof-
fee and the other about the same quanti-
ty of brown sugar, and handed them to
me. Notwithstanding my trouble I
could not help being amused at his tel
ling me how to make coffee. He brought
me a small tin cup and said: "Now
take this coffee and grind it, if you have
q mill, if not put it in rag and beat it
until it is fine. Then put it in the cup
and pour boiling water on it and let it
boil few minutes. You will then have
q good drink for your sick husband"
thanked him, but did not let him know
I knew how to make coffee. know one
thing, never appreciated cup of coffee
more than l did that one. That man
was rough. looking, but his heart was in
the right place. He certainly acted the
part Of the "Good Samaritan"
With one exception the only kindness
or humanity I received was from the
Western soldiers. There were no doubt
in that large army others with some feel.
ings of kindness, but it was not my good
fortune to meet them. But / am digress'
ing. My object in this sketch is to give
the facts alone-not to speculate on what
might be.
BY the time Judge H had finished
drinking his coffee, which he relished
very much, and had bathed his face, the
Yankees began to pour in from every
direction. Everywhere one looked they
could be seen. They were so thick in
my room l could scarcely turn round.
They took everything they could find.
One took the clock and started out with
it. I begged him to leave it, and to my
| L toc