The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-08-14

known to be separated summer Or winter
she stood ready to depart, praying ane
tanning herself; and if her daughter'
had not looked after her clothing sht
would not have had change to hel
back.
Luckily the girls were as brave anc
cool as their mother was falnt.heartec
and excited, and in an incredible shor
time had affairs in marching order. Al
very few trunks could be put into the
wagon, every sack and pillow-case wal
pressed into service, and garment after
garment was rolled up into tight balls
and g crammed down into them, and these
bags were then packed into the wagon
THE FOUR TABBY CAPTAINS.
r. The demand for bags, of course, was
great. and as there was no time to look
for them an amusing scene took place
between one of the ladies aud her niece
old Mrs. Mitchell's pet grandchild, a girl
of eight or ten, who, far from concerning
herself to save anything. of value, had
appropriated one Of the valuable bags
for the use of four gray kittens, named
after. four Confederate captains of her
acquaintance. With this great treasure
she was marching of, when her aunt
spied her and capturing the bag, indig.
nantly tilted the four tabby captains out,
who joyfully scampered away.
- "Are not your grandparents clothes OF
more value than four cats ?" she scorn-
fully demanded, when the little girl made
remonstrance. :.
In answer to Cap. Mitchells cry to
make haste, as the firing had commenced
along the line, and if they did not hurry
they would be forced to ride for miles
under fire, the household sailed forth,
all the ladies with something in their
hands, looking very much like people
flying from a house on fre-old Mrs.
Mitchell with her Bible and turkey-tail
fan, and her granddaughter with another
sack containing the four cat captains,
whom she had run down and captured.
They were mewing and scratching, and
were avery disagreeable piece of baggage
to sit near, as they clawed everything
within reach.
One of the sisters, it should be men.
toned, was so thoughtless as to come
forth empty-handed.
care you carrying off nothing" the
others demanded reproachfully.
Abashed she fed back into the desert.
ed house, and snatchipg up a large
looking.glass, for which she had no man.
ner of use, clasped it in her arms after
the manner of a breastplate, apd sallying
forth in this dazzling armor, climbed to
her place on top of the baggage in the
wagon. :,
= At last every one, servants and all,
were packed in the wagons and We start
ed off.
JOGGING THROUGH THE LINES.
& For about two miles the dirt road and
railroad ran. close together. Drawn up
along the railroad was a line of soldiers
waiting for their time to take hand in
the bali, which was now being opened at
Resaca, two, miles away, by grand
cannonading. They looked mournfully at
us as we rode by. Then something
jostled the wagon, some one lost their
balance-it may have been one of the cat
captains-and in the confusion an elbow
was thrust into the looking glass breast.
plate and shivered it, 30 the fragments
were cast out. The line, of veterans
broke, the men darted forward to secure
the bits of glass, and eagerly scanned
such little strips of their faces rs they
could see..
The little village of Resaca is situated
at the junction of two mountain rivers,
which. here flow together and form the
Oostanaula. This river was spanned by
q fine railroad bridge, and for these
reasons Resaca had been considered as a
strategic point of considerable impor.
tance, and had been closely guarded for
a long time. The line of hills which
surrounded the village bristled with for.
tifcations. At the foot of one of these
chains stretched little plateau, and on
this ran both railroads and dirt road. As
our heavily ladened wagons logged slowly
along shell flew over the breastworks
and sailed toward us. It was still some
distance from US when little stream of
white smoke issued from it. Old Mrs.
Mitchell had never seen one of the per-
nicious things, and it attracted her favor
able notice.
"Wbat is that up there with the white
smoke 2" she calmly demanded.
As has been said before the old lsdy
was nervous and timid, and had she
known the dangerous nature of the object
of her admiration she might have taken
ft. After jumping to the conclusion
that it was too far off to hurt us some one
informed her that it was only shell.
"Ahp' said the old lady, sis that so.
Why, they are very pretty things"
Here the driver turned round in his
saddle and surveyed US, but I have no
idea whether he thought we were heroes
or idiots. His contemplations were in.
terrupted by an officer leaping on the
breastworks and shouting, "Double.quick
that wagon! Double:quick itP
A little farther on we met squad o1
horsemen. They proved to be Gen. Polk
and his staff, and Capt. Mitchell, who
was serving under him, rode up beside
his father to speak to him.
THE WARRIOR PRIEST.
1t was the first time I had ever seen
the warrior priest, and it was also the
last, for he was killed during this cam
paign. He was very fne looking man
and I will never forget the courteous
grace with which he barred his head and
bowed in token of sympathy as we pass
ed.
"Where are you to cross the river,
Captain ?" he asked.
''At the lower pontoon, General. I
think it the safest"
We had not gono very far before one
Of his aides came flying after us.
"The General says you had better cross
at the upper bridge. The firing is not so
hot there"
As we rode through Resaca the little
village seemed fairly to rock from the
tremendous cannonading. Many OF its
houses had been struck.
When we reached the pontoon bridge
it was thought best that we should dis
mount and cross on foot, and it fell to my